October 2023

UPDATE: I just shipped my drawers!

l3wis October 17, 2023 5Comments

UPDATE: So the media decided to defend these ‘private/public’ partnerships;

Beck says private money accelerates development.

“We’re able to move projects forward that we otherwise would have to wait several more years to be able to complete without those extra private dollars,” Beck said.

While it may seem I am opposed to private/public partnerships, I am not, the LINK is a great example of one. Where I get worried is when some rich donors in town DETERMINE where they are going to spend this donation. I have often said those donations should go into the general capital fund for the parks system and have the councilors and public determine the best use of those dollars. You still get your tax write-off and better yet citizens get programming they want! As I have said in the past, I have never heard a single citizen, child or organization tell me that what this city really needs is an ice ribbon, which helps me to draw the conclusion that the DONOR decided we needed this and NOT the public. I think we can continue to do private/public partnerships, but the taxpayers need to be engaged and involved in that process so we can truly get what we want and need instead of being told what we need.

ORIGINAL POST

After watching the presser below, it reminded me of the Kmart commercial about ‘shipping drawers’.

Mr. Jacobson spoke about his donation today (made me wonder if some IRS auditors were in attendance) to the ice ribbon. (I wonder if it will be closed if it is too cold like Great Bear does?)

He rambled for awhile about his donation and all of his old buddies that gave money, then he said something that kind of stuck in my craw;

“Shawn (finance director for the city) really worked with us to find the extra money, he would find money in the bottom drawers.”

I don’t think Mr. Jacobson intentionally intended to offend the taxpayers of this city, who fund 99% of this city, but he did.

Apparently the taxpayers of this city who are FORCED to match a rich person’s tax write-off donation are thought of as the ‘bottom drawer’.

Mr. Jacobson, whether your comment was intentional or not, as a taxpayer of this city who funds your ‘dreams’, I am certainly the TOP DRAWER, and never forget it.

On a positive note, the Jacobson’s actually started an endowment also for the ice ribbon’s operation and maintenance, probably won’t cover it 100% but it was a nice touch to their donation.

Sioux Falls NE District Council Candidate has been making some serious decisions

l3wis October 17, 2023 5Comments

Imagine my surprise when this candidate said they were running in the NE District;

A lifelong Sioux Falls resident, Basye, 28, is an active member of Downtown Rotary and Sioux Falls Sales and Marketing Executives and is involved in the S.D. Change Network through the Bush Foundation. She’s also a graduate of Think 3D’s Leaders of Tomorrow program.

In April Miranda did an interview with SF Bizzo in which she was the director of engagement at Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, later on August 10, she did another interview as that same director, but as she announced today, she has been removed from SMGA’s website with her LinkedIn listing her as working for these folks.

I just find it interesting that she was working for a lobbyist group a little over 2 months ago and now all of a sudden is a council candidate. Not sure if she is a PTH recruit, but it sure smells like it.

This race is going to be a fun one to watch.

Republicans know how to win elections, just not how to govern

l3wis October 16, 2023 3Comments

As we watch the sh!t storm in DC that is a full throated cluster we don’t need to look to the East, it is occurring right in our town.

I asked the question not long ago, ‘What has TenHaken finished as mayor?’

I will give you the short answer; Nothing

Even his mentorship initiative, that I fully supported, was handed off to the Helpline center with a line item for taxpayers.

He knows how to win elections, raise money and even get others elected, he just doesn’t have a clue of how to lead.

Paul cut his teeth in the political world helping Republicans get elected in his former life, he is a partisan hack, and that is all he knows.

I wouldn’t even classify him as a Republican when I compare him to the likes of Staggers, Stehly and Brekke.

He is an authoritarian businessman that only cares about the green.

The most hilarious part is running a city isn’t really that difficult unless you have a natural disaster to deal with or a mass shooting, but that is also part of the job.

Your duties as councilor or mayor;

• Make government documents and information as open as possible (state law allows local government to determine what information they want to release, I will give you a clue, ALL OF IT. The only thing that should be hidden from the public is personnel files and pending litigation.)

• Collect taxes (but do it in a fiscally responsible manner. I was astonished at the informational meeting today when the city council made this recommendation for legislative priorities. Fiscally responsible bodies actually find ways to cut taxes.)

• Provide infrastructure and services with the taxes provided (I’m a pretty bare bones guy when it comes to how taxes are spent. I think we should only collect enough fees and taxes to have a balanced budget (minimal borrowing) and spend it only on NEEDED public services and infrastructure and let the entertainment and welfare developers fend for themselves. Just look at the millions we have thrown at parking ramps, etc., while we have virtually NO inventory of first time homes or more affordable new housing. If you think the housing crisis is bad now, wait until a year from now when our population growth will bottom out because there is NO place to live in Sioux Falls.)

Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “You know how to take the reservation, you just don’t know how to keep the reservation.”

You wanted the fricking job, now do it!

Arnie Zings

l3wis October 12, 2023 2Comments

I love that Conan told Arnie that he is funny, because he is. Conan tells the story about how Arnie was on SNL and wrote a ton of his own jokes. To be honest with you, I wish he would run for president.

I have to say that I am consistently baffled by the GOP’s loyalty to Trump. The guy has been breaking laws and lying since the 1970’s. DOCUMENTED COURT CASES!

While I lean left on social issues, as an indy, I support good old fashioned fiscal constraint. I think ALL governments should have a balanced budget, I also think that taxes should be lower, and they could be, if we just spent tax dollars on infrastructure and services. In fact we could cut the Pentagon budget by 50% and close half of our bases in the world, and we would STILL be the most powerful military in the world.

While I have never voted for a Republican president, I do support traditional conservative values of fiscal restraint. Trump had ONE accomplishment as president, he gave one of the largest tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans in the history of our country. Is that really conservative values OR Trump values? If I was a Republican, I would be embarrassed about the fellatio the party is giving to Mr. Trump. You have lost your way and your minds.