Since I have been following government in South Dakota and Sioux Falls I have often been of the opinion that we don’t have to do things like they do in Washington. We can actually make lives better in this community if we tackle these three issues in our local government and eliminate them;
GREED & CORRUPTION
We need to end policies at city hall that are lining the pockets of the elite in Sioux Falls while cutting these deals with campaign donors and friends of the administration. I’m not blaming the current mayor for this (yet), I’m just saying there seems to be a culture of lucrative deals for the well connected.
LACK OF COMMON SENSE
I have often argued the quickest and best solutions to problems is looking at the obvious. For instance, it is obvious we have a pothole problem in Sioux Falls, so let’s ramp up filling them (which the city did). The city too often looks to consultants, study groups and other professionals in the know when sometimes the most practical solutions are staring us in the face. The city needs to stop over thinking solutions. Look to other cities and what has worked for them, and implement them.
CLOSED GOVERNMENT – LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
You have heard me say it a million times; open government saves taxpayers money and prevents corruption. It also builds trust amongst your constituents.
We need to open the books in Sioux Falls and take as much public input as we can handle. Having a select group of well connected administrators and councilors make decisions behind closed doors always turns out badly and corrodes public trust.
Is Sioux Falls a good community? I think so, otherwise I wouldn’t be blogging about it, but I also think we are missing massive amounts of opportunities for EVERYONE like better wages and better housing to top notch infrastructure because we continue to languish under dictatorship/authoritarian type rule from city hall on down. We don’t need to re-write the charter or change city government from the ground up. We just need to eliminate these three monkeys on our backs and everything else will fall into place.
Granted, potholes may be getting filled but there are still miles of streets that are just in horrible condition. Hopefully, these are prioritized and repaired.
An open bid process is lacking. Contracts are awarded without competitive bids and responsible reasoning. The process should be more public and opened up to all contractors. Now, there’s expensive unqualified unprofessional work. Citizens deserve better.
The three points are well taken, but a harder look at them is probably necessary. Obviously greed and corruption to any extent is wrong but we are pikers here compared to many places- certainly not problem unique to Sioux Falls. That brings us to the next point- lack of common sense. This is another element that we do not have a lock on- rampant idiocy reigns in a lot of other places. Finally you mention public input. However when the results of public input (elections) don’t turn out the way you want you criticize the winners and their supporters. It’s not to say we shouldn’t try to improve in all three areas but don’t paint us as the Lone Ranger. You also left out another element that would propel us nearer to perfection- just put a tie on that darn mayor.
Spin, other than the construction manager at risk projects (ie. Events Center, etc.), the city does do competitive bidding for construction projects.
MJ, did you read the first line of my post?
“I have often been of the opinion that we don’t have to do things like they do in Washington.”
come on, you are correct, if it isn’t a secret RFP, CMAR, Emergency Declaration or a mayoral override (yes he has the power to do that).
Yes- I did wiz but I was also thinking of places like Chicago, New York, New Orleans, and on and on- all run by Dems (and having been so for decades)