This is one of the most bizarre quotes I have heard in a very long time;

The mayor, he (Huether) added, doesn’t create the plan but provides leadership so that it gets done. “Mr. Staggers, the people of Sioux Falls are looking for leadership. They’re not looking for legislation. They’re not looking for policy,” he said.

Hey, Mike, LEADERS set policy, that is their job as elected officials. You do understand that? Don’t you? Apparently not.

I have always thought, as others have, that Staggers’ 21 years of public service experience and his extensive knowledge of taxation and law make him better prepared to be mayor on day one. It appears that Huether will have a HUGE learning curve if he becomes mayor. I have often felt that when the next mayor opens the books he will get many surprises, we need someone who can act quickly – not someone scrambling to find their handbook.

16 Thoughts on “Mike Huether doesn’t think it is the mayor’s job to set policy and write legislation?

  1. John2 on April 20, 2010 at 7:15 am said:

    OMG!
    This screams, unfit for the public trust and public stewardship.

    George Bush, Senior, was toast when he gave the deer in the headlights response to, “oh yeah, that vision thing.”
    (Bush,Junior) had the wrong vision and policies.

    Leadership sets and implements policy. And while policy has many sources, a key source is from the senior leader.

    Mr. H needs to comport with the maxim to,”lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way”.

  2. Gotta love it when the mainstream media goes for the quick sound byte. Mike’s point was that people want to see action, not political science lectures, when it comes to city government. In short, the mayor’s office needs effective leadership that’s not necessarily the source of the policy but can build coalitions to accomplish the people’s business.

  3. Social Justice on April 20, 2010 at 8:08 am said:

    He certainly nailed Mr. Stagger on his lack of effectiveness… Anyone know what percentage of his amendments were never seconded and therefore never even debated?

  4. George on April 20, 2010 at 8:30 am said:

    The mayor doesn’t vote, unless it is a tie. There is no legislation in municipal government. Hack, have YOU read the dummies book you showed? Your Kermit guy is going to lose. Sorry (but not really). Then what are you going to do? Join him and Stehly, and all the old people in attempting to stop the growth of this great city?

  5. scott on April 20, 2010 at 8:34 am said:

    mike doesn’t need to write policy or legislation, since t denny and kelby will write it for him.

  6. Social Justice on April 20, 2010 at 9:01 am said:

    Possibly Scott… But if that’s the case I fail to see why Huether being branded a “left wing liberal,” would upset the Republican base. T-denny and Kelby are pretty damn conservative…

  7. l3wis on April 20, 2010 at 9:18 am said:

    “Anyone know what percentage of his amendments were never seconded and therefore never even debated?”

    Moot point really. The rubberstamp council was never going to allow Kermit’s amendments to get voted on. Like I have pointed out several times, Kermit has always been right on his stances when it comes to the citizenry.

    And, BTW, it is easy for Mike to attack Kermit’s record when Mike doesn’t have a record.

  8. l3wis on April 20, 2010 at 9:21 am said:

    “The mayor doesn’t vote, unless it is a tie. There is no legislation in municipal government.”

    You apparently need to read the book also. The mayor sets 95% of the policy. The budget comes from the mayor. It is the mayor’s job to present legislation, the council merely approves or disapproves.

    You Huether supporters are as clueless as him, and it is really sad.

  9. Social Justice on April 20, 2010 at 10:42 am said:

    Moot point? How is no one willing to work with you a moot point?

  10. Social Justice on April 20, 2010 at 10:43 am said:

    What is the percentage btw?

  11. I would guess about 75% were never seconded. But like I said above, the rubberstamp council was never going to let Kermit trump Munson’s policy.

  12. redhatterb on April 20, 2010 at 6:54 pm said:

    The majority of the current city council have been in Munson’s back pocket, to put it nicely. That is why a lot of Stagger’s motions never got heard.

  13. Plaintiff Guy on April 20, 2010 at 10:53 pm said:

    Whoa! The mayor is absolute tyrannical dictator. There’s no need for a council except to fool citizens they have democracy. If you’re mayor, you own 320 million per year and it’s up to you if you want to make your subjects lives a little more pleasant. Citizens of Sioux Falls believe there’s constitutional government when in fact they are prisoners of the king.

  14. That is one way of putting it.

    That is why Costello and Brown never made the runoff. You can’t be rubberstampers then expect people not to notice. The council is supposed to be the ‘checks and balance’ of the mayor, Not just go along like everything is hunky dorry.

  15. Wasn’t Huether hammering Costello and Brown for weeks for not having a “plan” though?

    If I were either of those guys I’d be livid with Huether about now.

  16. l3wis on April 21, 2010 at 1:31 am said:

    Vernon had a coniption fit about the EC attack ad on Knobe’s radio show right after the general election.

Post Navigation