Downtown Sioux Falls

Is the City of Sioux Falls going to make homelessness illegal?

l3wis August 20, 2024 3Comments

I was having a random convo today with someone who works closely with our homeless brothers and sisters and I asked him about the ‘busload of transients’. He did confirm to me that a bus did show up, from Minnesota with South Dakota tribal members who were homeless in the cities, at least that is what he gathered from talking with some of them.

Then he randomly says after he told me there was a big meetin’ with the mayor and the other non-profits who work with transients that Paul plans to make homelessness illegal. I asked, ‘How do they intend to make homelessness illegal?’ He replied that they are going to put signs* in public spaces, parks, etc. that says there is NO sleeping in the parks and they will be served with a trespassing violation. In other words the TAXPAYERS and the counties will be on the hook for the fines, etc.

There is a better solution, have the non-profits set up night teams that go out with a van and pick these people up from the parks. I also think the city, state and county need to fund an emergency shelter where people can check in, pass out and have no questions asked. Not everyone needs to be saved by Jesus, I’m just sayin’.

*I find it funny they plan to have these signs installed by October 1st. Good luck with that, they still haven’t figured out how to put up proper speed signage in the parks so I’m guessing when the dude said October, he meant 2025.

UPDATE: Was the Mayor TenHaken’s presser about panhandlers or manhandlers?

l3wis August 15, 2024 14Comments

UPDATE: Spoke to the GM of Sunshine this morning and he told me they haven’t sold to transients in months ever since they have an ID scanner protocol. I noticed that also, so I am curious why the mayor had to single them out? Will Pomegranate Market be able to sell alcohol?

I don’t need to link the video, but if you are on Turdbook or SF Reddit you can find the video. Basically a person working in the bank building kitty korner from Fawick Park shot video of two folks screwing in front of the Bunker Ramp mural and unless you are a total prude it is pretty obvious the ‘bouncing’ wasn’t the latest moves in transient yoga.

A few days after this video surfaced the mayor had his heated presser about panhandling. C’mon Paul! Was this about panhandling or the hundreds of friends and colleagues that texted you the link to this video? I told someone if I were mayor and this was going on I would be infuriated. But when you do NOTHING for 6 years, literally NOTHING accept sign a check to the Dudley House and Banquet this is what happens.

I also take issue with his elitist views on alcohol. Every bar in this town, whether it is on expensive row on Phillips Avenue or a dive on East 10th street carries and uses well vodka. And guess what, whether that is on the bottom row at Slumshine or the bottom shelf at your favorite snooty bar it is all the same. It don’t get any better with what establishment you are at, just more expensive 🙂

Stores downtown, including Slumshine, are SERVING THEIR CLIENTELE. Hardworking middle class folks don’t drink top shelf. A case of Old Mil and a bottle of Old Crow will do just fine. So you are telling the stores they can’t sell their ‘gut rot’ because of a few bad actors? Why should the rest of their customers be inconvenienced because of these folks? A store, ANY STORE, in the free market system has the right to refuse service to ANYONE. And if an OBVIOUS panhandler is trying to buy ‘gut rot’ maybe we should just tell them to keep walking? Problem solved and it didn’t even take a Nine Iron. Whatever that meant 🙁

IF WE ARE SO COMPASSIONATE, WHY NOT SHUT OFF THAT FAUCET?

I told someone recently maybe the solution is shutting off the tap for a few weeks while the weather is nice. I am not talking about a total abolition of services but a readjustment. If I were the mayor and police chief I would have an immediate emergency meeting with non-profits like the Dudley House, the UGM and the Banquet and ask them to coordinate a pause in services for two weeks. I think it would still be fine for the Banquet to hand out to go meals for families and temporary housing for these families but everyone else would have to fend for themselves. I would also use this as an opportunity for these non-profits to hit the streets and meet these people where they are at, and maybe we can manage it better when we actually engage these folks on their turf. I know it sounds radical, but what we have been doing so far ain’t working.

CITY THINKS AGE DISCRIMINATION IS LEGAL

There has been an individual from Elkpoint coming to council meetings asking for assistance from the human relations commission (FF 2:24:30). In her recent testimony she said the city doesn’t think AGE is a protected worker right even though it has been Federal law since the 1960’s. This has been obvious with the pressure on Boomers in the city’s workforce to retire early or quit.

YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

I was tuning into the Planning Commission meeting from last week for a little public input entertainment. Mostly older folks bitching about traffic in front of a proposed apartment building. Weird how when you build a road cars magically show up.

Besides the fact that one of the Commission members didn’t know what Shape Places is there was an inputer who was a little late speaking on an item that was already passed on the agenda. When that was explained to him he wasn’t having it saying he missed his opportunity to speak because he is hard of hearing from working at John Morrells his whole life. Yes, he said that. Then as they were trying to get him to sit down (he either couldn’t hear them or didn’t care) he catches a commissioner laughing at him. I will let you watch what happens next (FF: 39:30).