Well, he didn’t quite say that, but in response to Belfrage about the great volunteerism he basically does say that;
“If the city would have launched an effort right away, that the city is going to take care of this, people would have sat on their porches and waited for us.”
Give me a Freaking Break! People were immediately cleaning up the next morning, with or without your blessing. Just like the ice storm, people were cleaning up their own yards. I don’t think ANYONE wanted or expected the city to clean up their private property, that was NOT what people wanted, they just wanted a truck to come by and pick up the rubbish, and the city SHOULD do that for people who don’t have the resources like what was done during the ice storm.
And guess what, the city did ultimately end up doing that (notice that was left out of the interview).
To say the people of Sioux Falls would have just put their feet up and waited for city employees to clean up the mess is ridiculous and insulting.
Then Paul flat out lies saying that councilors Stehly and Starr did NOT reach out to him and he tried to reach out to them. I’ve seen the correspondence folks, that is NOT how it happened. I can’t speak for Starr, but I do know that Stehly was constantly trying to get information from the mayor on what citizens were supposed to do with their tree waste and he ignored her.
It is amazing to watch how this is being spun into the ‘great’ volunteer effort of the century. I have lived in the Midwest 95% of my lifetime. I have lived in city’s, towns, and on farms. I have also lived in Sioux Falls since 1991. I have never known neighbors not to help each other! Ever! Whether it was an ice storm, wind storm, or even a major snow storm. It is in our blood to help each other. The State of South Dakota actually ranks 15th in the nation in volunteerism. The mayor should be ashamed of himself to even think that Sioux Falls residents would simply just wait on the porch for help.
This Mayor is just upset because it was revealed that he wasn’t quite sure on how to handle a disaster in his city. Starting with the sirens issue to communication with citizens and then the debris cleanup.
it’s not a lie if god told you to say it.
Yeah, isn’t it amazing it took a natural disaster to see just how bad he is at leadership (even though I had my suspicians). And this coming from a person who ran a communications company.
The sirens not going off is a serious pro
Mayor ten fingers look bad on this one .Thank you Stehley and Starr for getting it done.
Sort of a frowny-face:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EENKNhRUcAAkPlw.jpg:large
Everyone should show up at the Council meeting tonight dressed in downlight vests and trucker hats. Preferably a hat with a buffalo on it, too.
The Mayor and his FB crew need to drive down my street (Lincoln), which is directly two blocks north of the “former” auto parts store on 41st. It still looks like a war zone with all kinds of debris on the boulevards.
In fact, one of my neighbors still has a huge piece of metal in his front yard. It sure would be nice if the city would show up to get it out of the ground.
One of my other neighbors had the same thing. The metal was 2 feet in the ground and some volunteers/city pulled that one out.
The job is not done, yet, city!
Wow. The PTH spin machine is on “LIQUIFY”. Indeed, The Great SF Volunteerathon! It’s nice that neighbors helped neighbors in Sioux Falls. But frankly, I don’t think I’ve EVER heard a post-emergency news report about a US location where interviewees DON’T say residents volunteered recovery assistance. “Everybody showed up to pitch in & help. This is who we are and how we take care of each another around here. I’m so proud to call ___________ my home.” It’s okay to commend one another for job well done, but to take credit for orchestrating what is (thankfully) simply the good side of human nature…that makes me taste vomit.
Update!
They are starting to clean up my street (city/contractors), but they just hit a parked SUV with a large tree limb. 🙁
“If the city would have launched an effort right away, that the city is going to take care of this, people would have sat on their porches and waited for us.â€
But did that happen back in April of 2013, when the city “launched an effort right away?” I remember working hard then too, and the city helped, and we all worked from the start of the recovery.
( and Woodstock suggests: “Maybe Mike has a chapter on this in his new book, huh?”)
#StormRecoveryLeadershipForDummies
I’m going to agree with the mayor on this. I volunteered this last week and I was appalled with how many able bodied young people watched us clean their neighborhood.
You ran for mayor to represent citizens. If you don’t respect us, resign. Realistically, you wanted something to put on your resume and you thought kickbacks from contracts would make you rich. The first few days after the tornado all I saw was citizens doing cleanup. There’s a few city trucks now but it’s still mostly citizens. This mayor is playing politics and he’s not good at it.
This mayor is such a disappointment!!! And apparently a dishonest disappointment too!!!!!!!!!
“I was appalled with how many able bodied young people watched us clean their neighborhood.”
Was it because they’re not trained in using a chainsaw?
Why is it “lazy” to not pick-up the stuff on your side of the red line, but it isn’t “lazy” for business owners to not canvass impacted areas to see where some of their property landed?
This is how a storm is handled by politicians with a conservative mentality, I am afraid. They don’t get. In a time of emergency, and then its recovery, they still play survivor of the fitness, and then they will turn around and have the audacity to go to church on Sunday and learn and adhere to the idea of helping thy neighbor.
I have a great idea. From now on, let’s establish a “Leadership Team” for storm recovery, and how come it hasn’t been done yet?
( – and Woodstock adds: “Yah, whatever happen to that ‘Leadership’ thing anyhow?”
(2) Avera execs burned down 20% of Public Input time at the Council meeting tonight, giving kudos to the mayor for city help with their tornado recovery….and to essentially announce they were back up & competing with Sanford toe-to-toe in the healthcare wars. Councilor Starr conscientiously tried to get the time extended but the mayor turned him down. I wouldn’t doubt PTH duped the Avera execs into coming to the council meeting to limit input from rank & file residents whose storm cleanup experience wasn’t all unicorns & rainbows. Avera could afford to have purchased newspaper/radio/TV/billboard ads to do the same thing, avoided shortchanging citizens, and written off the advertising expense.
Where in the hell is Noem?
ESG: I agree about the effort – or lack of it – demonstrated by many commercial property owners & leasing agents. Storm damage to trees/business signs/For Lease signs/awnings on their highly-visible properties along major thoroughfares was untouched on many sites into the weekend. I’d like to know how many of these big time operators had tee times last weekend, or took in another balmy weekend at their pricey lake home. . . . instead of administering timely cleanup on their properties.
Blasphemo,
My neighbor had a big piece of sheet metal, which most likely came from the “Pizza Ranch building,” that was stuck two feet into the ground. It was taken out by either 211 and/or a city crew, but based on the Mayor’s self-reliance idealism shouldn’t have the owner of that building, which once had a roof, have been up there cleaning it up?…. Well, that is, if we are truly into self-reliance, I guess….. In fact, two of my trees crushed my neighbor’s fence – the same neighbor aforementioned – and I volunteered to take out the trees and fix the fence myself, which I am currently doing…..Now, I am not asking for praise, but where are the business owners, when it comes to self-reliance responsiblities?