South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Mayor High Crimes

Elections Kristi Noem Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

UPDATE: Will Huether run for US Congress? Will Dusty Johnson challenge him?

l3wis 12Comments

After Noemless announced just minutes ago that she will run for governor, does this mean Mayor Huether will decide to run for congress? Not sure, but let’s setup the scenario. Though the 2018 race for governor won’t have an incumbent challenger, the Dems have had zero luck for almost 40 years taking that seat. Take also into account that Kristi is very, very, very popular. I am even guessing that Jackley will back out so Noem doesn’t have a Republican challenger in the primary, or some crazy weak teabagger. I also speculated days ago she would be running after Mark bowed out.

What is unfortunate is that Noem will spend the next two years running for governor instead of being a congress person, but that’s not all so bad. She can’t take her fortune from her congressional campaign purse to use for the governor’s race, so she will have to run from scratch;

Although she didn’t say it, Noem’s decision to run for governor was forced by a ballot issue that voters approved last week. Initiated Measure 22, which becomes law on Wednesday, contains a provision barring candidates for governor from collecting more than $4,000 a year from any person or political committee.

Once effective, the language would mean that Noem couldn’t transfer more than $4,000 from her congressional campaign account to an account for a governor’s run. Under current law, federal office holders can transfer all of their money into a state account.

For Noem, that would mean forfeiting a huge advantage: Prior to Tuesday’s election, her congressional campaign was reporting nearly $1.9 million in the bank, an amount that would make her a formidable candidate in the Republican primary.

UPDATE: Now let’s move to Mr. Huether. He is a determined man who likes to win, but like running for mayor instead of governor to begin with, he took the path of least resistance. Congress would be that path, maybe. I do know that there has been a strong desire for Dusty Johnson to throw his hat in the ring. A Johnson vs. Huether matchup would be interesting to watch, they have many similarities when it comes to campaigning. South Dakotans, while they lean pretty much right, they do elect moderate Democrats to Washington, Huether could easily sell himself that way with no incumbent to run against. Not to mention, he would love Washington. I have often contended that he really doesn’t like Sioux Falls because he has been so persistent to change it into other places like San Antonio.

If I was advising Huether I would recommend he run for congress instead of governor, but hey when you have a bucket list, you have a bucket list. But Noem would cream him.

I will say this though, no matter what he decides, don’t under estimate him, because that is when he bites you in the ass.

Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls Trump

Is Mayor Huether Sioux Falls version of Trump?

l3wis 8Comments

trump-mmm

First, I will start by saying people who are upset about the election results to stop crying and get involved on a local level to make change. Change doesn’t come from the top, it starts locally.

I say this because the similarities between Trump and Huether are a bit startling when you start looking at it. Huether became our mayor almost 7 years ago on the promise to run the city like a business and to ‘get things done’. Sounds like a familiar stump speech by Trump.

So how has this business acumen attitude worked out for our city?

• Huether has grown our economy and population

• Huether has grown development (mostly thru annexation and urban sprawl)

• Huether has improved infrastructure and quality of life amenities.

But what has been the cost?

• By the time Huether leaves office, he will have bonded more then any previous mayor, even crushing Munson’s record. We will most likely be a half-billon in debt by the time he leaves office. His total credit card bill during his administration will be well over $200 million in 8 short years. To put that in perspective, when Hanson became mayor our city debt was $90 million, 23 years ago.

• The rapid growth has caused two major problems. Not enough jobs for medium skilled workers and violent crime increase. Huether himself has even blamed rapid growth on the crime increase, so you ask, ‘Why did you promote it, and what are you doing to fix it?’

• Corporate like salary increases for city management and crumbs to support staff.

• Transparency at an all time low. Secret development deals, secret settlements, secret firings, behind the scene bullying and intimidation, and the list goes on.

• Lack of a diversity coordinator. Two people have already stepped down from the position.

So if you think Huether’s business acumen has worked out for the city, you certainly won’t have a problem with how Trump will run our country.

Denny Sanford Premier Center Elections Event Center Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

Mayor Huether Lies about voter turnout to encourage people to vote

l3wis 5Comments

ec-vote

vote-turnout

Then Mike ponders why these people have not shown up since?

Mayor Mike Huether says that one major facility in Sioux Falls is a perfect example of what voting can accomplish.

“We had over forty thousand people vote on the event center,” Mayor Huether said, “Over 40% voter turnout… and it ended up being the largest voter turn out in city of Sioux Fall’s history.”

