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Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Ethics

Ethics Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

Board of Puppets up for grabs

l3wis 1Comments

Can the mayor find anymore brown nosers?

Mayor Mike Huether has announced two upcoming vacancies to the Board of Ethics.

The Board of Ethics initiates, receives, hears, and/or investigates complaints and renders advisory opinions or interpretations with respect to the application of ethics ordinances and Charter provisions of the City of Sioux Falls.

The Board is composed of five members who are appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council. Each member serves a four-year term. The Board holds quarterly meetings, but additional meetings may be necessary if complaints or requests for advisory opinions are filed with the Board.

Interested persons should have a strong commitment to public service and possess balanced judgment, integrity, and professional training or experience that would ensure the ability to deal with complex and sensitive ethics issues.

Integrity, like when the mayor could not walk 100 feet to defend himself?

Ethics Sioux Falls

What Ethics Commission?

l3wis 1Comments

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0Z49Hf2Ck[/youtube]

Do you remember the Sioux Falls city election April 14, 2015?
Do you remember the contentious nature of it?
Do you remember how the city government controlled the election debate?
Do you remember how the mayor was referred to the Board of Ethics for illegally using taxpayer resources to operate his campaign?
Do you remember the chair of the Board of Ethics was also referred to the Board of Ethics?
Lastly, do you remember how the City Attorney broke his oath and job description becoming the personal defender of the mayor?

How many of the questions could you answer with a “yes”? Like most people, you have moved on and forgotten these things. Like most people you have moved on.

If you do not remember this eventful day, go back and watch the three videos. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

The Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission met on December 9, 2015 to discuss needed updates for the 2016 election vote. Once again Bruce Danielson was the only citizen to attend and also give public testimony during the Section 7 period. The room squirmed when he reminded or informed the Commission of the 2014 transgressions. He wanted the members to openly discuss the problems surround the unethical ethics process of the city of Sioux Falls. Once again, nothing is done because few in power care.

Ethics Rounds

UPDATE: Is Senator Rounds using his voice over in this radio ad?

l3wis 5Comments

UPDATE: A reader identifies the person in the ad as Doug Rounds, Mike’s brother. I will admit, I was skeptical also if it was Mike, because the way this person ends sentences is different then Mike’s voice.

Not sure if it is him (towards the end of the ad, not the beginning speaker) but if it is, he is violating US Senate Ethics Rules (Pages 8-9; DOC;EthicsOverview_Booklet).This one sticks out;

 

  1. May not allow name to be used by an entity providing professional services.

There may be a little wiggle room here if it is him. First off he doesn’t use his name (I am Mike Rounds trying to sell you insurance) though it is his agency. And the sell job is done by another announcer, but still a slippery place to be. I remember as sitting governor he did PSA’s for supplemental insurance (that his agency sells) those ads quickly disappeared after it was brought to his attention. These might just mysteriously go bye, bye to.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb1vwS0JHsc[/youtube]

Ethics Michelle Erpenbach Rex Rolfing SF City Council Sioux Falls Staggers

Councilors Erpenbach & Rolfing riding the pine today

l3wis 2Comments

Councilors Erpenbach and Rolfing missed the whole point of ‘conflicts of interest’ when it comes to the ethics of councilors last night (FF: 7:40).

In their disdain for Councilor Staggers (at one point, Rolfing told councilor Staggers to go sit down who was presenting his resolution from the podium, let’s talk about decorum Rex, that was a real classy move) in reference to Kermit’s resolution to allow councilors to be committee members in their respective parties.

Rex seemed angry when reading his statement, which he should be, but it was entirely misdirected towards Kermit’s resolution. I joked not to long ago, Erpenbach and Rolfing would vote against a promoting World Peace resolution if it was Kermit’s resolution.

Rolfing was angry about conflicts, but not once mentioned the obvious and blatant conflict Dean Karsky has with the Chamber of Commerce, which does do business with the city, unlike the party committees. He also didn’t even bring up the mayor representing Obama as a Democratic Party delegate. That apparently wasn’t on the radar. Nope, because Karsky and Huether are not Staggers, and let’s admit it, that’s all their NO votes against the resolution by Erpenbach and Rolfing were about (they were the only two to vote against it, because you know, the rest of the councilors used common sense instead of angst while voting).

To be honest with you, they looked like fools singling out Staggers and Erickson last night, when every single one of the councilors and mayor have numerous conflicts of interest that are more detrimental to governance in this city then going to a convention for your party every couple of years.

Some people on the council need to grow up, or at least grow a brain.

Ethics Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether obama Sioux Falls

Will the SF Ethics Commission share an opinion on Mayor Huether being an Obama Delegate?

l3wis 9Comments

image001

Where’s Waldo Huether? (he’s hiding in the back row-click to enlarge)

I find it interesting that the Ethics Commission would find it Unethical for councilors Erickson and Staggers to be committee members for the Minnehaha County Republican Party, but say nothing about Huether being a delegate for Obama.

Like I have said, I find NO conflicts with either. Huether serving as a delegate for the Democratic party for Obama has NOTHING to do with him acting as our mayor, just like the committee positions for the Republican party have nothing to do with the city council.

If Huether wants to assist his party, as do Erickson and Staggers, that is fine, and I find no conflicts. But there is a conflict. Why are councilors being treated differently when reviewing ethical behavior? I think someone needs to ask an opinion about Huether being a delegate, just as the councilors were. All is fair in Love and War.

As for Karsky, he really needs to resign from either the Chamber Board or the City Council. The Chamber works too closely with the council, it is way to close for comfort and an obvious conflict of interest.

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