Oh, Joel, stop being soooo wrong about the Sioux Falls municipal election

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Gotta hand it to Joel Rosenthal, he really has no idea what he is talking about (or maybe he does and is trying to manipulate voters – hey Joel, everyone knows that is my job);

Kermit Staggers has been actively going door to door for approaching three years. He has had signs on his car that simply said Councilman Kermit Staggers, and appeared in several parades as a Council member. While rationalized as just talking to constituents, though outside his Central District, it is in reality veiled campaigning.

Joel, when is your hate-fest for Kermit going to end? So what if he has been campaigning for the past 3 years? Kinda sounds like a good plan to me. In fact, Kermit talks about the 19,000 doors he has knocked on as a councilor on his website. And while you call it ‘veiled campaigning’ I call it ‘doing his job’. Kermit listens to citizens, something it seems our current city government cannot comprehend. Vernon just wants you to send him a postcard (at your expense).

Finances do demonstrate the degree of support a candidate has in the community.

Yes they do, if most of that money is coming from regular ‘joe-sixpack’ constituents and small businessmen and women. But when you read the donor list of the top contenders, it reads like a who’s – who of Sioux Falls (financially). They donate money because they are attempting to BUY the candidates. I’ll give Brown and Staggers credit for taking the small donations from ‘real’ people.

Most every political activist and / or junkie believes Staggers makes the finals. I do not agree. It is a close call between Vernon Brown and Pat Costello.

LMAO! Vernon and Peterson are gonna have a death match for 4th place. The top three candidates running neck and neck are Huether, Staggers and Costello. I still believe that Staggers and Huether will be in the runoff. They both have grassroots support. And BTW, Joel, I am neither a junkie or an activist, just a loudmouth.

The two At Large Seats will be won by, (At Large A) Rex Rolfing (though never rule out a Coach or former Coach in this case Clarence Kooistra) and (At Large B) Jim Entenman. Michelle Erpenbach will win the Central District seat.

I have no well formed opinion about the Southeast District seat. The candidates are Sue Aguilar, Bob Christensen, and Ryan White. Like giving some edge to a Coach (note: Dave Munson was a coach early in his career) give a little edge to Christensen who is a Barber, another very well networked occupation.

Rex Rolfing? You are kidding? Right? Who is Michelle Erpenbach?

Posted in: SF City Council, Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Mayor Race

Pat Costello; Poor choice for Sioux Falls mayor

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I think this photo says it all.

When you have one of the wealthiest, arrogant, big mouths in the community pulling for you, it tells you who Pat Costello would represent. NOT YOU. Don’t believe me? Just go to his donor list. Why would some of the richest movers and shakers and biggest developers in Sioux Falls be giving money to Pat? Because they like him? Because they care about us? BAHAHAHAHA! It’s called ‘Favors’. That is why there is NO universal healthcare or public option in the current ‘healthcare reform’ legislation. Big insurance and Big pharma bought off both Dems and Republicants. And that is what is going on with Pat, they are buying him. That’s what scares the shit out of me with these guys. Remember, the guy above (Dana Dykhouse, President of First Premier Bank) is the one that sent the threatening email to councilor Staggers accusing him of ‘Class Warfare’ and ‘Organizing Opponents’ when it came to the Events Center. Kermit never organized anything, Kermit is a listener not an organizer. He’s a leader not flamethrower. This is also an interesting twist. Why isn’t Dana supporting his fellow co-worker Mike Huether? And if Huether is in the run-off with Costello, what then? Or if Huether is in the run-off with Staggers, who will Dana support? Weird, Weird, Weird. As Mike said to me once (as I tried to control myself from not laughing in his face) “I won’t do the bidding of Denny Sanford.” Uh. Probably not, since he is paying Costello to do it for him. Why would he give you money? You already know he is a crook. I just wish Mike would come out and say it. Be a badass for once!

But besides Pat’s disgustingly top heavy donor list, he really doesn’t have the resume to be a mayor. He worked one year as a CPA, he invested his silver spoon money in a bar (that has some of the highest police calls in the city) and a hamburger shop and that is about all he has accomplished. It’s easy to be successful in business when you have a lot of money to begin with to invest. He also flip-flops a lot on his votes. Just watch the council meetings, no consistency, no strong stances. Nothing but a shaved face and a good smile.

