Poly nails it! The Events Center ‘snack police’ have struck!

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Goddammit! You will eat our moldy bread, drink our over-priced ruffied drinks, or you will sit in the car;

Guests will still see similar security procedures as they have for other concerts. Bags will be checked and hand held metal detectors will also be used upon arrival. But for this show, the new security element is a bag restriction. No bags larger than 13″ by 15″ or 6 inches deep will be allowed for this performance.

In other words, any bags that can carry in extra snacks, booze, bottled water or whatever will be monitored.

The honey moon period is over folks for the Events Center. How ironic that the concert they choose to implement this fascism is at an already duplicate act.

These posts write themselves.

UPDATE: Is SD Democratic Party Chair, Tornberg considering a run against Thune?

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UPDATE: I got word tonight that Ann is NOT running for the position.

Over lunch, the rumor mill gets a going. The latest is that Ann Tornberg (or a close relative) are going to put their hat in the ring to run against Thune. We will wait and see.

I also heard that Pat Costello is considering a run at mayor again. I jokingly responded, “Did he also say, AND this time I am spending TWICE as much!”

There should also be two announcements next week for the Sioux Falls city council Northeast District. I will keep my opinion to myself unitl after their announcements, but let’s just say, this will be the race to watch in the upcoming city election.

Events Center’s ‘Fuzzy Math’ when it comes to ‘Net operating income’

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Let’s face it, I don’t think too many tax payers in Sioux Falls are that naïve or ignorant to think the Events Center will pay for itself (You know, cuz like, it is quality of life). Even with sponsorships, you have operating expenses, maintenance and mortgage payments, a steep bill that has to be paid for the next 30-50 years.

I think this is pretty obvious to anyone who owns a home or business, or for that matter a lawnmower or snowblower.

But it still hasn’t stopped the manager of the Events Center and our city finance director from talking about ‘Net Operating Income’ which leaves out our mortgage payment on the facility.

Paying 9 million in debt service to make 2 million in income doesn’t make you a financial genius, and surely not worth bragging about. Even if you factor in the supposed tax income of $1.5 million you are still at a $5.5 million dollar loss for the year. It would be like making a household income of $3,000 a month with a $6,000 a month home mortgage payment. Not sustainable, or even reasonable.

It’s dishonest to say ‘its in the black’ or ‘net income’.  Now if you want to say the operations are in the black, that is perfectly honest, and believable.  But don’t say it’s making a profit or ‘net income’.  This word play effects people not knowing the distinction and creates the perception that it’s a wild success.

Also note, anyone who has read the prospective and then retrospective studies on all of these venues knows that the first two years don’t really mean anything.  It takes until about the third year before you see what NORMALIZED operations will be.  This is the honeymoon period and cannot be counted on as the norm going forward.

We should be honest.  Don’t claim it’s making tons of money, it’s not. Why not say it’s costing us money, but it provides a quality of life, and it’s worth the cost (and you can agree with that or not).

Citizen’s Top Ten City Government Losses of 2015

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On the eve of Mayor Huether blabbering about his TOP TEN WINS of 2015, I decided to post the anti-wins that occurred in 2015.

  1. The $1 million dollar events center siding settlement done in total secrecy.
  2. City councilors approving of a new administration building and construction manager at risk before they get a price estimate.
  3. The lies of the Parks Department become reality when the cost overruns on the new Aquatic Center are revealed to a surprised city council.
  4. The Tuthill shooting incident and the apparent secrecy of the SFPD, that now consider the case ‘inactive’.
  5. Falsehoods about the Events Center profitability.
  6. Violent crime was on the rise in 2015, and continues to spiral upward.
  7. Embarrassing fight between the city council and mayor over free pool and bus passes for kids.
  8. The RR relocation project proves to be the biggest waste of Federal tax dollars in Sioux Falls history, and still doesn’t solve the problem of rail traffic in the heart of our city.
  9. Mayor Huether proposes the largest budget in city history, then goes out and starts looking for ways to pay for it.
  10. SIRE is still broke, heck even more broke.

Honorable Mentions;

  1. Two TIF’s are granted to projects that are NOT in blighted areas.
  2. Paramedics Plus is granted the ambulance service contract for the city, even though they are the most expensive and had several conflicts of interest with the consultant helping to choose them.
  3. Stormland TV’s cozy relationship with the mayor is ignored by the station’s GM and the company’s corporate owners.