Entries Tagged 'Mayor Subprime Mike Huether' ↓

Had to chuckle at this blog post by an outsider doing business in South Dakota;

On the city website, he is referred to as “Mayor Mike.” With a background in marketing, Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether is none too shy about calling attention to his city.

“We should make the top two or three with every project you have,” he unabashedly told the assembled site selection consultants.

My experience is that a company will often have pretty good ideas on where it needs to be, as was exemplified by an email that I received from a CEO on Friday. My job, of course, is to refine those ideas and then find the best place, based on a whole lot of tailored criteria, where the risks are minimized and the chances for success are optimized.

I’m sorry to report to Hizzoner that Sioux Falls will not always make the finalist list. There are certain practicalities specific to a project that will simply prevent that from happening. I know it’s hard to imagine, Mr. Mayor, but sometimes your city will not be the best fit.

But I do believe the mayor, truly I do, when he passionately states that red tape doesn’t stand much of a chance in his city, with expedited permitting guaranteed. “We get shit done,” he said.

I only wish there were more like him.

Said Matt Healy, operations manager with Glanbia Nutritionals, now building a cereal ingredient processing plant in Sioux Falls: “The city and the state have been remarkably supportive. They have been exactly who they said they were.”

Yes, Mr. Barber, the city and state are very acommodating to ‘business’ but when it comes to their workers, they tax their food and pay them low wages. The unemployment rate in SD is low, because people here have to have multiple jobs to make ends meet. Funny how our mayor will pull no stops when it comes to ‘red tape’ for businesses, but when it comes to it’s residents he will threaten to haul your ass to the pokey for having grass that is 9″ high.

Gawd said, “Operation Timber Strike” has been a success, even though Scott may not think so.

MMM asked me to blog about his speech at Democratic Forum, so here it goes.

As a city official said to me once about Mike, “I really don’t get the guy.” and after you listen to him speak at an open forum, you become even more confused of his intentions.

Forum started out with MC Tom Cool cracking a (very funny) joke about how Mike thinks citizens should be limited to 5 minutes for public testimony, so Tom says we are limiting him to 5 minutes (for each topic).

As Mike gets started, he began by talking about saving historical buildings in Sioux Falls. Forum’s rabble rouser, and education advocate, Melanie Bliss yells out, “SAVE MARK TWAIN!”

He then went into 1000th time about how he frostbit his ear while campaigning (how many times is he going to tell this story, until our ears fall off?)

Mike was surrounded by several mounted posters that said, “Sioux Falls is getting stuff done.”

Then Mike calls me out (Twice) because I have been critical here about him wearing his religion on his sleeve at Listening and Learning sessions,

“I’m sure Scott doesn’t like it that I said God, go ahead and blog about it.”

I laughed, and laughed even harder the 2nd time he said it. My friend sitting next to me says, “Boy, you really got under his skin.”

Then he had a little hissy about the microphone cutting out. Noticeably annoyed. (he doesn’t like being embarrassed, even though it wasn’t his fault the microphone wasn’t working.)

Then he went into a strange rant about how SF needs more affordable housing that doesn’t have dirt floors. Huh?

In some kind of stark irony he bragged about the city fixing the employees pension plan (which saves the city millions) which I applaud him for. But he seemed aggravated that the media did not cover it, because it was a ‘big story’. He said the media would rather cover stories about people punching each other in the face. (which reminded of the time he tried to get Citizen Stanga to punch him in the face in the Carnegie parking lot). The irony of the pension savings is that they are all getting burnt up in the EC interest payments.

He went into a long diatribe about how the city reserves are in great shape but never once mentioned the $400 million dollar debt lurking over our heads (around $2000 per citizen). Then says NO recession exists in SF. While I partially agree, the business sector has rebounded nicely, wages are still stagnant, even more then before the recession. He also brags about all the jobs available in SF (most low wages).

Then Mike turns into Dr. Huether and blames diabetes on the fact that no one can swim in the winter. Really? I will say this. I like jumping in a pool or a lake on a hot summer day, but I don’t know how to swim, and I don’t think it has altered my life in anyway. Not being able to swim in the winter is not a big deal, and if you think it is, go to one of the many PRIVATE indoor pools around the city and take a dip.

