Yeah! The rich developers are making loads of money (while we give them tax rebates)! The elected officials are spending our money on entertainment palaces! Yet the homeless rates, violent crime, hungry children and the under employed continue to grow in our community. But that’s all negative, so let’s not talk about it;
Sioux Falls City officials today announced a third record-breaking year of construction values. The construction valuation for building permits issued by Building Services in 2015 reached $619,862,799 million this morning. Last year’s record (2014) was $619.5 million, and the previous record set in 2013 was $588.2 million.
I actually believe that ‘public’ projects should not be included in these numbers, IMO. Always amazed how our mayor can spin all the positive in this community around a dollar amount while many are suffering in this community. Yet, councilor Kenny Anderson said on SuFuStu’s show today that the mayor is more transparent then mayor Munson was with working with the council. While I wouldn’t want to get into a grading system on how well either did on that issue, I will say this. THEY BOTH SUCKED!
Real gain is flat or down when weighed with inflation and loss in the value of the dollar. It’s like making 2% from a savings account while the cost of living increased 5%.
Huether is worse than Munson. He’s used Home Rule unconstitutionally to make himself a dictator. He’s a multimillionaire from side consideration awarding contracts without competitive bid process. Election language got manipulated. We have an indoor aquatics center we didn’t want. He cut materials cost on an EC we didn’t need. It’s falling apart. He diverted 6 figures to his wife’s private tennis club that’s never open. He bought railroad yards that can’t be developed because it’s a toxic cleanup and to narrow to meet setbacks. No wonder there’s no hurry to develop it. It can’t be. So far, he’s incurred half a billion in debt causing a decline in the city bond rating.
Munson is responsible for the Washington Pavilion and built some baseball fields. They were unjustified at the time but (after 10 years) are a benefit going into the future. He wanted to make downtown ice cream parlors like when he grew up. Doesn’t work. He didn’t violate citizens rights and succumbed to council critique. He opened Phillips Ave. & set Phillips to the Falls in motion (Huether took credit).
They both were for the Events Center. I wonder how many citizens that voted for it, would not have voted for it, if they had known the way the tickets would be doled out or sold to the citizens of the city, who are paying for it.