Sioux Falls City Council Re-Cap, Sept 16, 2020

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The big story of the night actually occurred two minutes before the regular council meeting even started. The Argus broke the story of Amazon coming to Sioux Falls with the governor confirming it by saying;

Her office, she said, has been “heavily involved” in talks with Amazon for months.

Which is funny because she basically punked the mayor’s opportunity to announce the project. While I don’t tend to believe many SD Republicans (or any Republicans for that matter) I do believe she probably had more to do with cutting the deal than our hardworking mayor (snark) who is usually busy reading childrens books in his garage on FB Live or Selfie Biking with his manly friends.

But this comment from Noem shows her true colors;

“It’s about time. We’ve been waiting for them,” the governor joked during an interview with the Argus Leader. “It’s good news. It’s more jobs — higher paying jobs than some other areas of our economy — and it’s a good opportunity.”

Notice the line ‘than some other areas of our economy’. LOL. Yeah, it pays better than McDonalds or Taco Bell . . . Woot! Woot!

Maybe Noem punking Mayor Stoneless is the reason he put his himming and hawing into high gear Tuesday night. It is becoming more and more annoying and tiring listening to the mayor grunt, sigh, huff and puff and generally snort into his live microphone during the meetings. Not only is it very audible, it is incredibly disrespectful of those who disagree with him. He acts like a little kid who is getting scolded. Please Paul, knock it off, or just turn your gavel over to the ethically challenged Council Chair, which is ironic considering his biggest grunts came when Mr. John Cunningham’s sister, former South Dakota NAMI director, Phyllis Arends, spoke during public input about her disappointment in the way the Board of Ethics and the City Council treated her brother. Surprised she didn’t ask if some of them suffer from mental illness (she would know). I have heard from friends across the country who used to live here and still follow the council proceedings that when they watched the hearing last Thursday, they were baffled by some of the actions the majority of the council took and the mayor and the obvious bias and arrogance of them. In fact, I have talked to very few people who watched the episode that didn’t think it was a show trial. I have joked they should rename the council, Sioux Falls City Council Theatre Company. Though their actions were despicable and disgusting (Kiley) at least they were entertaining in a FREE performance in the park sort of way.

This year’s budget passed 7-1. Councilor Starr was the only one to vote against the budget, which got another sigh not only out of Paul but also out of Councilor Erractickson (who was in her normal rampage mode). Starr told me before the meeting that he intended to vote against the budget for several reasons, but the main reason is that the council is approving a budget without having a signed contract with the city’s 3rd union, AFSCME. As I understand it from peeps in the union, they voted down the contract offered from the city of a 0% raise for 2021 in a 98-3 vote. Ouch!

The council did restore municipal band funding, but for only one year, and formed a task force to ‘study’ it. That only took 100 years. Towards the end of the meeting during final business, Brekke brought up the fact that they skipped over public input for that amendment in the meeting. It seems Chair TenHaken and his unreliable City Clerk Greco are getting sloppier and sloppier while conducting meetings. That was evident during Nutzert’s hearing. In fact, it was pointed out to me that there was probably a public input and open meeting violation during that hearing because the resolution they presented that night for dismissal did not get a 24 advance notice to the public and there was no public input once presented. They should start holding these meetings in a clown car so we can start taking them more seriously.

Along with the budget approval, they approved the property tax increase, I think, at a 7-1 vote, Starr voting against it. Besides the fact that they shouldn’t be approving tax increases during a down economy, what made it an even bigger slap in the face was the arrogance of the council approving an open ended TIF for Flopdation Park, a multi-level TIF that will suck money out of the property tax fund and the individual property owners will have to prop up for international companies coming here because of cheap labor. What makes it even more arrogant is that the Planning Department ‘recommends approval’. I still ethically challenge that appointed city employees can ‘recommend approval’ of a massive tax increase on citizens while giving massive tax cuts to corporate welfare recipients. I think elected officials are the only ones that should be making recommendations. The only thing planning department employees should be able to say is if the TIF applicant filled out their application correctly. Of course the administration and the council use this as justification to pass this blatant handout to the super rich.

In the consent agenda the city council approved the additional funding to the CVB to promote the city this Fall and Winter. Hey, come to Sioux Falls and have yerselves a Covid Holiday! When Starr asked Finance Director Pritchett what metrics will be used to see if there is any results from the funding he was speechless. The rumor is that the CVB uses Mayor TenHaken’s former(?) company ClickRain for promotion. Would like to look at that contract. I think with people suffering in Sioux Falls from unemployment, under employment, food and rent instability, the last thing the city needs to be doing is promoting Covid holidays in Sioux Falls.

The West Mall Theater beer and wine license got deferred to October 6th. The License Specialist for the city said they needed more time to put their security plan in place. Of course Councilor Erractickson had to point out that is why they didn’t get it the first time around, even though they DID present basically the same security plan the State Theater did. It’s about who you know folks.

