South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls

So much for campaign promises?

l3wis 15Comments

It took about two-thirds into the first year of TenHaken’s term for him to officially, and quite blatantly break a campaign promise about transparency;

A group of Sioux Falls citizens hand-picked by Mayor Paul TenHaken to determine the future of the events center campus in northern Sioux Falls will meet in secret over the next six months.

Sure, there have been other moments of weakness, like that splendid contract he let Thune, the FCC and Verizon write without the interference of the public nosing around in it. But having a hand picked task force that meets behind closed doors, isn’t exactly a great idea. Of course his ‘Hitman’ T.J. TypeOver doesn’t think it is a big deal, and offers his B.S. excuse;

noting that its meetings won’t be open to the public, comparing the work the group does to that of a consultant, which, if hired, wouldn’t be required to compile its recommendations in a public setting.

Hey, TypeOver, consultants are professionals that are hired to give their expertise on a specific recommendation. They are not a hand picked volunteer group by the mayor. There are NO similarities in what they do and certainly in what they are paid. TypeOver has given some pretty bad excuses in the past to keep things secret, but this one takes the cake.

There is nothing wrong with allowing the public to sit in and listen to these meetings. Just like the naming committee with the SFSD, there was absolutely no reason not to have the public present. In fact it makes your process more believable and trustworthy. But Chicken Little still wants you to think that transparency equals the sky is falling;

“They’re not in a decision-making role,” Nelson said. “We want to make sure we have the most open and candid conversation possible.”

If they are making NO decisions, what are they having ‘candid’ conversations about? That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard a city official say. He should be canned on that statement alone.

Candid conversations happen in a PUBLIC SETTING, just watch public input at the city council each week.

I guess I don’t understand all this need for secrecy in city government. As we have found out in the past, the only reason city government has kept anything secret is because of corruption. So keep having secret meetings TJ and Paul. We know the REAL reason why these meetings are secret, and it’s not to help and protect the public’s best interest.

SF School District Sioux Falls

Was the $2 a month tax increase for school bond total BS?

l3wis 19Comments

KELO-TV Screenshot (July 10, 2018)

I have often thought the sell-job we got on the opt-out really didn’t add up. I was looking at my property tax bill today and got suspicious where it lists the school opt-out. I didn’t think much of it until a South DaCola foot soldier posted this comment;

I just checked last year’s tax bill. It was $ 1164.57 for the year. Now, it is $ 1261.49. So, the increase for our modest home is $ 96.92 from ’17 to ’18. So where is that extra $ 16.75 coming from? I guess merely from an annual increase, which does not need opt out approval, huh?

I also noticed that my 2017 tax bill acknowledges a $ 80.33 opt out cost, too, which is found within the $ 1164.57. So the $80.17 mentioned for 2018 does not include past opt outs. So what was suppose to be $24, or $30 in my case – based on the honest evaluation of my home – has somehow become $ 80.17. That $ 50.17 difference might not seem to be much, but how can $24 ,or $30, becoming $50.17 be true transparency?

I looked at the value of my home and extrapolated for a $200K house. The tax increase for the opt-out for the school bond would actually be about $8 a month, NOT $2 a month.

So if this is true, how did the $2 a month promise turn into 4 times that amount? Probably like how a hand tabulated election by the school district’s finance department got a 85% passage rate.

Federal Spending

Furloughed Federal workers and Food Banks

l3wis 13Comments

Some thing has been nagging at me during this supposed government shutdown. I wanted to wait until it was re-opened (temporarily) before saying anything. This certainly could have went on for 3 months, maybe even 6 months, but I figured with tax return season just around the corner, that was NOT going to happen. Recent polls have the president’s approval of the shutdown at around 30%. It was bound to end.

While I feel bad for Federal workers who had to either work without pay (they will get back pay) and especially workers who got furloughed and NO pay for over 30 days, I wondered where all this panic for food bank relief for Federal workers came from?