He almost started crying while talking about ‘Operation Timber Strike’ and says we really don’t need the Feds money. Once again proving my point that the city can afford to trim THEIR trees in the boulevard. He said the volunteerism that happened during the ice storm reminded him of the ‘old time days’ where neighbors on the farm helped each other combine and milk cows. Of course he lived in town as a child and collected beer cans at Yankton’s famous ‘Ice House’ bar.

In some weird intro, he talked about all the ‘crust’ on him from serving the public. Then gave another 1000th time speech about ‘negativity’. Someone at my table says to me ‘What does he mean by negative?’ I said, “The truth?” While I don’t get annoyed too often, I do get bothered when politicians call people who expose corruption and lies as being ‘negative’. So are oncologists being negative when they tell you that you have Cancer?

He still has yet to say if he is running for Governor or Mayor, well, someone asked him the question at Forum. After a long pause, he said that him and the governor have a great relationship of getting things done (LOL) and said he still wants to ‘do things for Sioux Falls.’ but never really said if he is running for either office. I am still in the camp that he is ‘exploring’ running for Governor.

Another Forum friend sitting next to me asked what Mike was going to do about how bicyclists are treated so rudely in Sioux Falls. She confessed to me that people were making fun of her one day at the grocery story for riding a bike. Really?! I have rode bike in SF for almost 18 years and people in this town are rude and oblivious to bicyclists. My advice has always been, “Be on the defense, and take no prisoners.” Mike just kind of shook his head about the issue, and asked if she wanted to be on a ‘task force’ to help bicyclists? Sorry but it is going to take more then a task force to solve this problem. Bicyclists in San Fran took the bull by the horns a few years back and flooded the streets causing traffic to back up, after several times of doing this, people started to get the picture. Be courteous to bikers.

Then before he started taking questions, Mike claimed that the Federal government was ‘broke’. When any politician uses this talking point, I usually cringe. Because, the Feds are NOT broke, just swimming in debt, just like our city.

Then he promises he will develop an ‘Economic Engine’ by the new Events Center site. He said that building an EC downtown would have basically wrecked DT, because people would not want to live across the street from an EC? Nevermind that there is a large residential area next to our current EC building site. Have you asked them how they feel about it? Nope, let’s just snag up more space for parking (Item #34).

My opinion about MMM has never been that great, politically speaking, but I have always tried to not have anything personal against the man. What a politician does in their personal life is their business. But after attacking me at a public forum, I will say, Mike, my ‘personal’ opinion about you has just been flushed.

Love this last little diddy where our mayor poo-poos property rights and almost makes the assumption that judges don’t understand the law, wow. (audio file)

Mayor Dem Forum Code Enforcement 5-10-2013

Get your questions ready, in a little over an hour (noon) our esteemed leader will be addressing Democratic Forum. VFW, South Minnesota Ave.

Just reading the  Argus snowgates article and noticed SubPrime is blaming the snowgaters for his inability to order and use them right away.

“Huether said he would like to see them bought and used immediately, but the issue must wait until the April 2014 municipal election…”

Will he use the petition drive as a wedge issue? Sorry Mike, nice try, but here is the lowdown;

1) You allowed Council Chair Erpenbach to CENSOR us during the election meeting, even though YOU are the administrator of the meeting, and could have prevented it, then tried to wash your hands of it in an email to me a few days later.

2) You say you ENDORSE snowgates, but refused to sign our petition to allow people to vote on the issue.

3) The council denied our Spring 2013 election. If the election would have been allowed and snowgates passed, they would be in use by November 2013.

4) The council said that they didn’t BUDGET for a Spring 2013 election or for snowgates, so they could not go into affect Nov 2013. Yet you and the council appropriate and transfer funds at almost every council meeting through resolutions.

Keep pointing the finger Mike, in the mirror that is.

Image; courtesy of People of Walmart.

Yeah, we can read all about Mike’s latest adventure to bring in more trailer-trash retailers . . .

A major concern in the planned Walmart development, according to Ross Wright, a neighborhood resident, is the potential abrupt transition from single-family residential zoning to the most intense C-4 commercial development. Wright acknowledged city officials such as Cooper are making a good faith effort to ensure as gradual a transition as possible. But Wright referenced comments Huether made about people overcoming misgivings and allowing the administrative process to play out.

