Want to make your home or business safer? The city wants to charge you for that.
The Gargoyle Leader is featuring two stories today about how the city council is at odds with Dr. Staggers (again) yet no mention of how they had a change of heart over one of Kermit’s suggestions. Last week Kermit suggested that a 23 page proposed city ordinance on alarm systems should go through committee first, because the ordinance is too far-reaching (it includes a licensing and registration fee to have a security system – that’s right kiddies, only in Sioux Falls would they find a way to charge you for making your business safer). At the time, most of the city council disagreed with Kermit and the PD proclaimed that they have spent “two years” writing the ordinance (like that makes it better). They felt that we should just ‘trust’ the PD. Well, big surprise in the informational meeting on Monday! After fielding many ‘concerns’ from constituents on the matter, the rest of the council decided it was a good idea to go to committee.
Once again, Kermit was with the citizens and right on the issue and the rest of the council was wrong. Is anyone detecting a trend here?
Now to the stories in the Gargoyle. The first one is a blatant attempt to smear Kermit a week before the election. It is clear that there is nothing wrong with Kermit wanting to exempt non-profits that help the homeless, but the rest of the council just can’t resist shooting him down, it was CLEARLY POLITICAL. Even Munson gets in the fight and tries to stifle Kermit (in between the babblings of Quen Be De Knudson).
Councilor Kermit Staggers introduced an amendment that would have added the proposed County Permanent Supportive Housing, St. Francis House and the Union Gospel Mission. “I think what we want to do with this amendment is to send a message that we are concerned about homeless people. I think that’s a very good message for us to send,” he said. Councilor Bob Litz, who proposed adding fire inspection fees to the exemption list, said Staggers’ amendment is veering away from the original intention of the ordinance. Since 1996, the exemptions have been applied toward projects involving volunteer labor and materials that promote affordable housing, city planning director Mike Cooper said. Cooper said the city would lose more money with multifamily projects such as homeless housing and estimated the city would lose a minimum $300 per unit for an apartment complex.
Cooper is concerned about the city losing a couple of grand while flushing $5 million down the toilet called the ‘River Greenway Project.’ Give me a f’ing break! This was clearly political.
And once again, Kermit has proven that he is on the right side of another issue;
Mayoral candidate and current City Councilor Kermit Staggers hopes that doesn’t happen. “I hope he wins,” Staggers said of Wiedermann. As a city councilor, Staggers has spoken against the cameras, often casting the lone vote for their removal. Countdown-number systems that show pedestrians and motorists how many seconds remain until the light turns yellow have been installed at some downtown crosswalks. Those systems are the proper way to deal with intersections that see a lot of foot traffic, Staggers said.
But Vernon can’t resist the urge to claim all drivers that go thru that intersection, “Guilty until proven innocent.”
Vernon Brown cited the death of Argus Leader employee Edie Adams, who was killed at the intersection of 10th and Minnesota as she crossed the street in 2003, as a reason that location needs the camera system.
That has always been my concern with the cameras. I assume the person who killed Adams was prosecuted and handed a punishment. So why do the rest of us have to pay for the crime? It is clear what kind of mayor Brown would make. He would probably ramp up code enforcement to an even higher level of ridiculousness. We need a mayor who trusts us as citizens to do the right thing, not presume we are all guilty.
HERE is Kermit’s TV spot
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMu7pbxMUyA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
As a city councilor, Staggers has spoken against the cameras, often casting the lone vote for their removal. Countdown-number systems that show pedestrians and motorists how many seconds remain until the light turns yellow have been installed at some downtown crosswalks. Those systems are the proper way to deal with intersections that see a lot of foot traffic, Staggers said.
Finally!!! A voice of reason.
Brown never misses a chance to kiss the Argus’s ass.
I agree with the count down number system…and to remove the cameras. I avoid that intersection or start slowing down at count down 5 because I don’t want to get my pic taken by “accident” and forced to pay a fine. I know of a couple that was caught in the intersection to turn and was “caught” by the camera. They tried to explain the flow of traffic that day…how someone that was driving south blew through the yellow to red light forcing them to wait until the light turned red to turn..they were forced to pay the fine. It didn’t matter.
The camera thing comes back. It’s the basis for the Argus joining the city advocating a dictator mayor. They lost subscribers and created another example of how Home Rule goes wrong. Freedom of the press became ‘Read it and Believe It Propaganda’.
Considering pending constitutional litigation, there’s a strong class for a return to constitutional democracy. The city exhausted more than it took in from camera/citations on litigation. Their ‘fee harvesting’ scheme didn’t work. Litigation continues and will paralyze. They really need a good lawyer.
Hopefully, newly elected city officials will be less egotistical. Ego costs taxpayers. There should be a special city finance allocation (say 50 million/year).
With 10,000 angry camera tickets, 8,000 angry citations, and 30,000 angry home businesses; there’s new voters coming to the polls and there’s going to be a people’s mayor.
Brown would not make a good mayor but could be mascot. The doughboy image works well for Pillsbury.
Daizi46, ..they were forced to pay the fine. It didn’t matter.
You didn’t get the memo. Never ever never pay a city fine. Code 2-66 states ‘judiicial review’. You nor they have appeal into court. They can’t use a court to force fine payment. Basically, they go after suckers and see who pays.
I’d say respect and fear government actions but not this city’s unconstitutional government.
The countdown is safer for the pedestrian because it will give them a chance to consider what may happen if they get caught out in a stale green followed by an intentionally shortened yellow.
Plaintiff Guy – – they did go to court and try to fight it and the explanation was dismissed BECAUSE of the picture. That is where the “forced to pay” comes in.
i wish all intersections had the countdowns. however, sometimes at the elmen center corner, it will count down to zero, but still not change to red. is that supposed to happen?
Daizi46,
You should have argued that you would not accept your case being heard at city level and seek immediate appeal into higher court because of a pending camera tickets class action. They can’t appeal so they’d drop it.
Also, you need to find the class and join it. It’s going into state court soon and you could be entitled to a refund plus significant compensation.
Camera tickets are unconstitutional. It is a moving violation that tickets the vehicle when the driver is at fault. If they have simultaneos pictures of the plate and who’s driving, they have a case. Potentially 10,000 camera tickets will be refunded and cost the city millions (fines, costs, damages).
The best way to fight HOME RULE TYRANNY is an organized resistance and civil disobedience.