The Bump Back ordinance got approval on the first reading, which was no surprise. There of course were many tears shed over 6-Figure a year Directors not being able to find gainful employment if they could not bump back after essentially FAILING as a director. I would have to disagree, I think the former planning director found a part-time job at a garden shop and the former fire chief I guess mows lawns at a golf course. So much talent wasted! The shame! The shame!

There was also an incident, once again, where homeowners were fighting a storage unit in their backyards and how the developer didn’t bother to give them any notice. Shocker. Starr was able to defer the matter longer. Christine and CountCilor Jensen voted against the deferral.

But towards the end of the meeting I started wondering if Councilor Ricky Lee Kiley is determined to become the most narcissistic councilor ever to exist in the history of the city. While Councilor Starr was happy to announce the adoption of his daughter, and councilor Brekke was pointing out the failures of how the meeting was conducted, Ricky Lee cut Janet off and had to announce his daughter’s birthday? Really? What a jerk.

Noem stiffs struggling South Dakota workers while bailing out their low wage employers

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Well, I am not surprised, I knew Noem would find a way to bail out businesses instead of workers with the Covid money;

Gov. Kristi Noem will use nearly a third of the $1.25 billion in pandemic relief funds that South Dakota received this spring for a small business grant program.

Noem announced via her social media accounts Thursday afternoon that $400 million in CARES Act dollars allocated to South Dakota will be designated for small businesses that have suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.

Of course, we all know what a government ‘grant’ is, it is a handout, never to be paid back, and highly unlikely to trickle down to these business’ employees.

I suggested early on that this money go directly to individual South Dakotans so they could it invest back into our communities, whether that is paying bills or saving money for healthcare or for higher education, instead, she does what she does best, piss it down the legs of businesses that will hardly trickle that golden shower down onto the rest of us. I would really like to see how much of this money will be used to expand these businesses and hire more workers at living wages or a way for them to just pay off debt. I’m sure the legislature will conduct a study on it next year. Yeah right.

Dusty Johnson ONLY dignitary to wear mask at Rushmore event

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All I can say is ‘BRAVO’ to Dusty to have the courage to wear a mask and not be worried about being shamed. Of course he was in the back row and not sitting with Rounds and Thune on the president’s stage. I guess Rounds was wearing a mask to but took it off before the Great Pumpkin showed up.

A lot of people took notice also that the governor must have been hitting the weights, the tanning booth and popping the water pills in preparation for the big night. It’s funny how she had time to get her appearance perfect but couldn’t memorize a couple of minute speech. Oh, that’s right, it’s only about appearance with these folks, substance is for another day.

Happy Independence Day!

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This is a great story about what it means to be American, remember our country was born on protests;

On July 9, 1776, a rowdy group of American colonists banded together at a political rally in New York City and did something that today would be called “badass.”They had just been treated to a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, which Congress had officially adopted less than a week earlier.

After hearing calls to “dissolve the political bands” of tyranny, they marched to a public park that featured a statue of King George III, Britain’s ruler, and knocked the 4,000-pound statue off its 15-foot pedestal.The head of the statue was then decapitated and perched on top of a spike, and much of the rest was melted down to make 42,000 musket balls for American soldiers.

The historian Erika Doss thought of that scene recently while watching protesters toppling statues of Confederate heroes. Doss, who recounts the 1776 episode in her book, “Memorial Mania,” sees a parallel between the colonists who fought against Great Britain and protesters who rail against Confederate monuments today.

Of course our All-Knowing SD AG has a different take on history (as he reads off of piece of paper – I mean really Jason, you can’t remember 4 minutes worth of commentary? Doubt he wrote the talking points).

I watched most of the event last night and also got a good chuckle out of Noem reading the teleprompter in the podium (why didn’t she use the president’s? Or better yet, have the speech memorized?) Often when have done public input, I either just do it from thoughts I have or 5-10 words I wrote down on a piece of paper. It often amazes me how our supposed leaders who are supposed to be so passionate about their role can’t make a 5 minute speech without reading it. It is because they are not ‘passionate’ about anything except enriching themselves. I hope in November this country has a reckoning where the Senate and White House is turned over to the opposing party so we can go back to progressive ideals in this country like equality, higher education and healthcare for EVERY American. And while our founding fathers where mostly white Christian men they still believed this country was founded for everyone. Let the protests continue this is the only way we will topple this destructive regime that is persistent on burning it to the ground.

UPDATE: Lack of Local Leadership has caused the Smithfield outbreak to be much worse

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UPDATE: Governor Noem just announced Paul and her are asking for a 14 day closure and pay the workers during this time period. And how are they proposing this to Smithfield? In a letter.

COPY OF LETTER HERE

A letter doesn’t mean squat. They have the power to use the state and city health departments to force a closure LEGALLY!

