March 2024

PROs & CONs candidate challenge

l3wis March 21, 2024 10Comments

I decided to challenge myself and write ONE sentence PRO’s and CON’s of the candidates running in the April Election, here we go;

SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL BOARD (2 seats available)

Bobbie Tibbetts

CON: Sued the District over Title 9 and won. As an active plaintiff in that case it would be a gigantic conflict of interest to serve on the board, and I’m not even sure she can legally serve because of it. And there’s those dang forms!

PRO: Young mother active in the school district and activities.

Stuart Willett

CON: Besides being a MAGAt, Stuart decided the best way to tear down government was to NOT vote ever in Sioux Falls. That’s why he registered to vote a few days before he announced.

PRO: Has some good ideas about reading comprehension and listening to teachers.

Gail Swenson

CON: A bureaucrat for 41 years in education.

PRO: A bureaucrat for 41 years in education. (YES I DID THAT ON PURPOSE)

Marc Murren

CON: Voted for the Gymnastics funding to be yanked, which resulted in a lawsuit (see Bobbie Tibbetts above)

PRO: Wants to work towards more transparency in the district.

Pat Starr

CON: Has sent his adopted and foster children to both private and public schools (he mostly sent children to private school due to some special needs).

PRO: Pat has NEVER voted for a tax increase the 8 years he was on council, he is PRO-OPEN GOVERNMENT and he is active in school athletics as a basketball referee and has built great relationships with parents, coaches and students. Also, Pat is a very honest and modest person and probably one of the most mild-tempered councilors I have ever known. He is also highly ethical. I often tell people, if you vote for the candidate with the highest ethical standards, you can guarantee they will govern that way also.

AT-LARGE CITY COUNCIL

Jordan Deffenbaugh

CON: Doesn’t have the campaign finances to mount an effective marketing and mailing campaign (but he still has time).

PRO: Is involved with numerous non-profit organizations that help lower income folks, knows his stuff when it comes to Urban Planning (Founding member of Sioux Falls Strongtowns) and has the vigor and knowledge to be an very effective councilor.

Richard Thomason

CON: Lost his last (corrected) primary election and doesn’t really have a strong message.

PRO: He’s a moderate Republican who lost to a couple of right wing weirdos in the legislature.

Allison Renville

CON: Talks a good game when it comes to school district policy and state law but doesn’t really understand city government.

PRO: Works with her fellow tribal members in the community to help the disadvantaged and abused. Would be the first Native woman to be elected to council.

NORTHEAST DISTRICT

Neil Jeske

CON: Hasn’t lived in Sioux Falls long enough to understand the finer details of city government, but is teachable 🙂

PRO: He has a low tax, low regulation view of local government.

David Zokaites

CON: David is a Fashion Disaster.

PRO: David is a Fashionista.

Miranda Basye (also known as Barney the 5th)

CON: The rumor is she was fired from her last job at the Sioux Metro whatever alliance. Would be nice to know why.

PRO: Has a good background in small business ownership and knows how to turn a wrench.

SW DISTRICT (Uncontested)

Ryan Spellerberg

CON: ZERO TRANSPARENCY. We know absolutely nothing about this person and he didn’t even bother to show up to a candidate forum. Marshall Selberg 2.0.

PRO: ?

NW DISTRICT (Uncontested)

Jennifer Sigette

CON: Another one that has lived and worked in this community for decades and decided to register to vote right before announcing. So not only has she never voted in a city election or for herself, but no one else has either, funny stuff 🙁

PRO: Since she has NO experience in government and she was uncontested, I got the feeling from some of her quotes in the media that she will keep an open mind about planning, etc. So I guess she hasn’t had her ‘specials’ meeting yet where the gifting of the Rubber Stamp occurs and marching orders. Poor girl.

If I had to guess, this election was over before it started. But there are some interesting scenarios. I think if David and Neil or Allison and Jordan can force a runoff (need to get a combined 50% + 1) the race will be more competitive. I am for sure predicting a runoff in the At-Large race (start writing Jordan checks TODAY!) and if Jordan can mount a 1 on 1 against Richard, he CAN beat him. The irony of the Rex Rolfing/Theresa Stehly rule is it may blow up in their faces. Richard could get 49% of the vote in the general and lose in the runoff.

The school board race is incredibly competitive, and with 5 peeps running for 2 seats and it being a plurality, the races could be decided by a handful of votes, and I predict a recount on that election. The 3 strongest candidates are Starr, Murren and Swenson.

If a tree falls in the forest . . .

l3wis March 21, 2024 3Comments

District 9 Republicans, RUN as fast as you can away from Kristi (Stewart) Golden

l3wis March 20, 2024 11Comments

You know, when you work with someone and it is a very bad experience, you always wonder years later if and when they run for office if you can say something.

I’m talking.

Kristi (Stewart) Golden is the daughter of Gordon Stewart, one of the founders of the Stewart Hairstyling school and salons, the brother of Randy Stewart and she is married to Bill Golden, an assistant city attorney with the city of Sioux Falls, a job he quietly(?) received after leaving Lincoln County as an assistant state’s attorney.

