South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

2021

South Dakotans State Funding State Legislature Taxes

The Truth about SD Trusts

l3wis 8Comments

(H/T to a SouthDacola Foot Soldier who sent me this)

I will admit I learned a lot about SD Trusts listening to Terry Prendergast in this podcast. While Terry points out many great things about trusts that the media hasn’t mentioned, he still can’t convince me that they are good for the average South Dakotan.

While they do create jobs, can be held by anybody with wealth or inheritance, are free from state income taxes and help feed the Federal coffers they still leave me with a lingering question, “How does have $500 billion of someone else’s wealth in South Dakota benefit the average South Dakotan?” It doesn’t. And in a round about way, Terry brings it up. He does admit it is a legal tax shelter (not evasion) does benefit the state with bank financing fees, but also admits there is no actual tax dollars coming into the coffers.

While I appreciate him clearing up a lot of questions, even to go so far as saying nothing nefarious is going on (which is true) I have to disagree with him on the benefit of having them here. While SD Trusts are not illegal, and are being ran with the highest standards, at the end of the day I ask why the state legislature is so eager to pass laws beneficial to a select group of people that live out of our state while having very little benefit to South Dakotans?

If the state legislature really wanted to make an impact with legislation, they would focus on its citizens instead of Kings, Drug Traffickers and Dictators (legally) hiding their money in South Dakota (and an occasional farmer).

District 10 Sioux Falls State Legislature

I moved, kind of

l3wis 5Comments

Ever since I have owned my home I have lived just barely in District 13. The district used to be pretty balanced but it seems lately it has become ran by Republicans. I have been watching the districting process over the past few months. It seemed that I was destined to be moved to District 10 and I barely slipped in. I welcome it. The District has moved out of Brandon (Thank God) and mostly encompasses the Whittier neighborhood, Beadle and a tiny chunk of McKennan, it also leans Dem. It will be fun to watch how the legislative seats in the District play out in 2022. It’s time to kick Maggie Sutton to the curb and create a left of center district in Sioux Falls.

Charter Revision Commission Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission

Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission denies my proposals based on (non-legal) Opinions

l3wis 4Comments

As I told the Commission at the end of the meeting during general public input, I had NO doubt they would deny my proposals because the CRC kills all proposals unless it comes from the administration in the form of fixing a typo in the charter.

I have reminded the CRC in the past that it was not their job to deny proposals based on their personal opinions but based on the law and if they legally could be on the ballot.

I do believe they had a good argument against my TIF changes proposal based on inserting a whole new section in the Charter. I also think the legislature once again is going to fiddle with TIF qualifications this winter in the legislative session. No harm no foul.

But where I take issue is the comments coming from Chair Justin Smith and Commissioner Anne Hajek when reviewing the other two proposals (directors living within the city and public input) Both said that these measures are ‘micro-managing’ and that they are trying to fix something that ‘isn’t broken’. These are merely personal opinions not based on the legality of the proposals being on the ballot, and two commissioners agreed with me. Commissioner Carl Zylstra voted for both of the proposals and Commissioner Larry Long (a former Judge and AG) voted for the director residence requirement. He said if it wasn’t prohibitive of the city to help pay re-location expenses he could support it.

I offered plenty of evidence that public input at all the public board meetings is broken, but they hung on the fact that it was 5 minutes and Hajek used the tired old argument that the business people and poor school kids had to sit through public input. Once again giving no LEGAL basis why this could not be put on the ballot and be voted on.

At the end during general public input where I informed them they denied my proposals not based on legality and evidence but just personal opinions and assumptions, I also reminded them the reason why the only two people in the audience was Mike Zitterich and I was because they hold the meetings at an inconvenient time for the public. I told them that city government is turning into serving leadership and the city employees and NOT the public. They quickly adjourned.

Charter Revision Commission Sioux Falls

I would like to thank the Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission for their Professionalism . . .

l3wis 0Comments

. . . while hanging me. I can certainly be upset that all 3 of my proposals were killed (as I assumed they would be) I have to admit that I did enjoy nerding out on city government this afternoon, I love talking about these things almost more then underground art and punk rock. Heck, I even got a former Attorney General and Judge, Larry Long to vote for one of my proposals and another commissioner to vote for 2 of my proposals.

I will write a synopsis soon about what happened and why the CRC failed to bring these fair proposals to the ballot, but it all boils down to a disregard of the public and what the ruling class wants. Stay tuned.

Mayor TenHaken SF City Council SFPD Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls PD Communications Officer talking out of both sides of his A . . . and City Council Fence Sittin’

l3wis 3Comments

As I mentioned on Sunday, I was wondering when the public would get an update. So over 24 hours later the communications officer finally did a press conference in which he basically denied that the guy arrested for hitting a cop car was NOT the suspect. Fast forward to Tuesday, and court records filed show another story, he is the main suspect in the shooting. So why did the communications officer either lie, mislead, or simply did not know the correct information from a crime that occurred over 24 hours earlier?

I don’t know, but it is further cements my belief that this city is being ran like a rudderless ship and if there is no competent captain at the helm it trickles down to the other departments.

City Council’s Tuesday meeting was full of NO decisions

Speaking of a rudderless ship, the SS Minnow, better known as the Sioux Falls City Council did not disappoint last night, because when they are not rubber stamping, they are sitting on the fence, and there was a lot of fence sitting.

It all started with a debate over who should pay for a road in a new development (deferred a week). Then it went into garbage can ordinances (I think the council is still divided on this and the mayor may have to break the tie). But the big debate of the night is raising fees on vacant properties. While I originally supported higher fees, after watching the discussion last night, I’m not sure that is the ultimate solution.

The first issue is compliance. I think you first must be registered with the city as a vacant property, if you are not, the city certainly can’t fine you. Anybody could have a vacant property, and as long as you keep the lawn mowed and snow shoveled and the heat, water and electric on, who would know if it was vacant without asking the owner (who could lie).

The second factor is, even if they do figure out which properties are vacant, will the property owner be able to pay? Mr. Tobias, the code enforcement overlord did say he would work with owners who are looking to sell or use community development loans to fix up, so that is positive. But the more I think about it, we should just be starting a pilot program as I have suggested to start cleaning up the core neighborhoods, and we wouldn’t have to worry about this. There is an entire block on my street that is vacant (3 houses and 2 businesses) and falling in disrepair. I have been told by code enforcement that they have been working with the property owner. Really? You told me this 5 years ago.

I still think a hand up approach may work better then a catch and release and fine (that will never get paid). It is time for the city to start investing in the core neighborhoods.

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