It was part of a special election held in November of 2011 and, while there isn’t a special election being held this year, he’s hoping for a record turnout this time as well with the 45th President of the United States being determined.

“When you voted, whether you voted yes or whether you voted no, you’re vote had an impact on your city in such a dramatic way.”

Whether it’s a Presidential Election or a special election to determine the fate of the Premier Center, officials say it’s important to make your voice heard and exercise your right to vote.

Yes, only in Mike’s twisted logic, he would try to get people to vote by lying about election results. Oh Brother. Even after we pointed out this lie months ago. Typical salesman, who cares about the past when we can re-write it?

Ironically, he is not only lying about voter turnout, he fails to mention that over 11,000 of them never showed up to vote again AND it was only an advisory vote. The city council is the one that authorized the sale of the bonds, not the citizenry. In fact, the council could have voted against the EC bonds and the citizens would have had NO legal recourse. They would have had to have a petition drive and an actual LEGAL election to authorize the sale of the bonds to override the council’s decision, similar to the city admin petition drive. Then the voters would have truly had a say in the EC bond sale.

What amazes me even more is that the state’s highest ranking Democrat would hold a press conference about voting, and lie to the public. Makes you wonder what other things he has been lying about. Scary, I know. Spring of 2018 cannot come soon enough.

Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

City of Sioux Falls opens new indoor pool with NO game plan

l3wis 20Comments

Is this something someone with ‘Business Acumen’ would have done;

Brandon Maddox, the father of a Sioux Falls Swim Team member, says it’s perfect for holding meets, but right now the City won’t allow it.

“It sits empty, I sit there from four to six watching my daughter practice and there’s no one in there,” Maddox said.

Kearney says he thinks there’ll be swim meets held at the Aquatics Center at some point, but the City isn’t ready to take the plunge just yet.

I told people that we should have built this place in partnership with Sanford at the Sports Complex. Would have saved tax payers millions and built at a location with plenty of parking and expansion, and usage from sports special interest groups. Another ignorant move by High Crimes, Ramrod, Mayor Mike.

I know why they are doing this, they are trying to show they are not catering to the swim clubs, but let’s face it, you don’t build an olympic pool with bleacher seating for 500 parents if you were not planning on having swim meets. Stop the facade Mike, you are not fooling anyone. I also heard they are not renting for Birthday parties yet, not sure if that is true, but have had several people tell me they have tried to book with no success.

A also wonder if this is an attempt/strategy to raise the current affordable rates at the pool.

City Administration Building Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls Stop the Funding

City Administration Bond Sale ‘Crickets’

l3wis 6Comments

During the ‘Mayor High Crimes’ interview on the Belfrage show this morning, the mayor (bragged) that when the bonds sold last week all he heard was crickets, and the reason NO ONE was saying anything because people are in support of the building. He would say that, that’s like saying voting against an outdoor pool means the public wants an indoor pool, even if an indoor pool wasn’t on the ballot.

How quickly he forgets all the roadblocks he put up preventing the public and even the council from weighing in on this building, and he was successful to the end, there wasn’t much more we could do to prevent the sale.

Here is the chain of events that led up to the bond sale;

• Mayor breaks the tie with the council twice to approve the building construction and bond sale

• Mayor vetoes a majority of the council to repeal the bond sale

• Advisory vote fails to pass the city council

• Petition drive successfully collects 6,400 signatures and gets thrown out due to technicality that the city clerk didn’t notice when he stamped the petition

• Judge agrees with city clerk and city attorney that the technicality is enough to throw out the signatures

What about the what ifs?

• Even if the advisory election was approved, it may never of happened unless the mayor delayed the bond sale, the only person who had the power to delay the sale besides a judge.

• Even if the judge approved the petitions or the technicality DID not occur, a judge still would have had to intervene to stop the bond sale until an election, AND the council would have had to certify the petitions and set an election date, in turn getting a judge involved again to delay the sale.

While the mayor bragged about the crickets and couldn’t understand why more people were not fighting to stop the bond sale, there wasn’t anything left to do. He successfully roadblocked everyone who tried to stop this building, and expended tax dollars to do so (in legal fees, etc.).

It was the epitome of ethical corruption by the executive branch. One of the dirtiest sequence of tricks he has pulled since he has been mayor. That wasn’t silence you were hearing mayor high crimes, it was disgust.

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