Turns out there is a program, but only 3 properties have taken advantage of it since 2007, and you have to invest $30,000 in the property before getting the program.
At the informational meeting today where they explained the program, most of it goes towards business, and not a surprise the part they want to expand. I’m all for it for local businesses but the program needs to be expanded to residential and the $30,000 expenditure should be drastically reduced to $2,500 or more.
But that of course isn’t the plan, more socialism to big developers and banksters and crumbs for the rest of us.
Recently the city (taxpayers) had to pay out a half-million for a settlement in a drowning incident at Falls Park. Part of the settlement was putting signs at Falls Park. The solution was two wood signs, NOT by the Falls themselves but in the parking lots. I will admit I did not go down closer to the Falls to see if there was more permanent metal signage, but if there isn’t this is where it should be.
I have often been on the fence about this, because I think people need to watch their kids, and if you injure yourself or die in a public park it’s kind of on you, several laws back this up. But I also think safety measures can be put in place, but no amount of signage will encourage common sense.
This week the agenda did NOT post until after 5 PM on Friday. Normally it posts between 3-5 PM on Fridays. Me thinks they are now time stamping the agenda to NOT post until after 5 PM. Not sure why but it seems like the continued HATEFEST on transparency at City Hall. Sad.
There are NO supporting documents yet on SIRE so I have no idea what either of these are;
• The AFSCME Free College Benefit by Council Member Pat Starr
• Discretionary Formula Ordinance Revisions by Jeff Eckhoff, Director of Planning and Development Services; and Dustin Powers, Community Development Coordinator
Item #6, Approval of Contracts, Sub Item #3, Funding Agreement providing economic development and workforce development related services. Actively support economic development and workforce development initiatives, Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Inc., $275K. I guess the $30 million dollar slush fund just isn’t enough so they need to squeeze taxpayers for more. I also take issue with the ‘workforce development’ portion of this while most Sioux Falls workers make under a living wage or have multiple jobs.
Sub Items #15-17, Code Violation Lawn Maintenance, All Seasons, $38-65 per man hour. I should ask my neighbor who is property maintenance supervisor if his employees make between $38-65 an hour. Trust me, I understand fuel and equipment maintenance expenses, but really? You also understand that if the violator doesn’t pay the fines and costs involved the taxpayers pick up the bill for this? I also find it ironic that sub item #18 is also a contract with All Seasons for city property, and items #23-24 are with another contractor. What do our parks workers do? The Parks Department has millions of dollars in equipment, why do we have to hire outside contractors to mow city property?
Sub Item #21, Southeast Technical Institute Foundation Agreement This agreement provides funding for the implementation of the Southeast Tech N.O.W. Five Year Plan which hopes to expand availability of students to fulfill high demand jobs in Sioux Falls. Silly me, I thought that STI receives SF School District and state funding, but I guess they need to bleed some money out of city taxpayers to.
Item #11, 2nd Reading, extending the mask mandate. Expect the same group of god fearing, liberty loving clowns to show up again making up their own version of constitutional amendments that don’t exist. The mask mandate isn’t a mandate at all, it’s a strong suggestion from the council that has no fines or criminal charges. In other words if you don’t want to wear a mask you don’t have to in public spaces and government offices. As for businesses kicking your ass out for not following their rules on their private property they actually have several constitutional amendments backing them up, and if you don’t comply with their wishes you can be arrested for trespassing. I often compare mask wearing to no shirt, no shoes, no service. While it probably hasn’t been proven a bare chest or bare feet spread a lot of disease, it’s probably not the best thing to do healthwise, just like it is not a good idea to sneeze on people.
What often amazes me about the people who show up to cry about this crap is you never see them showing up to defend the 1st amendment when it matters like public input and open government. Or when our council gives millions away in tax breaks in the form of corporate welfare.
If wearing a mask in private retail businesses bothers you, stay home and order online, and while you are online google the US constitution and learn something about it.
Item #17, Resolution, Ethics board appointments. There are two appointments to the Board of Ethics. Sue Roust has been appointed to a second term and in a surprise move former S.D. Supreme Court justice Glen Severson has been appointed to replace Greg Lafollette. I’m a little on the fence about this because as will be nice to have a legal mind on the board, his legal mind may be a hindrance, ethics and law have some similarities, but for the most part they are different. There seems to have been a move over the last several years by the Ethics Board that if something is legal, it must be ethical. I have often told people that in most parts of the United States it’s legal to cheat on your spouse, but is it ethical? Ethics tend to be a higher standard than the law itself. Just look at the debate over releasing the Ravnsborg interview tapes. I think since he was an elected official, he should be held to a higher standard, and the taxpayers have a right to see those videos. Elected officials should always maintain the highest level of ethical standards, whether it is lawful or not, and they shouldn’t be able to hide behind confidentiality rules, they should be open about their ethical or unethical behavior.
It will be interesting to watch how Severson has an impact on this board.
In the recent Gallup Poll taken last month it reveals something I have known for quite awhile, a majority of Americans 41% embrace ideas from both sides of the aisle. I certainly do, there are conservative and liberal values I accept and embrace. For instance, I think the government spends too much money period, and I think a good chunk of it doesn’t help the general public one single bit. Locally, just take the 2nd penny. Originally it was meant to build roads and other needed infrastructure, that idea has been dismantled. In fact in the 2021 budget only around 40% of the 2nd penny goes toward needed infrastructure. It is a travesty. That means in 2021 around $138 million that is supposed to go towards this is spent on ‘other stuff’.
I saw an article in 2018 that said the extreme right and left combined only make up about 14% of the voting body while about 67% are pretty much right in the middle. So why do so many of us listen or allow their garbage to proceed? We shouldn’t. We need to put an end to extremist views on both sides.
We can talk about the hot button issues all we want, but a majority of Americans just want a fair shake, and whether they know it or not, that kind of leans our country to the left (progressive), just a little bit.
l3wis 