“You say people do not trust government,” Wright told the mayor. “That’s where we are now. People are shaken.”

Hey, Ross, if you trust this mayor, I have a spray park I would like to sell you on the Big Poo River, and it just happens to be in front of a Hilton Hotel!

Not sure what to think of this comment (left yesterday on my site), or whether it is true, but it kinda shows how the mayor likes to roll . . .

The Lincoln County state’s attorney attended the Mayor’s listen and learn meeting this morning and asked the Mayor why people in the area of 85th were not told of the deal for Wal-Mart to build another store in their neighborhood. The Mayor didn’t answer. The Lincoln County attorney then said he attended the Wal-Mart open house and asked the Wal-Mart representative why the 85th street location and was told that’s where the city told them to build. The Mayor got angry, used a four-letter word and said he wanted the Wal-Mart guys name. At least the Mayor is consistent. At every twist and turn.

CLARIFICATION: Ross Wright is a deputy in the Lincoln County state’s attorney office and is the person the commenter misidentified as the SA.  He is not holding himself out as a Lincoln County deputy/employee at these events.  He lives in the neighborhood and has been a vocal opponent to the proposed development. As for the 4-letter word, not sure what it was. But I know Mike like’s to say ‘Crap’ quite a bit.

I have been hammering this home before he even stepped into office. Mike will do what he wants, when he wants. And until the electorate figures this out, he will continue to make the rules, control the checkbook, and thumb his nose (and middle finger) at you, every chance he gets.

There will be a Walmart at these two locations. And you know why? Because the citizens of those neighborhoods are not strong enough to stand up to this bully. Or maybe they are?

And people are worried about my ‘cyber-bullying’. The only ‘bully’ in this town is your mayor, and his boot prints are all over your faces.

I ‘Huethered’ some cig butts in a bar parking lot yesterday. I think they got the picture, because when I came back out, they were gone.

READER SUBMISSIONS;

‘The 1st Annual T-Denny Sanford Parade’

‘Thank Goodness I was elected Pope’

Went to the work session today, and the city attorney pretty much read the city ordinance in reference to the 5 minute rule. And Michelle tried to pull her head out and bring up the ghost of Munson and Roberts Rules.

Good stuff, including this image. Thank goodness he was elected mayor.

SNARC ALERT!

Mayor Mike Subprime held a press conference yesterday, January 29, 2013, at 4 a.m. at City Hall and presented what he considered the top ten wins for him and his ilk in Sioux Falls City government during 2012.

Mayor Subprime presented a countdown;

#1. Pension changes in City government will save taxpayers millions, enabling us to spend those savings on more spray parks and special interest club sport facilities. We successfully identified strategic pension changes affecting current and future employees in order to reduce and stabilize rising pension costs. The savings over the next 30 years from these changes is estimated to be over $300 million, in which we will spend on building a new events center to replace our current events center that has not been built yet.

#2. Sioux Falls inks record-breaking naming rights deal for Events Center before the voters even approved building the facility! We successfully negotiated and signed one of the richest naming rights deals in history for a market our size when the City inked a $20.75 million, 25-year deal with Sanford Health, First PREMIER Bank, and PREMIER Bankcard to name the new Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, and we did it all in the dark with blindfolds on!

#3. Big-time manipulation of figures, economic development, job creation and growth!

• $490 million of construction activity permitted, the second highest year in history. Thank God we included the Events Center in that number.
• Over 2,000 jobs created. (I personally pulled that number out of my ass)
• 3.7 percent unemployment rate (We of course included part-time, teenagers and the underemployed in that figure)
• Great teamwork with Sioux Falls Development and the Governor’s Office. In fact, Pat Costello only hung up on me three times.
• Record boardings at Sioux Falls Airport. Still waiting for them to return.
• 158,800 citizens now call Sioux Falls jail!

• Over 8,000 citizens signed the snowgates petition, then we gave them the middle finger, told them to shut up and go home.

#4. The old River Ramp comes down. A new Hilton Hotel sprouts up! A goal of the City for more than a decade was finally accomplished in 2012 with the removal of the 50-year old River Ramp parking garage in downtown Sioux Falls. Ground was broken on a much-anticipated 136-room Hilton Garden Inn & Suites complete with conference room meeting space, restaurant, and lounge estimated at $30 million, with millions of developer welfare handouts from taxpayers for TIF’s, landscaping, and a squirty-squirt park, all of which is gigantic waste of money just like snowgates.

