While cattle pile up in the West (because the Repugs won’t pass a farm bill) and relief is not coming (because the Repugs decided to shut down government for 16 days) Noem, still in denial, and can’t comprehend why cattle ranchers are not getting relief (you shut down the government, McFly), she still finds time to shoot dumb, skinny, flavorless birds imported from China.
As I heard someone say today at a gathering, “How can someone be that stupid?”
Many have asked me why I didn’t share some words about Beck’s departure. Well I have been meaning to. One reader was going to send me some ‘positives’ about his tenure, then I was going to counter.
Maybe they changed their mind.
While I do have a few positives things to say about Mr. Beck, let’s start with his AL career.
Since he has been publisher, subscriptions have plummeted. This isn’t entirely his fault, you can blame everyone from the internet to a bad sales manager to carriers that are robbing subscribers while they are on vacation. But he is in charge of the general news of the newspaper, and content has been anything but newsworthy, unless you ride a bicycle.
He also refused to accept the modern age, I think he called bloggers Nazi’s or KKK members, or something like that. I am neither, but don’t take offense. I have never looked good in uniforms or Halloween costumes.
I think where Beck lost his ‘edge’ (that I will get to in a moment) is when he wrote a hilarious parody about Dan Scott, and big bad Billy Bob Janks was gonna sue him, instead of letting this go to trial (which I am sure was advised by attorneys) Gannett settled out of court (would love to see that amount).
Beck also became cozy with local politicians, healthcare institutions and other entities that real journalists try to shy away from. He has been known to pull reporters from certain beats because cry-baby-arrogant politicians complained.
On a positive note, I always thought Beck was funny, a fine parody writer, who saw things as a cynic, I believe all those things changed when Dan Scott and Janks decided to sue a publisher over humor, well protected by the 1st Amendment. Beck also made amends with Janks before he died (how touching). Personally I would have asked for the settlement money back.
I have never met Beck, nor do I want to, I have heard enough stories about him that it doesn’t appeal to me in the least to ever be in his presence.
Not sure why Beck left, we may never know, but when you announce your retirement and a week later you are gone, that usually doesn’t mean ‘voluntary’. Maybe ‘Semi-voluntary’.
I wish him the best, the media industry is not kind, and it is probably a relief to him to get out of Gannett before the entire ship sinks.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmbw8OycJrE[/youtube]
I wanted eggshell colored wallpaper not off-white!
I have been hearing a lot of gossip lately that the mayor has been micromanaging the event center’s construction, in fact, I guess it has even earned him the nickname on the worksite, ‘Mayor Meltdown’.
Not sure if he is micro managing the construction or design, but if he is, may I suggest he concentrates on more important things, like running our city.
During his latest ‘Ask the Mayor’ episode, he tells us a couple of interesting half-truths.
“When I was running for mayor, I would be campaigning Downtown, and there wasn’t a lot happening down here (sic).”
What?!
He said this after he was asked about the 2025 DT committee. While I would agree after handing out TIF’s like candy, there has been a lot of construction going on DT, but Mayor Munson and the former council really put a lot of energy and investment into DT. Once again, Huether is trying to take credit for something that has been in the works for over a decade.
Speaking of taking credit, he also comes up with this interesting response when asked about Spellerberg pool;
“The city council has asked that drawings be made up of an indoor and outdoor pool for that location (sic).”
Well, he got it partially right, they did authorize the expenditure, but it was the mayor and parks department that asked these drawings be done, and during a work session, that I attended, several councilors beat down the parks director over whether this was legal before a vote on the outdoor pool ballot issue this spring.
But of course, as usual, Mayor Meltdown will take credit, even it isn’t due.
Last night as the city council was posed to vote on the new TIF application process (Item#21, FF: 23:00) a very nervous Q-Tip Smith, director of parking, community development, and golden P’s, had to try to explain why there should not be transparency and disclosures when applying for TIF’s. This happened after councilor Jamison offered an amendment (that he later rescinded) that said there needs to be disclosure as to who is applying for TIF’s (he borrowed the language from Rapid City).
Ironically Smith brought up a representative from Lloyd companies (one of the biggest receivers of TIF’s in our city) and Mike Crane (who received TIF #11 that had to be signed by director Cotter instead of the mayor-hmm). To argue against disclosure. Investors, Investors, Investors, blah, blah, blah.
Of course Staggers and Anderson said it best; if you are looking for government assistance or taking advantage of a government program, disclosure and transparency should go along with that, Staggers went even further and accused TIF benefactors of having ‘political connections’ (Gee, is that why Director Cotter had to sign one of the TIF’s instead of the mayor 🙂
Of course Councilor Erpenbach poo-poo’d the amendment (not sure what her pro-censorship, anti-transparency stance is about anyway, it’s just becoming weirder by the day).
What I found even more ironic is that as a citizen I have to state my full name before I can even address the city council in a video-recorded public meeting for 5 minutes, but if I am asking for millions in the form of a tax break, I can remain anon until that application is approved.
This isn’t the last you have heard of this, while the new process passed w/o the disclosure, several of the councilors agreed this will be revisited.
Smith was also asked why it could not be deferred Tuesday night for another month, he mentioned an urgency about another TIF that was fast approaching (my assumption is that the developer who is asking to build condos between 13th and 14th on Phillips Avenue is asking for a TIF to tear down Sushi Masa, but that is just an educated guess).
The graphic below shows the current TIF’s the city has granted so far (the italicized Dunham TIF’s represent a company that is in transition)
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Cattle killed by freak South Dakota blizzard, courtesy of CBS video.
I have been meaning to post about this, but I really couldn’t put the right words together, I think this blog post pretty much sums it up;
South Dakota ranchers, who were in favor of the government shutdown, are now bemoaning the fact that the shutdown means no federal assistance following a devastating early blizzard that wiped out much of their livestock.
Really?
What’s worse is that the ranchers don’t sound like they’ve changed their minds about the shutdown.
Rather, they think that their welfare checks from the government are the only good the government actually does.  So while the rest of the government should still be shut down for you and me, we should make an exception for them.
The LA Times reported on the freakish early blizzard, which followed 80 degree weather, a few days ago.  80,000 head of cattle were killed by the blizzard. It’s being called the states’ “worst economic disaster in decades.† Some ranchers lost all the cattle they had.  Clearly a devastating disaster.
“We’re just a bunch of ranchers from South Dakota — it’s hard for our voices to be heard,” he said, sitting at the kitchen table at dawn Friday, drinking coffee, fielding calls from fellow cattlemen. “You see crises across the country, the hurricanes and tornadoes, and officials are right on top of it. But something of this magnitude, that has just about leveled this part of the country, and there’s nothing.”
Many residents in this conservative region had supported the government shutdown as a way to make Washington more fiscally responsible. “But one appropriate role for these guys is to lend a hand after disasters like this,” Christen said, “and they’re not here.”
No sh*t, Sherlock. What part of “you shut the government down†are you not understanding?
Always shake my head at SD conservatives who bitch about Obamacare, Medicare, SNAP, Social Security and taxes, but all of sudden when they are not getting a bailout from our SOCIALIST democracy, they cry like the little hypocritical babies they are. Suck it up Clem, it’s gonna be a long winter. Next time be careful what you ask for.
l3wis