SF City Council

Events Center Campus Survey is government overreach, but that’s just one example

There is nothing wrong with online surveys. If you are willing to give up some form of security to help marketing companies make a little extra money, that is your bizzo. But when government hires a private company to do a survey that requires a name, address and phone number, then we have issues;

Today, Mayor Paul TenHaken’s Events Campus Study Group launched a public survey to gather input from the community on the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Campus.

Available at siouxfalls.org/ec-survey, the short survey asks for input on the current status of the campus and looks for feedback on potential improvements. Survey respondents will be entered into a drawing to win one of many $25 gift cards.

One of the other key questions is if you are a registered voter. None of this information is pertinent unless the city and the marketing company (Lawrence & Schiller) needs to collect data on you as a registered voter. Remember, Mayor TenHaken is serving his first term in elected office of any position, he has a long political life ahead of him (I hope not). L & S also does political consulting for a wide range of candidates across the state. This kind of voter data would be very valuable to both PTH and L & S. It is also not needed. Simply marking a box saying your are a SF resident should be good enough for this survey.

But this isn’t the only place the city is gathering data on you. They are also doing it with the phone app for reporting potholes and other issues. They are also doing it HERE on the city website and HERE on the GIS website.

They have also gotten away from posting really any video on the city’s main website and very few in YouTube. They have been basically using FB as their main source to getting out information. Besides the fact that some people don’t use FB, it goes back to not having to have a ‘login’ to access public information. They can also track you via FB.

The Brexit campaign to leave the EU used FB to manipulate the vote. It is under a massive investigation because of complicated UK laws that deal with voter protections. Using FB to collect voter and citizen data isn’t some fairytale.

There is absolutely NO reason a citizen should have to have a login to get public information. Public information should be available for FREE and without sharing your identity.

While I could go into several constitutional reasons why what they are doing is wrong, the bigger question I have is ‘WHY’ collect the data? Why does the administration and certain people within city government, and now apparently private companies, think they need our home addresses, names, phone numbers, age, email, voter registration? What does that have to do with a dying ball field?

This is a ploy to collect as much data as possible on us to manipulate future elections. It’s very Karl Rovian and certainly in PTH’s ‘wheelhouse’.

DON’T sign up to receive data. Don’t fill out these surveys. And if the government comes knocking on your door, tell them they need a warrant.

So did the taxpayers of Sioux Falls pay for the junket missionary trip to Haiti for Public Works Director Cotter?

I have asked several people over the past couple of months with the city, including city employees, officials and councilors to answer a simple question, “Was Mark Cotter’s trip to Haiti with Mayor TenHaken’s Christian Missionary paid for by taxpayers?” I have gotten a lot of “We’ll get back to you.” but mostly no answer. So unless the administration wants to say I’m lying and here are the receipts, it’s pretty safe to bet a NON answer means that the citizens paid for this religious trip.

This brings up some interesting points;

• Why are the taxpayers supplementing the highest paid city employee on a missionary trip?

• It goes against separation of church and state, and while I have NO problem with PTH or Cotter going on a religious missionary trip, it should be on their OWN time and OWN dime. I also commend them for doing charity work (even though there are many refugees in our own city that are suffering). But isn’t the whole point of charity, is that charity should come from the individual?

• There was a random comment thrown out there by PTH that Cotter was studying the infrastructure of the country. Is this some kind of sick joke? If this is your excuse for a junket, you really need to go back to the drawing table.

I have exhausted my search of whether we paid for the trip or not, I would hope someone from the public or in the media would at least demand an answer from the administration.

So I’m wondering Mark, do the trains run on time in Haiti? Are there any trains?

After the fact

Oh, Paul, who you fooling? The mayor’s office, directors and council leadership have been meeting for months sculpting the 2020 budget. Were there some crumbs left over that you want to share with the public? The truth is the budget should really be planned by the council, it’s kind of in the charter. And they should be planning that budget with the help of public input and public meetings or online comments thru the city website.

So when is Paul going to break the news to the public that this is just a nice gesture after the fact? It reminds me of a friend I go out to eat with frequently who always asks the server to make a suggestion and usually orders something completely opposite. He usually says something like, “Thanks, but I was kinda in the mood for pasta.” I hope the citizens are only asking for ramen noodles.