South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

December 2024

Bunker Ramp Downtown Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls

I guess Mayor TenHaken is paying the bonds on the Downtown Sioux Falls Bunker Ramp

l3wis 5Comments

I guess now he is just going to tell FLAT OUT LIES;

The city’s parking ramp on Mall Avenue also remains a prospective redevelopment site.

“It’s not costing the taxpayers a dime to have it sit there, so we’re not in a huge rush to have something,” TenHaken said. “The time will come and the market will change, and it’s still a valuable piece of land. We still get interest and inquiries.”

Maybe it was Poops attempt at humor at the end of the year, but it’s not funny, and it is definitely NOT FREE. In fact a major chunk of the parking department’s revenue goes towards the bond payments, there is also maintenance and paying workers to maintain the facility. I figured a few years ago about 60-80% of the years total revenue in parking goes towards the bonds and maintenance on this ONE facility which takes away from other parking upgrades downtown.

It’s costing us . . . a lot.

Poops knows he f’d this up and he could have stopped it but he cowered to the bondsters and gave in (because he is an extremely poor leader). He could have gained support on the council to cancel the bond but he did what he normally does, ignore the gorilla in the room hoping they will go away. Many want to blame Huether, but old elbow assaulter didn’t sign off on the bonds, Poops did. This is all on him. I still laugh at the presser he gave with Lamont saying he was good for the investment because he gave the city a letter saying so (a last will and testament on a bar napkin would have more legal precedent). Poops does everything by the seat of his pants and wonders why they turn out the way they do, then lies about the result. Here’s the deal, PAUL, we are paying dearly for your F’up, DEARLY, but instead of taking the blame you just lie. When you call yourself a Christian, I just shake my head. I attended Catholic and Lutheran services growing up, and I never recall a minister or priest saying it was okay to lie as long as you are covering up a screwup. You are a fraud.

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RIP President Carter

l3wis 5Comments

Probably one of the most under rated presidents. I was born in 1972 after the Nixon fiasco, so Jimmy was my man. I often tell folks besides Nixon bringing it up, Carter warned us of climate change and if the SOB would not have beat him in 1980, we would have had real change. I still remember election day in 1980 or shortly after and my grandpa talking about the presidential election, “I voted for Jimmy, he is a good man.” It was classic Carl sarcasm, it was a dig on Reagan. Man how they hated Reagan.

Employee Free Choice Act Employment Sioux Falls Unemployment

The Smoke & Mirrors of the City of Sioux Falls recruitment efforts

l3wis 3Comments

Chief of Mumbo Jumbo for the City explains the city’s employment recruitment efforts

I was a bit confused when I saw this presser. Is the city having retention problems? Hardly. But why are they focusing on recruiting young people for city jobs? It’s the old game private companies pull, anybody over 50, tenured and at the top of their pay scale is human trash and must go. The city has been quietly pushing these employees out. I wish those who have already succumb to this pressure would go to the media about it. Story of the year (besides our murder numbers). But is this age discrimination? And is that protected by Federal statutes? Good question. Now don’t get me wrong if someone is a slacker, they need to go, but for very specific reasons. While younger employees may have more energy, innovation and creativity and save the city money in salaries and reduced benefits they have no idea how to steer a ship and you want tenured employees around to help guide these younger folks. Trust me, I detest that the city has so much mid-management, that is where I would start before going after the rank and file. The next mayor is going to have a real HR mess to clean up.

Christ christmas Downtown Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

The Year in Review, oh, and Merry Christmas!

l3wis 13Comments

I used to be against Winter Wonderland at Falls Park but I have to admit, the pics on my bike this year have been good, so I guess I am okay with the city spending the same amount of money on this as what it would cost to refurbish the Brockhouse Collection ($850K). Speaking of that, saw an email this week from an influential party wanting to help save the collection and the city council and mayor have ignored them for over a year. I know, shocker.

Anyway, down to business. Instead of me wasting my time and a 12 pack of IPA’s this year with the year in review I am asking on my readers to paste in the comments their favorite post, OR, just tell me what was the best DaCola gem of the year.

