Seems things are heating up in the mayoral race. Bout time.
“While every person, business and organization in the community knew we were in the middle of a serious economic slowdown, City Hall chose to ignore reality,” said Bill Peterson, who voiced his criticism Tuesday.
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Bill one of the advocates of the tax increase for the arterial streets and the 3rd penny for the EC? At both council meetings I warned of a economic downturn. Where were your concerns then, Bill?
“This is just another example on how city government is becoming more out of touch on what the citizens of Sioux Falls want,” Huether said.
Yah think? I’m glad to see Mike is out there talking to citizens. I think he is coming to the realization that people are hurting, I can tell you that 2009 wasn’t the greatest year for Detroit Lewis, but I don’t have four kids to feed. I can’t imagine what some of these people are going thru.
Mayor Dave Munson, who is term-limited, said Peterson’s criticism almost sounds like he is running against him. “I hope that he’s not trying to create a crisis for one that doesn’t exist,” Munson said.
Well, Dave, if you think a $330 million dollar city debt and a sagging economy are not a crisis, I have a bridge to sell you in the Sahara.
“They should have seen this coming and they didn’t, and that’s a failure of leadership, period,” Peterson said.
Well, well, well, seems Mr. Peterson doesn’t even know the ‘failure of leadership’ he created himself. He wrote the unconstitutional home rule charter for the city which pretty much ties the hands of councilors to make budget decisions. Kinda hard to lead when you are handcuffed Bill. You pretty much eliminated the checks and balances the city council would have had over the mayor.
Five months ago, some council members and the mayor sparred over the 2010 budget, which is 4 percent larger than last year’s. Staggers introduced 30 amendments to cut spending. Only one passed. It pushed a capital project to a later date.
Yes, and only a couple of those amendments were seconded for debate. That is the rubberstamp council at their best. What I can’t understand is even if you do not agree with Kermit’s amendments, why wouldn’t you at least be willing to debate them?
The current plan for potential holdbacks is to put the city, and the next mayor in a good position, Munson said.
“I really do want to leave it solid,” he said. “We have to make assumptions ahead of time.”
Yes. A solid debt. $100 million for ‘Quality of Life’ projects like monkey crappers, wood thingies and football fields for kids living in Montrose. $70 million for a water pipeline that we won’t have for another 2-6 years (maybe) and over $10 million for levees that the Feds should be paying for out of our income taxes.
Staggers said his opponents who supported the local sales tax funding option for the events center are contradicting themselves.
“It’s interesting that they are concerned about the budget, but at the same time they are out there advocating tax increases,” he said.
It’s time for this race to heat up! If I were running I would make it a race against Dave. Instead of hiring a 6 figure PR hottie and committing fraud as part of the Philips to the Falls project, he should have been making streets a priority. When a city doesn’t do preventitative maintenance streets fall a part like they are now!
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Bill one of the advocates of the tax increase for the arterial streets and the 3rd penny for the EC?…
I don’t have four kids to feed. I can’t imagine what some of these people are going thru…
Well, Dave, if you think a $330 million dollar city debt and a sagging economy are not a crisis, I have a bridge to sell you in the Sahara…
Well, well, well, seems Mr. Peterson doesn’t even know the ‘failure of leadership’ he created himself. He wrote the unconstitutional home rule charter for the city which pretty much ties the hands of councilors to make budget decisions…
Yes, and only a couple of those amendments were seconded for debate. That is the rubberstamp council at their best…
Yes. A solid debt. $100 million for ‘Quality of Life’ projects like monkey crappers….
Hey l3wis. Granted, Kermit did get in one real good zinger. But you got in several. It is just a shame the citizens of SF are left to the gargoyle leader, stormland tv, and knobe for insight as to what is really going on at city hall.
BTW, does anyone know who knobe is endorsing? I’d just be guessing, cuz I don’t listen anymore, but I’d say huether, if not now, surely after the huether money machine starts throwin a hundred 30 second campaign ads down our throats every day at a nearly a $100 a pop. Those are the kind of numbers that make talk radio dance to whatever tune the handlers want.
One more thing l3wis. I was out and about yesterday and ran across several people of various walks of life and ages. This topic seems to be a very popular right now. This is the impression I get. People are pissed off, not just a little, but a lot about the state our streets are in. They want them fixed. I ask, “with what”? Nearly all say with that 41 million dollar surplus.
I’m not certain I know how to respond to that. Unlike you, I have not followed city politics as closely as I should. I do know they are playing a shell game with us, just don’t know that I could explain it right. Help me out here l3wis. When someone says, (and there are a lot of someones out there) that we are rollin in the bucks with a 41 million dollar surplus, what is the quickest and easiest way to correct that kind of thinking?
Remind them of the $330 million dollar debt we will have at the end of Munson’s term. Also remind them the debt service on that is probably around $40 million a year (principal and interest). Also remind them that the city was already over $80 million behind on road maintenance BEFORE this winter.
I do not doubt for one second the validity of what you say. But how would you explain the shell game (41 million dollar surplus)to those that only recall the numbers the media chooses to “inform” us with?
Good thing no one is thinking about jobs for South Dakotans because Thune came through for the state one more time with just say NO. He voted no on a jobs bill.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00025
Poly, this would be the best way to explain it. It’s like having $20,000 in a savings account even though you may owe $130,000 on your home.
Uh..L3wis, $330 million in P&I wouldn’t exceed $20 million a year unless we put the whole tab on our Premier Bankcard.
How a constitutional patriotic mayor can get elected:
– Use strong mayor to get ride of non-performing city employees.
– Use strong mayor to give the council necessary power.
– Get the traffic camera ticket people (10,000+) to vote for you by using strong mayor to refund all tickets.
– Get citations people (7,000+) to vote for you by using strong mayor to refund all post 2006. That’s when SF city became unconstitutional because they denied appeals. Form one citations unit for all departments. Eliminate redundantcy.
– Settle and close all (3 or 4) pending constitutional lawsuits against the city. Pay now or future city liability will be millions.
– Use strong mayor to fire everyone in the city attorney’s office. Start over with fewer citizen friendly staff. Contract private lawyers for special circumstances. The city needs real trial lawyers who have experience.
– Use strong mayor to terminate at least 20% of city employees. Focus on those not needed in a down economy and new hires without tenure. Tame city budget by 15% annually.
– Contract most city services to private contractors via competitive (not rigged) bidding process. Potential savings of 20% annually.
– Repeal strong mayor and return to constitutional democracy once expenditures come into line and after the incompetant city employee leeches are gone.
Just saying
Did you get your verdict yet? There are rumors out there . . .
Sy, I can’t remember, it is like $20 or $40 million. There is so much shit throwing at the public meetings it is getting harder and harder to remember. Gene will say one thing, one day, then the Gargoyle will say something else, then Stormland TV will suck off some councilor, then we are back to square one.