Kristi probably conveniently left that out of her press releases, because like most privileged Republicans they don’t like the working stiffs of this state knowing they want to ‘serve’ in the legislature to enrich their lives further. Her husband is probably already locked and loaded on several state pension programs and as a former staffer of a senator, I would guess Kristi has a little pension coming from the taxpayers.

Her husband, Bill, was private counsel to the Stewart family before moving into private practice and eventually bilking the taxpayers.

I went to work for Randy Stewart around 20 years ago or so. He’s the guy who has been screwing up childcare in Sioux Falls after trying to close his late parents daycares. Not sure if Kristi is also rolling a paycheck from those sales?

Kristi and Randy’s relationship is the normal sibling rivalry, and after parents passed, those relationships can get complicated.

I think I worked for Randy for less than a year before he fired me (he actually got his accountant* to do it with Bill) after I told Randy he was a very ‘unchristian’ business owner and I was shocked he was an ordained pastor.

But the clincher was when his sister who couldn’t handle her part-time job at a private Christian college her father has given millions to came to be the salesperson for our little sign shop.

I think my co-worker said to me when she was hired, ‘What does she know about the sign business?’ and I said, ‘Does it matter? She is Gordon’s daughter.’

If I could use one word to describe Larry Pressler’s former staffer, it would be this; ENTITLED!

If I were a voting Republican in District 9, I would send Kristi packing. Just another entitled trust baby in South Dakota that wants to funnel your tax dollars to their goofy causes and coffers.

Even if she was elected to the legislature, she would have NO CLUE what the normal South Dakotan goes thru each day, but her and her husband are sure reaping the benefits of our hard work.

We need a working person’s legislature, that get their teeth fixed locally (or not at all 🙁

*This accountant actually took over one of the daycares Randy sold.

VOTE JESKE!

l3wis March 20, 2024 10Comments

This is a PAID political ad.

Sioux Falls City Councilors share ‘legal summary’ of Delbridge Animals’ fate

l3wis March 20, 2024 2Comments

Would like to thank the several councilors who shared the legal summary with me, because as you know, I paid for it and have a right to see it, even if it is half-ass;

Councilors:

The Delbridge work group requested we summarize the testimony of James Moore and Andy Patterson from last Wednesday’s work group meeting. James approved the following summary on Friday. I will provide a summary of Andy Patterson’s testimony as soon as he confirms it is accurate.

Attorney James Moore from the Woods, Fuller, Schultz & Smith law firm presented his legal analysis of the impacts of the Delbridge family gifting agreement with City. Moore noted the gifting agreement from 1981 may have created certain restrictions on displaying the Brockhouse collection at the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, yet considerable flexibility remains for the City while honoring the donors’ intent in gifting the collection to the City. The law provides an exception to these restrictions where it has become impracticable for the City to continue displaying the Brockhouse collection and other taxidermy specimens in its current state at the Delbridge Museum of Natural History. 

Moore stated several factors would favor the application of this exception. First, the current location for the display is inconsistent with the long-term plans for economic improvement of the Great Plains Zoo. Second, the presence of arsenic in the taxidermy mounts was not known in 1981, which poses a danger to Zoo staff and the public who may come in physical contact with the mounts as they are currently displayed. Third, the on-going costs to maintain the collection at its current location may not be desirable in light of the low number of visitors to the Delbridge Museum. Fourth, public attitudes may have changed regarding how the collection was obtained regarding the display of taxidermy mounts.  Finally, the value of the collection when compared to the significant cost of preserving the collection may also favor applying the exception for impracticability. 

Moore stated the City has several options for future handling of the collection while still honoring the Delbridge family’s gifting intent. The work group requested he provide additional guidance as options are identified and considered. Options discussed at this meeting included gifting the collection to a non profit entity in-state, or to an out-of-state non-profit entity after July 1, 2024. Another option could be to display the collection at another location in the City. Another option could be to return the collection to the Delbridge family, which Moore advised should only occur upon exhausting all other options.

Discussion also occurred that the Delbridge working group could make recommendations based on the individual specimen.

James’ full written opinion contains significant research and his mental impressions on all the factors he considered. His full written opinion and research are privileged attorney-client communication and protected work product. I will reiterate my offer for you to come read it at my office if f you want to review his opinion and research in full; however, we are not distributing a copy to anyone. James presenting a summary to the work group at a public meeting does not waive these privileges. Thank you. 

Sioux Falls Lead City Attorney

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I’m not even an attorney, or pretend to be one, but everyone knows that a legal ‘opinion’ on a hypothetical is not some guarded litigation secret. Is the city being sued over the animals? If so, we have a right to know this. If not, the legal opinion should be released to the public either way.

We all know what’s cooking here, someone who knows someone will be contacted by someone with a plan to deliver something special to their home. Just make sure you wipe the arsenic snot from it’s nose every 1-18 years.