If they don’t want to pay the workers, they can collect unemployment. Why is it so hard for these people to figure this out?! Letters and stern requests don’t hold up in court and don’t mean a pile of hog crap.

Noem was asked by Bob Mercer, what would happen if they reject the letter. Noem said they will take ‘further action’. Which means they will do nothing.

Another reporter asked if the State would be financially supporting the workers if Smithfield decides not to. She smugly said ‘NO’. What great Christian values a day before Easter.

Paul said the letter was ‘stiffer’. Stiffer than what? A wet paper bag?

PTH keeps pushing this idea, that he kind of vaguely revealed came from Smithfield management, that the employees have been spreading this virus amongst themselves outside of the plant. Sure, if all the employees lived in barracks together. They don’t. We know this is being spread at the workplace in close working conditions. I’m not a scientist, but I think I know how viruses are transmitted easily. To keep pushing this, now twice, is irresponsible. Knock it off!

Paul was asked the same question about if they rejected the letter. He said he hopes they do and brings up that they cannot in a Democracy legally shut them down. They can, this is poppycock.

Todd Epp asks if Smithfield has been a good corporate partner by not being transparent. Paul goes into a rant about how this is the Union’s duty to protect the workers. Hey Paul, they have been trying for weeks, and you have done nothing.

Epp also asked why isn’t Smithfield at these press conferences being transparent? I will answer that question. It is NOT in their best interest.

The hospitals clarified you cannot get a test unless you have a doctor’s order. WTF!!!!!!! Trump has said anyone can get a test. Really?

Paul went into a strange rant about how if someone has Covid, authorities have the power to make them quarantine, but somehow they don’t have the power to close businesses. Huh? That makes no sense at all. If you legally force individual people to stay home, you can legally shut down businesses. In fact I would argue, individuals have more constitutional rights than privately owned companies, especially ones owned by foreign communists.

BTW, no one was wearing masks at the presser.

Another reporter asks when they expect to hear an answer from Smithfield. I guess I would have gave them a call instead of sending a ‘letter’. And PTH says he didn’t talk to the CEO of Smithfield’s today. Huh?

I think that closing the plant for 3 days is some kind of sick joke (no pun intended). The plant not only needs to close indefinately until the virus passes, it needs to pay all of it’s employees during that time period and cover all medical expenses associated with covid treatment and care.

As you can see from this story, workers have been begging anyone who would listen that there needed to be an intervention at the plant;

Weeks before the announcement that Smithfield foods had become a coronavirus hot spot, employees were asking for more protection during the pandemic. Kooper Caraway is the President of the Sioux Falls AFLCIO.

“Secondary screening for folks with elevated temperatures, staggered lunch schedule, practicing social distancing on different shifts, and whatnot. The workers and their local union leadership have been pushing for these things for a month and it hasn’t been until the last week since management has started to implement these things,” said Caraway.

South Dakota Voices for Peace Attorney Taneeza Islam says most employees don’t see an option to walk away.

“They live paycheck to paycheck. If they quit or walk out they are not eligible for unemployment assistance, and that’s really what the choice is, right? Do I feed my family, or do I expose myself to COVID and then go home and expose my family to COVID,” said Islam.

As you can see, people have been trying to mitigate a pending crisis. Where was our governor and mayor? They have argued that Homeland Security has classified them as ‘essential’ but we all know, that Noem and Thune have a direct line to the president’s desk and could have closed the plant weeks ago or at the very least make them (and other manufacturers in SF) to implement strict safety precautions outlined by the CDC and Union reps.

We heard the strange Trumpian/Libertarian arguments from the Governor’s office, including at one point calling out the ‘fake news’ to where Kelo Radio reporter Todd Epp lashed back.

This mess (which will soon spread to other manufactures and families throughout our city) shows the utter lack of leadership on a local level, something I have warned about for the last month.

Mayor TenHaken could have made a directive to have the health department go around to these businesses and implement strict guidelines, but instead he decided to tweet about people having a few beers at The Barrel House. He could have also begged the Governor to contact the president and Homeland Security to intervene. In this video, Paul even suggested that the spread may have happened outside of the plant, WHAT!

The governor could have intervened also with strict guidelines or could have called the president and Thune to intervene. Instead, Thune faked covid so he could get out of voting on the stimulus bill (that’s the rumor going around) and has done nothing to protect South Dakotans, but that’s normal for him, the biggest do nothing senator in the history of the state.

But what makes this even more egregious is that we are allowing a company owned by Chinese investors from a communist nation tell our government what they are going to do. The irony is that Noem has argued putting in a directive to stay at home would look communist, all the while communists are running the show. I know, if it weren’t tragic it would be laughable.

I’m asking everyone to boycott pork products until the crisis is over. Sorry, but bacon isn’t an essential to the security and safety of our country. Unfortunately our local elected leaders are proving they are the real threat to our safety and security.