The lawmaker, the troublemaker and the deal maker

It was a nice surprise to not only see councilors Neitzert and Stehly, but legislators Michael Clark and Greg Jamison were also in attendance talking to constituents today and the Coffee with Council event at HyVee. Jamison and I had a good conversation about repealing IM 22 (we didn’t solve much though) He thinks (mostly his caucus) we should repeal it ASAP, I told him that we should let the Supreme Court address it, and further more, Judge Barnett has already halted the law, so what’s the hurry for repeal until the SC weighs in? I also I have a problem with the legislature making it’s own rules when it comes to ethics.

19 Thoughts on “Coffee with Legislature AND Council

  1. Theresa stehly on January 28, 2017 at 3:57 pm said:

    It was great to visit with citizens about the topics of the day. Some items that were discussed: annexation, police pay, city debt, transparency, boulevard gardening, neighborhood watch and traffic flow. We had a mix of all party affiliations and the conversation was respectful and cordial . I hope we can do more of these in the future.

  2. Nick Weiland on January 28, 2017 at 4:38 pm said:

    The legislature has no business creating its own ethics commission.

  3. Sierra on January 28, 2017 at 6:22 pm said:

    Did i hear neighborhood watch wow are they noticing the crime is on the rise and its time to cooperate with lawenforcement and come forward When u see crime happening neighborhood crime watch is a joke

  4. Sierra on January 28, 2017 at 6:27 pm said:

    I have done alot of street crime activists work on the streets and working with lawenforcement to clean up neighborhoods then the citizens and the captains that are a part of neighborhood crime watch has ever done

  5. Sierra on January 28, 2017 at 6:36 pm said:

    Instead of neighborhood crime watch in siouxfalls best way to réword the program it should be called neighbors sit back and watch the crime happen

  6. Well a Walmart security guard didn’t just sit on his ass and watch you commit a crime Sierra. A whole lotta hog wash about crime coming from an actual criminal.

    Bravo to our public officials for really listening to your constituents.

    Let IM22 run it’s course without repeal. The high time the liberals are given a chance to let socialism fail.

  7. On the pay/contract dispute some in the media are reporting that the State labor department agreed with the city. Haven’t seen that on the Argus or KELO yet. You got anything new on that DL?

  8. The D@ily Spin on January 29, 2017 at 9:28 am said:

    I wanted to make this get together but fell ill. What I regard as especially important is the socializing that’s not so formal. The political types come together with the public. I don’t go to Huether ‘Listen and Learn’ because it’s a select group, gets edited, and security is threatening. It’s programmed. The mayor running around the room passing the microphone is like playing Russian roulette with a pistol.

  9. Larry, I did see what the state said. Basically several of the PO’s got step increases on top of their COLA, so it’s not like NOBODY got a raise. Some got both, some only got COLA. Seems the UNION wasn’t telling the whole story.

  10. The case is still pending havent been found guilty of the crime just for your info

  11. Also to add to it Walmart is closing almost 300 Stores and loosing 10 thousand usa employees as they Will continue to close more this year with lawsuits they are facing just some FYI .

  12. Our “Republican House of Lords” legislature would be much more credible on this IM 22 issue, if from day one prior to the election, had the Republican majority had their own more “workable” version of IM 22.

    But oh no, the “RHL” is nothing more than a “Monday Morning Quarterback” on this issue with the audacity to say and think that they know best and also claim that they are truly sincere about their intentions.

    If they were truly sincere about their intentions, the Republicans would have had a strategy that went beyond just saying “NO” to this Measure prior to the day of the election, or their “Hail Mary” and often over used argument that IM 22 was merely funded and conceived by sinister out of state forces….

  13. I think we all want all parties to call it straight in these negotiations, and it sounds like the Union was shading it a little according to the Dept. of Labor (per KDLT). Makes more sense now why the fire dept union agreed to their contract without the drama.

  14. “with the audacity to say and think that they know best”

    I kind of made that argument to Jamison as to why we should let the Supreme Court sort out what is constitutional and what is not. I basically told him the legislature has very few members that understand law.

  15. Warren Phear on January 29, 2017 at 8:55 pm said:

    Government jobs and step increases all generally work about the same. I believe the SFPD has an eight step program that takes about ten years to complete. Any officer with more than ten years is stepped out and will recieve 1.5%. Small compensation with regard to the dangers that are accelerating at an almost daily rate.

  16. l3wis,

    I hear you, I also think that the Legislature’s proactive attitude towards IM 22, since convening, speaks to their arrogant presumption that the Supreme Court will rule in their favor, as they are probably right, but hopefully they are not – an attitude which empowers their self-righteousness, however.

    And with all due respect, this attitudinal presumption puts into question as to whether we truly have a separation of powers between our given branches of government, or are they merely cohorting agents?….

    Because if the Republicans in Pierre fear that an “Unconstitutional” ruling on IM 22 would then make us absent of any election finance laws, as some of the Republicans suggest, then why is there a need for a replacement law before the Supreme Court has officially ruled, unless they are quite confident in the Court’s ruling? And how do they know this, and if the Court rules it “Unconstitutional” would not that be the time to move forward with a replacement and not now, unless you are confident with some eventual outcome without duplicity of laws, and why is this?

    Plus, when a law is before a Court on constitutional grounds does not that require the legislative branch to exercise a “time-out” period on any amendments to that law until the Court or Courts have ruled. Otherwise, such a legislative practice destroys the the balance of powers doctrine and in so doing allows one branch to trump the powers and duties of another branch of government, when the latter is merely trying to exercise its powers within its own constitutional perimeters….

  17. Mike Kokenge Sr on January 30, 2017 at 6:02 am said:

    I have to say I enjoyed this coffee get together. I got to finally meet a person I have a great deal of respect for, both as a citizens advocate, and councilor, Theresa. Also visited with Councilor Greg Neitzert, citizen advocate Bruce Danielson, and of course, the trouble maker himself.

    I have spoken at city council meetings twice over the years. Both times I felt that my concerns were of no value to a council that had already made up their minds about the issues that concerned me. The only person on that council who I believed was listening to me, the citizen, was Kermit.

    I have spoken over the years at the mayors finally tuned listening and learning sessions. When you watch enough of these well orchestrated events, one tends to know exactly what you are going to hear, and in what order.

    Again, great format, hope you do it again. Puts a personal touch to communicating with those who try to make our lives a little better. Was also looking forward to talking to Christine Erickson. Hope she and a few others can make it to the next one.

  18. The D@ily Spin on January 30, 2017 at 9:45 am said:

    Interesting comments here. Everyone has their peave. This is a place to vent. Some subjects are side interest. Others come front and center. What seems evident from the HyVee quorum is political types, activists, and interested citizens come together in a civil atmosphere. It’s more than the calming caffeine, these are the people that care about the community. The self absorbed (Huether, Rolfing, Erpenbach) realized they weren’t welcome.

  19. The D@ily Spin on January 30, 2017 at 9:53 am said:

    ‘Quorum’ is the wrong word. Try ‘Assemblage’.

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