I have been saying all along the $4M Ice Ribbon that has ballooned to $16M was NOT the idea of constituents. I haven’t heard a single person say they wanted that Plaza or needed it. There has been talk in the past of putting in a ‘temporary’ refrigerated ice ribbon at a park, but no permanent structures. A lot of this talk ended when they built the Scheels Ice Complex. So I have been saying all along, this was the idea of ONE person who was looking for a tax write-off after selling their Electrical Supply Company. (I’m all for private gifts to our parks, but that money needs to go into the Parks’ general fund and let the citizens decide how that money is being spent.)
Now don’t take my word on it, during Poops State of the City address he told the audience how the ice ribbon came about. Mr. Jacobson called the Mayor, took him to lunch and told him he wanted this. As I figured. No constituent polling. No advice from the city council. No consultant proposals. Just a rich guy buying the mayor lunch.
So this is how we make $16 million dollars in parks programming decisions, we let some rich dude looking for a tax write-off to take the mayor to lunch, while the skatepark folks had to scrape for years to get the city to pony up ‘something’.
If you want to know what the citizens want for Parks Programming, just ask them. Duh. Because as I have said, money can’t buy you class, purpose, style, taste or culture, so why do we let the rich determine our parks programming? Because they buy the mayor lunch. Unfcknbelievable.
I once saw our Mayor at Taco John’s with some guy. I wonder what a guy can get from the city for the price of a taco? #SixPack&APound #HardOrSoft?
Scott, did you hear Park Director Don Kearney during City Coucil Meeting on the pulled item admit that $25 million of the $68 million came from (Denny Sanford) to support the Great Plains Zoo development. He was surly speaking to the theft of the Delbridge Museum in favor of the Sanford Butterfly House and Aquarium in the very building the residents built for local taxidermy. You are right.
A rich guy taking the Mayor to lunch in order to unilaterally influence City spending and programs. That’s how we do government in Sioux Falls.
Some would say that Rockefeller Republicans (aka the Eastern Establishment Republicans) are extinct.
Janklow invited the influence of Rockefeller Republicans to the state and specifically Sioux Falls with legislation to relax the state’s usury laws and the largely eastern banking businesses which followed to establish.
Forty four years later, Sioux Falls has provided the ecosystem in order that the City continues as a denizen of Rockefeller Republicans – high on the necessity of “public/private projects” as the only way for economic prosperity … for some of us (them).
I think it is great he gave the money, I also think it is great he got a tax write off. But when Mr. jacobson presented the gift, the mayor should have said, that’s awesome let’s find the best programming for the money. Instead Paul rolls9ver like a dog.
The Rockefeller reference is so fitting considering they visited that square for inspiration
But Rockefeller Republicans are the only ones I have ever cared for…..
( and Woodstock adds: “What about John Lindsay Republicans?….. That was always my favorite kind of Republican, but nowadays we only have a choice between some MAGA nuts or some wimpy Republicans”…. )
Buying the mayor prevails since Home Rule Charter made him absolute dictator. Yes, there’s a council but it’s merely for show. Democracy must be restored with a new charter. What’s especially disgusting is the city council. They sit on their bums watching the mayor misappropriate public money. We don’t respect you. Why do you even run for council? Must be to get your picture taken once a year.