Sioux Falls

TenHaken’s PAC begs for money in fundraising email

l3wis October 7, 2019 16Comments

When I first got this email, I thought it was some kind of joke. Make no mistake, Paul is raising money for candidates that will be potentially running against Starr and Stehly (if they choose to run).

I also got a chuckle out of the picture PTH used. This is from the Trump rally where Noem refused to pay Sioux Falls taxpayers over $20K for private fundraiser security. Notice the presidential seal is Photoshopped out. I probably wouldn’t mention the president either in his current state of affairs.

I also enjoy the typos and half-truths included in the email, in classic Trump style, TJ must have wrote it.

Friend,

Nearly a year and a half ago, the people of Sioux Falls put their trust in me to lead our great city. During this time, our administration has been working hard to transform City Hall into a place of thinks innovatively and is focused on providing high-quality services for our citizens. 

Being your mayor is an honor and I’m proud of the many accomplishments of my first few months in office. Some highlights include::

• Launching the One Sioux Falls framework and collaborating with community leaders.
• Cracking down on drug dealers with more officers like the new Narcotics Crime Unit and a new narcotics sergeant.
• Uniting a community in the aftermath of flooding and tornadoes.
• Focusing on infrastructure investments with the highest percentage of your tax dollars going toward road and bridge projects than previous decades. We’ve also invested in an upgraded sewer system needed for future growth. 
• Creating a Department of Innovation and Technology to catch up with other cities and adopt new technology so that Sioux Falls is a national leader in 5G readiness, transit, data-driven solutions, open data, and more.
• Acting fiscally responsible by paying off millions of dollars of city debt early and eliminating wasteful spending to focus on the core essentials of city government. 

We’ve made some big strides, but we’re just getting warmed up. I would appreciate your continued support as we look toward the future of our city. 

Would you consider a financial gift to ensure we keep this momentum going?

We live in an incredible community and have much to be thankful for in Sioux Falls. I’m thankful everyday for the honor to serve as your mayor and I’m especially thankful for the support and prayers from friends like you. 

In service,
Paul

Charges against ‘The Living Man’ are slowly withering away before his trial even begins

l3wis October 7, 2019 3Comments

This is what happens when paranoid politicians freak out about an email full of hyperbole. First his bond is reduced from $50K to $0, now this;

A man accused of harassing and stalking Mayor Paul TenHaken is no longer facing a felony charge.

Second Circuit Court Jon Sogn agreed with Bruce in a written opinion issued last week.

“For the purposes of this case, if the Legislature had intended to include an out of state stalking conviction for purposes of enhancement under SDCL 22-19A-1, it could have easily done so, as it did in the examples set forth above,” Sogn wrote. “Because the Legislature did not do so, it is not absurd or unreasonable to believe that the Legislature intended the defendant to be first convicted or heard in its own courts, based on South Dakota’s own statutory language, prior to imposing an enhanced penalty.”

Bruce is a critic of 5G technology and takes issue with the mayor working with communication companies to bring the technology, which is billed as providing the fastest internet speeds in the world, to Sioux Falls. A series of emails sent to TenHaken and city councilors were deemed to be threats by Sioux Falls police.

Bruce is representing himself in the case, scheduled for trial later this month.

I have a feeling it will be determined that his ’emails’ were simply sarcasm that is protected by the 1st Amendment and the charges will be thrown out. I will even go farther to say that the charges will probably be dropped before the trial even starts. Just a guess.

It’s unfortunate that tax dollars were wasted on pursuing this. I have had no serious contact with ‘The living man’ only to tell him in a short email that I would like to hear his side of the story AFTER the trial and me writing a defense of him before it went to court wouldn’t do him any favors.

I also recommend that people don’t send emails to politicians that contain hyperbole or sarcastic remarks about weapons or ammunition. I have found that our local politicians, of all stripes, are very delicate individuals who are quick to cry when someone is picking on them. Next time the mayor needs to call a whaaaabulance instead of the police.