Since I have been on my own (18 yrs old) I have never taken SNAP benefits, unemployment benefits or food from a food bank or soup kitchen. I’m not bragging. I have gotten a couple small government grants that have totaled under $2,000 and have borrowed money from time to time from my grandparents (and paid most of it back).

I guess when I have been faced with challenges, I didn’t go running for handouts or charity. I find it hard to believe that Federal workers, especially employees who get many great benefits and if you are tenured over 40 days in vacation and holidays a year, that they didn’t have enough in savings to buy groceries and pay bills for a month.

Really?! C’mon!

I will agree, our president and congress don’t help matters, but hey, we elected them, we are the only ones to blame. It also doesn’t help that restaurants around town were handing out free pancakes and beer to every poor soul who got a month long unpaid vacation. You are not helping the situation. Sympathy is one thing, handouts are another. Instead we should be targeting our dismay over the shutdown towards changing what is going on in DC, and takes the courage to throw these lawmakers out.

Like I said, if this shutdown would have went longer than 3 months, then I would see the concern, but I figure like the rest of us who don’t work for the Feds but pay those that do, most of them would have just found other jobs or drawn unemployment.

Now that the shutdown is over, maybe a Federal worker can afford to buy me a pancake and a beer.

Media South Dakotans State Legislature

South Dakota MSM should be against this bill

l3wis 0Comments

It surprises me that the print and TV MSM is not against this bill since it leaves out the internet as a news service;

(1)    Obtains or receives the information, with or without solicitation, in the course of gathering or obtaining news for publication in a newspaper, magazine, or for broadcast by a radio or television transmission station or network; and

(2)    Is employed by or otherwise associated in a new-gathering capacity with the newspaper, magazine, or radio or television transmission station or network [HB 1074].

While I have several arguments against being ‘PAID’ to qualify as a journalist (I do sell advertising). It amazes me in this digital age that the local TV and Print wouldn’t be against this legislation because it does NOT include the internet.

The argument is obvious. The Argus Leader and all of our local TV stations maintain very active websites. Even some of the more advertising slanted media in town like 605 Magazine has an active website. Siouxfalls.business is only web based.

I get no news from TV. Haven’t turned one on in over 6 years (except in my occasional hotel stays). I read the state’s dailies online. In fact, if I had to guess, most of these media sources could not pay the bills or survive if they shut down their websites.

While it is obvious the ‘internet’ was left off of this bill to poke an eye at bloggers, it really misses the point that most people get their news digitally. While Pitty Patt may not be my favorite person in the whole wide world, I think he said it best;

Given the prevalence and shift of resources to the Internet in the news world, I would argue that it’s the legislative equivalent of writing legislation for licensing requirements for the horse and buggy… and ignoring the fact that most people are traveling by automobile.

I’m surprised there wasn’t a bill proposed this year that asks the Capital Building to maintain a stable.

Planning Commission Sioux Falls

Will there be a NEW Planning Director for the City of Sioux Falls?

l3wis 0Comments

I have been speculating for awhile who will take over as the new planning director. Last week I proposed Jeff Schmidt. (FYI, City Hall readers, I threw that out as a curve ball, hope you got some good laughs out of it).

I have noticed there have been quite a few terminations and ‘retirements’ over the past couple of months. Someone in the Attorney’s office recently got the boot from the man in the corner office (I’m still gathering more info on that one).

I think with all this reorganization (which is to be expected in a new administration) that the Planning Department will see some major changes.

I don’t think they are going to hire a new director from a promised ‘national search’. It would be almost impossible to bring in a new director from outside of Sioux Falls or the State, even with a stellar resume, they would lack historical knowledge of planning in SF and would have to do mountains of research on day one.

So what do I think will happen? This of course is pure speculation and NOT based on any information I received, but I think they will appoint a Deputy Planning director internally and COS Beck will be the overseer of the Department, essentially getting her cake and eating it to. I think with the high salary Beck is receiving and the enormous amount of power I heard TenHaken gave her to make decisions in his absence (which is quite a bit) that she will start putting a lot of these departments under her authority.

Would love to see those Executive Orders.

Like I said, pure speculation at this point, but the stars seem to be aligning.

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