I got an up close experience a few months ago with how big money corrupts local elections. Randy Dobberpuhl who placed 2nd in the school board election was out spent over 6-1 by Cynthia Mickelson who won the seat. The other two candidate who spent nothing or very little were creamed.
The rumored proposed amendment by Sioux Falls city councilors Rolfing and Erpenbach to garner 51% of the vote in a general election for city council or go to a runoff is a ruse to eliminate the grassroots candidates that don’t have deep pockets.
What is astonishing is that just less than two years ago, Mayor Huether, in a press conference with former city councilor Kenny Anderson Jr., he was begging for people to run for city council;
“I would like to encourage our citizens to get involved in public service. It will make a wonderful difference for our town,†says Mayor Mike Huether.
At the time it seemed MMM was concerned there would not be any candidates for council. We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for regular people to run for office instead of making it more expensive not only for the candidates but for the taxpayers. If we want to make real change, the city needs to do a better job of educating people about upcoming elections instead of playing this game with money.
I’m hoping Kenny Anderson and Randy Dobberpuhl will attend this Tuesday’s council meeting to speak out against the money grab, and all other candidates considering a run this Spring.
Don’t you love it, that in a less populated state, which has as many US Senators as California or New York, that we actually have political leaders in this state who are constantly trying to find ways to limit or prevent minority or plurality empowerment….
Why would anyone want to be a councilor? It doesn’t pay much. With mayor veto, your vote doesn’t count. If you do business locally, you must vote per Denny/Lloyd. You can’t afford thousand dollar suits. Only the mayor has a bullet proof screen at council meetings. Most of all, you must regularly disregard constitutional law.
By late 2018, Rolfing and Erpenbach will be names less remembered than Walkman, cassette, or 8 track. Enjoy your last hurrah. Only Huether will give you acknowledgement as he too disappears into hardly remembered history.
Won’t Huether leave the legacy of HuetherVille Debt for the citizens to pay for a long time into the future?
It is simple and obvious. The moneyed southeast district upper class want to retain and control a majority on the council, and elect and protect rubber stamp councilors who bow to their leading. By requiring 50% plus one votes to win, then in a required run off, that moneyed class will pour their resources into the campaign of the candidate they prefer who will adhere to their requests.