So I say to Pat, “Shut up and go make some croutons!”

Posted in: Pat Costello, Sioux Falls Mayor Race

Big Bucks, No Whammies

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIJYfvN9954[/youtube]

Oh boy, there are a few mayoral candidates who think spending the big coin will get them a mayor’s seat, silly boys;

MONEY

A look at the amount of money raised and spent by Sioux Falls mayoral candidates
Pat Costello: $124,835.57 in direct and in-kind contributions; $42,070.80 in expenditures
Bill Peterson: $52,344; $40,629.61
Mike Huether: $73,596.53; $38,838.49
Vernon Brown: $25,034; $9,238.19
Kermit Staggers: $7,854.25; $2,935.59
Janoct Ajda: $0; $0

As the past has proven, grassroots works in Sioux Falls, not money;

When Mayor Dave Munson won his first term in a run-off in 2002, his opponent, Dick Brown, spent 63 percent more money than Munson.

Former Mayor Gary Hanson, who served from 1994 to 2002, won his first term as mayor even though he was “significantly outspent,” he said.

I still believe this is true, you can’t put a value of knocking on 19,000 doors like Staggers has done. In fact Kermit was walking so fast the other day down 14th street that when I honked and waved at him, he didn’t even see me, he had campaign fever. While my liberal friends constantly hammer me about Kermit not being a ‘liberal’ it amazes me how much he reminds me of Paul Wellstone, a liberal/grassroots giant. Kermit will win in the General and he will win the Runoff because of hard work and determination, not because of money.

Staggers said the total is what he expected since he is running a grass-roots campaign.

“If money is the winning factor, why even have an election? We are out for the votes, not the money. The votes determine the election,” he said.

At the end of February, Staggers loaned his campaign $29,500 – a no-interest loan.

Staggers hasn’t spent a lot either. At just under $3,000, he’s nowhere near the expenditures of opponents Huether, Peterson and Costello, whom all have spent around $40,000.

“We are going to allow our opponents to spend, spend, spend,” Staggers said.

“When it comes to city government, I believe in being very efficient in spending. It’s also true in my life and in my campaign,” he added.

Oh, sweet poetic justice.

Posted in: Sioux Falls Mayor Race

SHOCKED! Sculpture Walk finally admits to taxpayer contributions

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Yesterday at the SF City council informational meeting, SF Sculpture Walk dictator, Jim Clark, admitted that the city (taxpayers) give $25,000 yearly to SW (of course after Staggers asked him the question). And just out of curiosity I went to their website to see if that claim was repeated, and it was;

WOW! While Mr. Clark and I don’t see eye to eye, I am glad to see he is coming around. I have often said, give credit where credit is due, and it seems he finally gets it, kinda. Public art is just that, public. And when you shut out the public (after digging in their wallets) you are not encouraging people to give to the arts, it only makes them suspect, that is why public art has gotten such a bad rap. Tell the public what their money is being spent on, and they will support it, keep them in the dark, and they will not.

Posted in: Art, Sculpture Walk, Sioux Falls

South DaCola still rocking the house, and I don’t have to pay Lawrence & Schiller a damn thing

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The Gargoyle Leader exposes Costello for how he plans to win; SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY.

Kermit’s quote is priceless;

“He really doesn’t talk about issues on his Web site,” Staggers said. “It’s a lot of fluff and no substance. People can see it for themselves. They don’t have to believe me.”

And Vernon ‘Broken Piggybank’ Brown cries “We, we, we all the way home”;

Mayoral candidate Vernon Brown calls Costello’s ads “disappointing.”

“I didn’t think that we would play at that level in Sioux Falls politics,” he said.

You would think a marketing manager would get it?

The AL references ‘DaCola’ in their story;

And if you Google ‘Pat Costello for Mayor’ I come in second place. Maybe Pat should be paying me instead of Lawrence & Schiller, NOT TO POST stuff about him. LMFAO!

Posted in: Pat Costello, Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Mayor Race