Sioux Falls

Mayor Ten Haken playing Games with an Official City Meeting

Besides the full-color campaign like posters and the RSVP requirement, what is the strange part about the State of the City address? Well it was advertised with a start time of 8 AM, but if you look at the agenda (posted sometime between 8-8:30 AM this morning, just in the nick of time) the official meeting doesn’t start until 8:30 AM. So why the discrepancy in time? My guess is that the mayor is planning to have a campaign like event between 8-8:30 AM. Basically using city resources and giving a false time of 8 AM to get people to come early for his campaign event and stay for the SOC. This is unprecedented on many levels and completely unethical.

Paul has claimed several times to the media over the past couple of weeks that since he is the sitting mayor he has the right to use these resources to his campaign advantage, saying his opponents are jealous. There are campaign rules for a reason, and he is flagrantly ignoring them, nevermind the irony of a cheapskate Dutchman using taxpayer money to his campaign advantage.

There is also the question of using city owned property and donated food (from who?) to have a campaign rally.

Sioux Falls City Council Candidate Sarah Cole has never voted in a city or school election

I may not vote in city elections, but I make a mean cup of coffee.

The other opponent in the race isn’t much better, Bobbi Andera, she has only voted once.

Now, I am not sure how many primaries or generals either have voted in, this is just municipal and school board elections. But I’m curious how either one of these people think they can serve the city as elected official if they have never voted in a city election? Proves how much either one of them has been paying attention.

The one thing I have noticed about people who vote in local elections is they understand the issues, the ones that don’t, not so much.

Bruce Danielson compiled this data from several sources and compared to back data from other years.

Sioux Falls City Council At-Large B Candidate Pam Cole points out her immense experience in Forum interview

As I have mentioned to several people, I had no idea that Pam Cole was running for council, I also did not know about her incredible local government experience until listening to this interview. If you are on the fence about the candidates in the At-Large B race, listen closely to Pam, she has incredible ideas and the experience to push them forward.

Recently Appointed City of Sioux Falls Director flaunts new ride

Last night a foot soldier told me he saw one of these pull into the gas station. It was a brand new Denali. Who stepped out? A newly appointed department director. The list price on these can run anywhere between $68-$82K. If you are making payments/insurance you are looking at about $1,400 a month.

This person asked me if the city is paying for the ride? I could not answer that for sure since this director doesn’t run a pencil pusher department and could possibly need a city funded vehicle.

Either way, that’s quite the ride. I have seen other directors in similar positions drive vehicles like this that had city plates (I wish they would have checked).

But let’s assume for a moment that it was their private vehicle. I have argued for a long time that city director’s pay is over the top, they are paid like banking executives. I think this person probably checks in at around $138K a year plus benefits (they were promoted from within their department).

See the latest 2022 salaries HERE. Our highest paid city employee only got a $6,400 raise this year. Poor thing ($262,579). Hope they can afford the mortgage payment on their newly constructed McKennan Park mansion? Maybe we need to start a Go Fund me page?

There are around 45 city employees that make $90K+ and 92 that make $100K+.

Mayor TenHaken gets partisan with latest endorsements

Yesterday I received a campaign postcard from TenHaken in which he was endorsed by former Police Chiefs Barthel and Burns.

Besides the fact the Barthel never worked for him and Burns was hired by Huether, the postcard came off very partisan;

• Stood first against a national narrative and provided proper funding and unwavering support for Sioux Falls law enforcement.

The defund the police movement had nothing to do with actually defunding police departments. It has been debunked several times. It has to do with redirecting police funds for preventive crime measures and training officers on diversity issues and better deescalation efforts. If anything it would expand police departments by adding other services and counselors.

It’s just a right-winger partisan talking point like CRT (which is actually a law-school college level course on civil rights suits). Nobody wants to defund the police, including the most vulnerable like minorities in poorer neighborhoods. And it has never been a discussion in Sioux Falls. The only thing debated is whether they should get overtime for running parades which brings us to who actually approves the funding for the SFPD, the city council NOT the mayor.

He also brags about stealing an idea from his former opponent by renaming it;

• Opened the city’s first Police Department remote report-to-work location.

C’mon Poops! You are NOT fooling anyone with all your fancy name changes. If it walks like a duck, it’s a precinct. One of the dumbest things he has ever came up with. Also, he acts like we are NY City and that the officers can’t bother themselves by checking in at the main law enforcement center. You can get anywhere in Sioux Falls in about 17 minutes max.