Yesterday I was made aware that the city code enforcement department was trying to squelch free speech. A Staggers and Stehly supporter purchased and has been displaying these signs in his yard. A couple of days ago, code enforcement took them down and said he was violating ordinance. Not true, so he put them back up. After a discussion with the enforcement office he explained to them that as long as his signs did not exeed 1,926 square inches (they are 1,920 square inches) they are legal to display, according to city ordinance. The real reason they were removed was because of ’several complaints’ the code enforcement office finally admitted. Really, is that how we enforce code now in Sioux Falls, if someone complains loud enough, the code enforcement office just makes up something? The signs are staying up for now.

Another brilliant idea by Detroit Lewis? Probably not.

I have been considering changing South DaCola for awhile to just focus on Sioux Falls, events, arts, music, politics, etc. What do you think? All politics are local? Right? It wouldn’t happen until after the election, and South DaCola wouldn’t go away, just your beast to play with.

Stormland TV News (the propaganda wing of Sioux Falls city hall) did this story about Dave filling potholes. Shouldn’t surprise anyone that Dave is pretty handy with the shovel His voicemail must be full of angry messages from citizens. There was a street downtown by Sunshine grocery store that I couldn’t even drive over 4 MPH on because it was so littered with potholes. It looked like the road to the Baghdad airport. Ironically that street has looked like that for years, but hey, blame one snowstorm and one rainstorm for the problem. Hey, we can’t fix the streets, the monkeys at the zoo need shiny new shitters.

What do you think?

While Sioux Falls has experienced enormous (business and population) growth since the Home-Rule charter came into affect, city debt has skyrocketed and working class wages have not really gone up. So is the Home-Rule charter hurting more then helping? I don’t know?

Fight away.

(Sidenote; PG, you are welcome to the discussion, trust dat, but please let’s not mention guns, Nazi’s or hookers).

Gotta hand it to Joel Rosenthal, he really has no idea what he is talking about (or maybe he does and is trying to manipulate voters – hey Joel, everyone knows that is my job);

Kermit Staggers has been actively going door to door for approaching three years. He has had signs on his car that simply said Councilman Kermit Staggers, and appeared in several parades as a Council member. While rationalized as just talking to constituents, though outside his Central District, it is in reality veiled campaigning.

Joel, when is your hate-fest for Kermit going to end? So what if he has been campaigning for the past 3 years? Kinda sounds like a good plan to me. In fact, Kermit talks about the 19,000 doors he has knocked on as a councilor on his website. And while you call it ‘veiled campaigning’ I call it ‘doing his job’. Kermit listens to citizens, something it seems our current city government cannot comprehend. Vernon just wants you to send him a postcard (at your expense).

Finances do demonstrate the degree of support a candidate has in the community.

Yes they do, if most of that money is coming from regular ‘joe-sixpack’ constituents and small businessmen and women. But when you read the donor list of the top contenders, it reads like a who’s – who of Sioux Falls (financially). They donate money because they are attempting to BUY the candidates. I’ll give Brown and Staggers credit for taking the small donations from ‘real’ people.

Most every political activist and / or junkie believes Staggers makes the finals. I do not agree. It is a close call between Vernon Brown and Pat Costello.

LMAO! Vernon and Peterson are gonna have a death match for 4th place. The top three candidates running neck and neck are Huether, Staggers and Costello. I still believe that Staggers and Huether will be in the runoff. They both have grassroots support. And BTW, Joel, I am neither a junkie or an activist, just a loudmouth.

The two At Large Seats will be won by, (At Large A) Rex Rolfing (though never rule out a Coach or former Coach in this case Clarence Kooistra) and (At Large B) Jim Entenman. Michelle Erpenbach will win the Central District seat.

I have no well formed opinion about the Southeast District seat. The candidates are Sue Aguilar, Bob Christensen, and Ryan White. Like giving some edge to a Coach (note: Dave Munson was a coach early in his career) give a little edge to Christensen who is a Barber, another very well networked occupation.

Rex Rolfing? You are kidding? Right? Who is Michelle Erpenbach?

I find it disturbing how a family restaurant can have T-shirts and TV commercials that make it hard to take your kids. My 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter picked up quickly on the sexual innuendos. The TV commercials are not family friendly. If the restaurant catered to adults only, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. We need to protect our kids as much as possible in this society. They take it to school, church and other places. I will take a stand and not visit these places.

I know the guy below, he is actually the first winner of the South Dakota ‘Gutt check’ bicycle race. Christsakes, Jeff, I had trouble eating one of those lukewarm thingies, let alone 8 1/2.