Moving on, Merry Christmas or whatever weirdo holiday you celebrate. Believe it or not I will be sitting in a church pew on Christmas morning pretending to be a Christian (I do that a couple times a year). I do like Christmas and all the Kuchen I can eat!!!! (and it better have fried eggs floating on top!)

So this year was Detroit’s year of Laziness. If I didn’t have to do it, I did not do it. In fact I have been studying minimalism this past year but I can’t even do that right. I call myself a lazy minimalist. I refrain, half of the time 🙂

Here are some basic rules;

• If I can walk or bike, I do that

• If I can cook at home (for less), I do that

• I turn my heat down to 68 degrees

• I turn my AC to 75

• I only use lights in my house in the room I am in

• I only take 2 showers a week during the winter

• I only buy clothes and other stuff at thrift stores (books, music, appliances, art supplies)

• I enjoy the company of good friends and conversation over casinos

• Beer instead of wine (cheap liquor is ok)

• Personal hair clipper (I still get my hair cut from a barber, but I only go about every 4 months because I trim it everyday)

• A pet (I don’t have one now, but have been thinking about it again. They can actually save you money because you find yourself hanging with your bud instead of farting around at the bars and friends that talk back)

• Pay it forward. (this is the most important principal of minimalism and the hardest one you will ever do, but totally worth it.)

I wanna give a big shout out to my partner in crime, uh, I mean, not crime, my web developer. Some know him, most do not, but he has been with me since the beginning including getting me into blogging in the late 90’s. Let’s just say my previous moniker ‘Fat Midget’ was not loved. Let’s keep killing it Bro! What else do we have to do on a Wednesday at 11:18 AM? Oh, that’s right . . . PPPPPPIIIIIIIIEEE!!!!!!!!

1st Amendment Developers Development Downtown Sioux Falls religion Riverline District SF City Council Sioux Falls

UPDATE: Why is the city lending a religious organization $500K?

l3wis 6Comments

UPDATE: I guess the original developer has already sold the development to tRE ministries so they are no longer involved. But if you connect the dots you will see that one of the leaders in the institution is married to a certain person connected to a very large company in town. So instead of this being funded by Big MJ, VL and Liquor it’s being funded by ‘Big Corn’ (Which these days seems more scandalous with all their money scam pipelines they want to build.)

This money will come out of the Community Development funds. (Item #6, Sub-Item 28):

Agreement for a redevelopment project located within the All Saints Neighborhood and the Sherman Historical District, tRE ministries, $500K (interest free loan).

I received a Community Development loan about 20 years ago for needed upgrades to my house, my loan was about $4,500 with a 2% interest rate. I guess I am wondering why we would take this much for ONE project when we could rehabilitate 40-50 houses with this money instead? And I mean ‘Rehab’ not demolition, which is what this money will be spent on. There is also the questionable relationship with the developer who is worth millions from video lottery, liquor and Med MJ (unless he has already handed over ownership). Why isn’t he just loaning them the money? I also don’t think tax dollars should go to non-profits (religious organizations) since they pay very little taxes and the fact they have a Daddy Warbucks taking care of them (who ironically makes money from sin taxation). I actually support this project to clean up that part of town but like any development with private parties, they need to pony up the money, but NOT in Sioux Falls, GRIFT, GRIFT, GRIFT. I thought at least ONE councilor would vote against this, but who am I kidding. The mayor wants to turn the entire town into a mega-church. Ick.

MAYOR FIRST AMENDMENT DENIER, INTERRUPTS A CITIZEN, AGAIN

Poops was at it again tonight, ignoring his Constitutional duties and denying a commenter his input. (FF: 1:44:00) Jordan Deffenbaugh came up tonight to talk about how housing would be affected by the Riverline District and the mayor cut him off saying this was already discussed. Oh, Paul, we have been over this, you can’t control the narrative at the podium that is a violation of their 1st Amendment rights but you seem to be above that. I wonder what it is like to take an oath on the Bible, surrounded by friends, family and colleagues and once installed ignore all those constitutional ‘thingies’. Paul, it may not be me, but the city and specifically you as the chair will be sued and it isn’t going to be pretty. Maybe they will let you on one of those East Coast TV morning shows where you can talk about your lack of knowledge when it comes to the Constitution and the lawsuit should be dismissed because of your stupidity. Stranger things have happened.

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