As you may or may not know, Councilor NitZert, I mean NutZert, I mean Nietzert has his ethics hearing at 6 PM Thursday at Carnegie Hall where he will appear to defend taking money from a third party partisan group for an all expense paid trip to Texas with Mayor TenHaken and a ‘mysterious’ city staffer which is a clear violation of city charter.

While Neitzert’s lawyer (who calls him NitZert) claims there is a conflict by councilors Brekke and Starr because they supposedly shared public documents, owned by taxpayers, to citizens, the real possible conflict is Mayor TenHaken chairing the hearing.

How can an elected official who possibly violated the same ordinance chair a hearing of his peer? This is the MAIN question.

I think the first motion in the hearing would be to remove the mayor as chair of this hearing because of his blatant conflict.

This isn’t really about Greg, it’s about Paul, and the circling of the wagons.

I hope Mr. Cunningham’s attorney points out this conflict at the beginning of the meeting and removes Paul from the proceedings.

I also want to say, I feel truly sorry for Greg, and I’m not being cynical (maybe a little). I had high hopes for the fellar, but he fell victim to the partisan machine and they will eat him alive while he remains a footnote in city government history.

Tomorrow night, Carnegie Town Hall will be transformed into the Globe Theater. I hope to be in the front row in the penny seats.

18 Thoughts on “Does Mayor TenHaken’s ‘Conflict’ allow him to chair the ethics hearing?

  1. Fear & Loathing in Sioux Falls on September 9, 2020 at 7:42 pm said:

    It’s always a bummer when your lawyer doesn’t know your name. It would be like a hooker that kept calling you “john”. Because the right name always helps during motions, legal or not. #MyClient

  2. Can’t believe how this Mayor continues to write his own rules and still believes he is above the law. He will fight to be Chair so he can quickly vindicate his protégé. The corruption continues.

  3. it's a banana republic on September 10, 2020 at 8:28 am said:

    this could get real ugly real fast. sort of reminds me of “a few good men” with much less serious consequences. what if tornow wants to subpeona Ten Haken? seems like that would be legit since pauley violated the same ordinance. I’d love a “let’s get paul’s perspective” on the record. the boys violated the rule…a rule they were aware of because chrissie erickson likes to lord it over brekke…and smith used it to stop staggers.. that’s what this is about, breaking a rule. if greg whats to call it a “political hit job” so be it, but he broke the rule. because everyone does it (at least those with 5 votes in their pocket) it’s somehow ok? that, byt the way, is a failing of this feckless ethics board. the best thing that could happen here is neitzert takes responsibility and begs forgiveness. unfortunately, i see no scenario where he is actually punished.

  4. D@ily Spin on September 10, 2020 at 10:01 am said:

    Another example that Strong Mayor Charter is oligarchy. The mayor has to much power when he controls hearings where he is a defendant. The old council chambers is a small room. A good trick would be to social distance everyone out of the room. Out of sight, out of mind. Here’s another dog and pony show that’s entertaining but circumvents principle intent and Roberts Rules.

  5. D@ily Spin on September 10, 2020 at 10:07 am said:

    Oligarchy
    Governmemt by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes.

  6. qanominous on September 10, 2020 at 12:10 pm said:

    u’d think pth would find some way to zoom it in with all his garage screenz

  7. Further Fear & Loathing on September 10, 2020 at 12:19 pm said:

    The mayor has become our Barr. But don’t drink the Kool-Aid. #NoCollusion

  8. Further Fear & Loathing on September 10, 2020 at 1:21 pm said:

    “NitZert” is surely evolving into “Nixon”. #ImNotACrook

  9. You would think the city having their first full on city council ethics hearing would make the news but not a single local news agency has reported the hearing tonight. Shocker. I bet if they had a food truck in front of Carnegie it would make the news.

  10. PTH’s regard for law and avoiding the appearance of impropriety is planted firmly in one litmus test: If It Ain’t Dutch, It Ain’t Much.

  11. "Very Stable Genius" on September 10, 2020 at 3:36 pm said:

    Yes, in a free country, politicians accused of an ethics violation are often covered by the media. But this is XXX Falls, where a guy’s phone isn’t his. #TheTwilightZone

    ( and Woodstock adds: “Now this food truck, it would have to be run by a veteran, who got a Purple Heart from Thune, because he lost a leg in Afghanistan, who has a cookie jar at his food truck to raise funds for backpacks, and the vendor would have to have a story about his storefront having been decimated by all three tornadoes from last year, too, and the March ’19 flooding having ruined his domicile”… “Oh, and the food truck guy’s uncle would have to own a brew pub in town and his aunt would have to run a boutique in town, too, and then those two locations would then be helping to raise funds, so that the food truck guy can rebuild his storefront and pass out more backpacks”…. )

  12. Warren Phear on September 10, 2020 at 3:49 pm said:

    The new city beat guy at the argus is on vacation. Apparently he has no backup. Television and radio? I’m guessing they all think it is the nothing burger the insiders are telling them it is.

  13. Further Fears on September 10, 2020 at 3:57 pm said:

    “If It Ain’t Dutch, It Ain’t Much”….

    That’s funny. The Amsterdam red light district uses the same motto. Heineken for some reason, however, wants to “Open Your World”. Personally, I prefer a Heineken over a St. Pauli Girl.

  14. Fuhrer Fearing, Fearing the Fuhrer, or something like that... on September 10, 2020 at 4:44 pm said:

    In terms of the proceedings tonight, has Iowa law been adequately reviewed? But then again, wasn’t it once House Republican Leader Tom DeLay who didn’t wants us to use Scottish law in our courts, what’s up with Republican TenHaken?

  15. Can somebody advise me here on the Junket trip Neizert and the ten went on supposedly.

  16. sdse answer on September 10, 2020 at 11:40 pm said:

    The only thing we learned about the trip was it was a free trip for Neitzert, TenMan and TJ Combover to learn the latest right-wing republican tricks for dominating the world or was it the city. We may never know because Neitzert and his fellow travelers have never given a report.

    Oh and we found out Neitzert has used up his vacation time.

  17. ‘Oh and we found out Neitzert has used up his vacation time.’

    To which his wife probably thought ‘Thank God.’

  18. At least “Neitzert has used up his vacation time”. I hate it when fellow co-workers try to impress the boss by not using up all of their vacation time. #AlecLovingRepublicanButtKissers

Post Navigation