South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Sanford Sports Complex

Sanford Sports Complex Sioux Falls

I guess Sanford is ‘parking’ their liquor license for this

l3wis 8Comments

As if we don’t have enough golf courses in the Sioux Falls metro area, we have to have an indoor facility with a full service bar and restaurant;

The full-service restaurant and bar will be supported by well-known golf hospitality company Troon. The company has experience with golf entertainment businesses and recently helped launch a similar concept in Texas, where it runs a full-service sports bar and grill.

One more reason I never go to the Sports Complex.

Denny Sanford Premier Center Downtown Sioux Falls Public Works Sanford Hospital Sanford Sports Complex Sioux Falls

Maybe our Health Care Mega-Plexes should partner with Paratransit instead?

l3wis 4Comments

While it’s nice that Sanford has money for liquor licenses, suite’s at the Denty, Sports Bars, Basketball arenas and now a tourist trolley, shouldn’t Sanford & Avera be looking at a private/public partnership with Paratransit?

“We’re always proud to support services in our communities,” said Paul Hanson, Sanford Health executive vice president. “We know how much visitors love the Sioux Falls trolley service and couldn’t be happier to support it.”

While that’s great, I just wish our health systems would focus on ‘health’. I think a partnership with the hospitals and paratransit could be inked. Besides, I think the Trolley should be paid for out of the CVB’s BID Tax, but I guess they refuse. Well at least Sanford is fulfilling one empty promise from the former mayor and the CVB;

The trolleys also will be available as a shuttle service between downtown and the Denny Sanford Premier Center for major events throughout the year.

Premier Center entertainment district here we come!

Sanford Hospital Sanford Sports Complex SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls City Council votes to allow Sanford to ‘park’ a liquor license at their foundation house

l3wis 10Comments

So the dirty little secret comes out. Sanford Health has NO intention to use the liquor license at the foundation house, just to ‘park’ it there until they open another bar/restaurant at the sports complex.

So with so many people wanting a liquor license in town, to actually use, and generate tax revenue, the city council has allowed Sanford to actually SIT on a license, an organization that should be using all of their revenue to actually help the sick and dying instead buying up liquor licenses.

If you don’t think our city government hasn’t been bought and paid for by Sanford, you are one naive little turkey.

I was actually embarrassed that not one single councilor voted against it. I guess it is OK for a healthcare organization to horde liquor licenses but a family business owner can’t sell a Bud Light at a movie.

Shake my F’cking head.

Sanford Sports Complex Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

UPDATE: Wouldn’t this be a nice place to build a public indoor pool?

l3wis 7Comments

Imagine this also, we would have room to expand, there would be plenty of parking, it would be next to other sporting facilities and a possible new public high school, and here’s the big kicker, we could get a private entity to help pay for building and operating the facility;

Sanford has plans to turn the adjacent rolling farmland it owns into a bustling sports, entertainment and commercial center.

What a grand idea that would be . . .

Oh wait, we foolishly built one someplace else with a cable company throwing us a few scraps from their monopoly business they run in town.

Much like the RR redevelopment, DT Parking Ramp and Administration ‘VETO’ building, our public indoor pool was poorly planned by an administration that was drunk with power, secrecy, entitlement, greed and impatience.

I give the Sanford Sports Complex about 5-7 years and their will be a massive indoor pool built on the grounds while Sioux Falls taxpayers continue to subsidize the Midco Aquatic Center even more.

UPDATE: A whopping 94 Annual passes have been sold this year for the Indoor Aquatic Center with a $17K operating loss for January.

Healthcare Healthcare reform Sanford Hospital Sanford Sports Complex Sioux Falls

Should Hospitals invest in Sports Bars?

l3wis 10Comments

As Washington debates the repeal of the ACA, right here in Sioux Falls one of our industrial hospital complexes seem to be so awash in money they are investing in a new Sports Bar at the Sanford Sports Complex. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think they own the original restaurant that was there, some ownership in the hotel and the sports complex itself which includes a basketball stadium.

Sanford has argued in the past that funding these things is a ‘small percentage’ of their entire budget. But I ask a two-part question, 1) If Sanford is losing money on these facilities, how does that affect healthcare costs in Sioux Falls and wages (SD is nearly last in nursing pay in the country) or 2) if these investments are actually making money, why aren’t healthcare costs going down and paying employees more?

Sanford would argue they need these amenities to bring in good doctors with families, I get it. But what should be the true duty of healthcare? Entertaining rich doctors or bringing top notch affordable healthcare to patients? I’ve never understood making a profit on healthcare, whether that is hospitals, pharma, insurance or even ambulance service.

While patients are drowning in debt or not getting care at all, our hospitals are worried about Sports Bars and basketball, and we wonder why healthcare in our country is such a mess.

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