South DaCola

So now snowgate advocates are lazy?

You never can predict what will come out of the ugly yellow building on 10th & Minnesota;

The Loafer Brigade of Sioux Falls suffered a defeat last week, but loafers never are defeated for long. They rise again to advocate for loafing.

In refusing to call a special election next spring on snowgates, the City Council deflected the issue until spring 2014. About 8,500 people had signed petitions hoping an election would be called sooner.

I guess asking the city to save taxpayers thousands of hours cleaning the iceberms from the end of our driveways classifies us as ‘lazy’. I have never looked at snowgates in that way. As I have said in the past it is about being held hostage to the city when it comes to snow removal. Who cares if the streets are plowed in 24 hours if I cannot get out of my driveway? I look at snowgates in simpler form; I am already paying for the service of snow removal, if it cost an extra 25% to do it properly, I say let’s do it. The plows are already out plowing my street, what’s the harm in taking a little longer and pushing a little button? Lazy? This coming from the rag that created ‘Loafer Journalism’

But the council was within its rights. When it comes to initiated measures, state law allows city governments to call a special election or hold the vote at the next regular election. Our next regular election is spring 2014.

I disagree. The initiative was specifically written so that snowgates would go into affect Nov 1, 2013. The next available election slot (without calling a stand alone special election) is this Spring, 2013 with the school district. I don’t think it gets less complicated then that. A majority of the council doesn’t want snowgates. Period. This had nothing to do with whether they work or their cost. And they know it.

And they suspect that some treacherous lawyers will devise a scheme in which a vote never will take place.

Most definately. Remember what I said about the predictability of our city government? Why wait over a year to have an election? Are we going to have more information? Probably not. The council voted against the 2013 election to give them time to crush the petition drive. I stand by those words.

I’m ambivalent on the subject. Sure, I suppose they would be nice if they work as advertised, but do we really need another government service so able-bodied adults don’t have to shovel out the ends of their driveway?

That’s just it, we are not creating a NEW government service, we are just asking to make one we currently have better. Geeesh.

First, the proponents continually reference this $500,000 water feature being built downtown along the river greenway, a glorified bird bath that certainly will win the appreciation of our resident pigeon population. If the city can spend money on that, it should be fully capable of outfitting plows with snowgates, the Snowgatenistas say.

Regardless of what you think about the bird bath, the money to pay for it comes from a completely different budget and tax source than the budget that pays for snow removal. The budget that pays for snow removal also is the same budget that pays for police officers and firefighters. Thus, we would have less money for public safety.

You can look at this 20 different ways, but whether it is snowgates or birdbaths it is still taxpayer money they are spending. And how are we taking money from public safety? Kind of sounds like we are adding to it. Snowgates are a public safety issue.

The Snowgatenistas also argue that snowgates are a service that would benefit everybody. Really? Because a lot of people in central Sioux Falls don’t even have driveways. And even more live in apartments. How do snowgates benefit them?

Snowgates also have another effective use, clearing intersections. Something the Public Works department never likes to bring up, because they know they are very effective when it comes to this use. So snowgates DO benefit everyone.

If snowgates do hinder progress in clearing roads, you can bet that voters won’t blame themselves for approving the devices. They’ll blame their elected officials.

Well they are the ones responsible for making sure government services work properly, that’s why they get a paycheck compliments of us, the taxpayer.

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