Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax

A City Councilor finally brings up the ‘C’ word

l3wis April 21, 2009 5Comments

As I suspected all along (even before I agreed to get on board with this) the city would consider challenging us in court. My suspicians got stronger when the City Attorney said he WOULD NOT give an opinion on the matter. Of course not, how can he challenge us if he would to publicly admit that what we are doing is OK? But finally, Councilor Costello brought it to a face;

Councilor Pat Costello said Monday there’s a “difference of opinion” about whether the group had a six-month deadline.

“When the petitions are filed, a determination will be made,” he said. “If it needs to go to court, it will go to court.

And that’s how a majority of this council and mayor treat their citizens, as the enemy. Ordinances, elections and citizenry initiatives are done to protect the interests of the citizens NOT the interests of beauracrats, that’s why this initiative scares the crap out of them, they don’t like their ill-informed decisions questioned. Yet they will shamefully use our tax money to fight their own citizens. We obviously need a housecleaning in 2010. The first thing our new mayor needs to do is replace the entire city attorney’s office.

I did find this part of the article humorous though;

City Council Chairman Bob Litz deferred comment to the city attorney’s office. Earlier this month, Litz said that Stehly and her crew had “played the game (and lost)” but had not made the deadline. Stehly responded Monday: “Tell Bob Litz the game is in overtime.”

Hey, Bob? How does that crow taste?

Petition Drive update

l3wis April 18, 2009 2Comments

At this point we are going to continue the drive. We had about 20 volunteers show up to the meeting today that was taped in it’s entirety by KELO TV news. We also had a suspicious visitor who turned out to be a lawyer with a major firm in town. He told us that he didn’t agree with the drive but said it looks like we have a legal right to move forward. He also made sure that he wasn’t in camera range.

Vernon Brown also showed up to listen, but Theresa did get him to agree ‘to look into’ the 6 month rolling date. Theresa also clarified to Vernon that she did not promise the city clerk verbally or in writing that we would be done April 10, and in fact, when Theresa filed the petition, the city clerk was not present only the assistants, so it wasn’t even physically possible to promise it verbally. I think Vernon was a little surprised by that.

Our goal is to wrap this up quickly, hopefully within a month.

Strategy Session Saturday

l3wis April 16, 2009 0Comments

4/16/09

 

WHO: Citizens for a Responsible Sales Tax

WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 2009 – 11:30 AM

WHERE: Caille Branch Library, 49^th Street, Sioux Falls

 

Citizens for a Responsible Sales Tax will be having a public meeting at the Caille Branch library on Saturday at 11:30 AM to discuss strategy for attaining the remaining signatures for their tax initiative petition drive. Any Sioux Falls residents wanting to know more about the drive OR are interested in volunteering are asked to attend. The Mummy dvdrip

 

Call Co-Chair Theresa Stehly at 332-1363 or email Co-Chair Scott L. Ehrisman at fb.art@sio.midco.net with any questions.

Strike 3, Your’e out!

l3wis April 15, 2009 3Comments

It’s looks like the city of Sioux Falls struckout trying to derail our tax petition;

1) PAID a consultant to mislead us about the constitutionality of the initiative

2) PAID a consultant to mislead us about bond interest rates(a bond they did not ultimately take out, because real people are not dying in floods)

3) Mislead us about the 6 month window and registration date.

According to city charter and ordinance 14-50;

Sec. 14-50.  Requirement of registration with city clerk to precede petition circulation for initiative or referendum in a municipal election.

     Persons seeking to propose an ordinance or resolution shall first register with the city clerk’s office before such petitions are circulated for signatures. Registration shall include the name of the organization, address, contact person, and language of the proposed ordinance or resolution. A copy of the proposed resolution or ordinance will become public when petition circulation effort commences.

 

There is NOTHING about the 6 month timeline starting on the registration date, it just simply says we must register the petition. So it seems state law and SOS Chris Nelson are correct. No wonder the city attorney’s office is ignoring us. If we attain the 4,800 signatures within a 6 month window we are good to go.

 

Looks like we are going into extra innings. I hope your’e ready to “play more games” councilor Litz.

I guess we are ‘playing games’

l3wis April 11, 2009 0Comments

I guess you could say we are kind of in limbo right now;

City officials maintain that Citizens for a Responsible Sales Tax had to have approximately 5,000 signatures on file with the city clerk’s office at 5 p.m. Friday to force a vote. The group didn’t meet that threshold, and now officials say their effort is dead.

“They played the game and didn’t come up with the signatures. That’s the way it’s set up,” City Council Chairman Bob Litz said.

I never thought this was a ‘game’. Sure I come on this site and snark politicians for their ignorance, that is a game I play. But when it comes to election and petition laws and raising my taxes for foolish and harmful expenditures, I don’t play games. Maybe Bob thinks politics are a game, that’s unfortunate, since I have to pay his wages.

Under state law, petitions in municipal ballot measures can’t be counted if they’re older than six months. But the law doesn’t say a group only has six months to collect signatures, Secretary of State Chris Nelson said.

Funny thing, when you call our SOS and ask him a question, he answers it, but when you ask the city attorney’s office the same question, they play the game of cat and mouse. Which is no surprise, since they have been playing games since our drive started.

City Attorney Robert Amundson said he hadn’t looked at the issue.

“I haven’t been requested by my client to research it,” he said. “If I get that, you can rest assured this office would.”

The city isn’t your ‘client’ they are your ’employer’. Good old Bobby has said this several times in public meetings, like he is a paid private legal consultant. Your office is in city hall, you draw a paycheck from the taxpayers of the city, you are an EMPLOYEE of the city. The taxpayers of this city are your CLIENTS, and I don’t need a law degree to know that.