#5. Team Policing is a huge success in keeping citizens safe, but not from stray bullets in shootouts with suicidal maniacs! The Police Department’s reorganization effort and Team Policing Initiative resulted in many cutting-edge programs. The hospitals even changed their free meals program to the SFPD. Trust and communication between Police and community members have been enhanced along with providing education on personal safety and the security of property, unless of course you are in violation of city ordinances, then we will haul your ass to jail and threaten to sue. The Pettigrew Heights neighborhood is just one of many success stories in 2012 that we will claim to be a success again in 2013 and 2014 without really cleaning up anything, but if we continue to say it is a success enough times it just might magically happen.

#6. “Our new Events Center” is going up and taxpayers secured incredible interest rates without the place costing a dime! The official ground breaking for the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center was held on August 30. The foundation systems and on-site utilities were completed WITH MONEY FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND instead of from the bond fund, and the McCart Park parking lot (that will have to be replaced by a parking ramp eventually) and the new gravity flow sanitary sewer main were constructed off site to ensure its reliability the next time we have to dump your shit in the Sioux River. We are ahead of our goal to have 85 percent of the work performed by local subcontractors and suppliers that we just happened to have already picked out even before the first Events Center task force met.

An overall interest rate of 3.13 percent was achieved on two bond sales composed of taxable and tax-exempt bonds to raise the needed $114.5 million in financing. These outstanding rates will result in interest savings of millions of dollars when compared to the interest costs initially forecast for the Events Center project, but like I said already, it won’t cost you a dime. In fact, the Events Center will be so profitable I project we will all be getting our money back sometime in 2057 or 2058.

#7. Lewis & Clark water is flowing into Sioux Falls just in time to make it appear the $80 million we spent on it wasn’t a total waste of money! A new and critical supply of water from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, which draws water from the Missouri River, was tapped on July 30. Construction was completed on a one-mile, 20-inch diameter water transmission main to connect the Sioux Falls water distribution system. Lewis & Clark water provides Sioux Falls with a drought-resistant supply offsetting demand on the Big Sioux Aquifer, the main source for the city (even though we will probably only really need water from L & C about 2 or 3 days out of the year). Without the Lewis & Clark water, lawn watering schedules and restrictions would be much more restrictive in an extended drought period, but during a drought you shouldn’t be watering your lawns anyway, unless you are an obsessive compulsive selfish prick.

#8. Surpassed the 200-mile mark of our “SMOOTHER ROADS AHEAD” campaign, and man am I tired, next time I am going to drive it instead of running it! In the past three construction seasons, we have repaired, rebuilt, and/or replaced over 200 lane miles of inner core roads. This work improved the driving surface, reduces driver delay, creates safer roads, and adds capacity to the arterial street system. Believe it or not, #8 is actually true.

#9. www.siouxfalls.org website is completely redesigned and receiving rave reviews from city employees who are in denial of how poorly it operates. There has been a complete redesign of the City’s official website, www.siouxfalls.org. Not sure why, maybe the media services and IT people needed something to do besides pretending to fix things. The new website provides a more complicated navigation structure, outdated design, and an almost non-exsistant search function. Over 20,000 pages of my press releases and 20 GB of data were restructured for my massive ego. Please check us out today (but stay away from the council meetings page, it probably isn’t working) And try the fun game ‘Find the council meeting calendar’.

#10. Our City’s “piggy bank” keeps growing while our debt is at a record all time high! We balance progress with drunken sailorness in Sioux Falls! Despite news of governments at all levels around the country struggling to live within their means, we just say fuck it and say ‘Charge the Card’, the Finance department is anticipating the City of Sioux Falls will add dollars to its general operating reserves for the THIRD YEAR IN A ROW while adding 10x that to our debt rolls. Although originally budgeting to use $3.8 million in reserves, the City’s modest revenue estimates and strong budgetary management practices ensured the City remains fiscally strong with General Fund reserves, which exceed policy targets. Finance is also forecasting excess capital improvement plan money that will be utilized to its fullest soon, like when we run out of money building the Events Center.