August 2025

1st Amendment Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

More issues with the POORLY PLANNED bike trail upgrades

l3wis August 11, 2025 4Comments

As if the screaming contractors and idiotic detours, signage and blockades aren’t enough, we now have to deal with an inferior resurfacing, that is actually extremely dangerous and causing accidents.

As I pointed out recently they have been doing upgrades to the bike trail this summer. Some of it has been totally resurfaced (which is the best way to go) but in a effort to SAVE money they are not resurfacing it all (a resurface is actually pouring a few inches of NEW asphalt over the current trail).

On a stretch out to Family Park and various other spots on the trail they just filled the cracks (with a sealant instead of actually filling the cracks with asphalt) All the sealant does is make a crack twice as bumpy, because the original crack still exists because the sealant just settles into the crack, then it creates two new bumps with the dried sealant on either side of the crack, then they just put a black oil over the top (lipstick on a pig) essentially just painting over the cracks and sealing the bumps. It is dumb on many levels, including creating more bumps and sealing those bumps with oil, but what makes it worse is that it makes the bike trail extremely slick (oil is a petroleum based product, oil and water don’t mix). If it is wet after a rain, or if there is extreme humidity or spotty ice patches it turns the trail into an ice skating rink. I have almost wiped out a few times and have learned that you should take corners slow on this oil surfacing or you WILL wreck.

Last week after a brief afternoon rain I took the trail to commute to work. There is this hairy corner under the interstate by Rotary Park that I always take slow, even in dry conditions because of the poor visibility, the incline and the slippery trail. Not everyone gets it. As I was navigating the corner I noticed it was very slick so I was going pretty slow. Off the side of the trail I saw someone had wiped out on a regular road bike (non-electric). I actually knew the person. He slipped taking the corner and ended up in the trees with scratches on his face, hands, arms and knees and covered in mud. I asked if he was ok, and he was, but pretty scratched up. I told him that black oil is just like snot to ride on when wet or humid and you have to watch yourself. He is lucky he didn’t run into a tree and cause more injury to himself. He is a DTSF business owner, so I told him to complain to the parks department about the hazard, I think he will. Just another example of poor planning. You didn’t fix a damn thing and you actually made it worse.

As for the resurfacing (the best way to go) they need to put in a rough aggregate into the asphalt so the trail isn’t so slick after a rain instead of straight oil. Who was the genius engineer with the city that came up with this? They need to be fired.

1st Amendment Mayor TenHaken Property Taxes Sioux Falls South Dakotans State Funding State Legislature Taxes

Sales taxes are regressive, and any effort to raise them will be met with massive opposition

l3wis August 11, 2025 2Comments

I see Jodi is now becoming the Mayor’s cheerleader in trying to raise our sales taxes;

At the same time, before offering any incentive like that, we need to consider raising sales tax across the board if we’re going to continue to emphasize reducing property tax.

In the city of Sioux Falls alone, one penny of sales tax can generate almost $100 million each year. An option to capture that revenue, while at the same time pairing a sales tax holiday to provide relief during the year, seems worth exploring.

Our average of 6.11 percent, coming in at No. 36, is quite low, especially when you consider there’s no personal or corporate income tax to help fund government services.

She thinly veiled her support for a sales tax increase with a story about sales tax holidays. How about we put South Dakotans on a permanent sales tax holiday and implement an income tax. I did the math, and if you set it with certain income levels, 60% or more of South Dakotans wouldn’t pay a penny in income taxes. I have argued if we implemented a income tax on households and private business who make over $100K a year (with exemptions for children) and increased the assessments on commercial and ag properties for property taxes, we would have oodles of money for programs while eliminating the sales tax almost entirely. I would keep sales taxes on luxury items and items over a certain dollar value. Sales taxes on anything we need like medical, energy, food, clothing, etc., would be eliminated. Making poor people pay more in taxes so property owners can get a tax cut makes no sense and is defeating the purpose. I support a property tax cut, but other changes have to be implemented for it to work, and we don’t need to increase taxes on things we need, the government needs to budget differently and we need to go after the tax dollars where they are; RICH PEOPLE. But since they control this town and legislature it will never happen.

1st Amendment Media Sioux Falls

The Libertarian Media Hypocrisy

l3wis August 8, 2025 1Comments

Well, you know how it goes, when you can’t tough it out in the real world, you suck on the government teet. The Skab has been successful in scooping up public notice revenue all over the region because of a moronic law in Pierre that requires local governments to PAY a local publisher YOUR TAX DOLLARS to print public notices.

I know, as someone who is all about transparency, I’m not sure I am benefitting from this unless I have a magnifying glass to read the 4 PT type. I have argued several times you would save the taxpayers millions in this state if we just required to have the documents online, available for print outs at local libraries, city halls, police stations, etc. instead wasting ink and newsprint. This isn’t a Skab issue, it is an issue across the state.

What ever happened to the media being supported by subscriptions and advertising, and GOOD truthful non-partisan news? People would pay for that. I also laugh about the supposed libertarian slant of the Skab while they have their hands in the cookie jar all the while complaining about Noem’s misuse of state funds. We get to see misuse every time we see your rag. And what about more ‘regional’ coverage? And the weekly ‘Where’s Jon Hansen’ column doesn’t count.

I have noticed that since they started printing the notices, the paper has become much thicker, but the NEWS(?) content has become much smaller. Must be spending a lot of time finding ways to spend our money.

But hey, I don’t blame the Skab for this cashflow, everyone has their ‘NUT’, I blame the unethical Sioux Falls City Council for setting the precedent after every single one of them voted for this after receiving campaign funds and advice from one of the Skab’s investors, King Paulson. One of the most corrupt, unethical, quid pro quo votes I have ever seen. Never once did they question the investor, they just marched forward and purposely hid it from the public. Then they wonder why the public screams at them at public input. Your inactions speak louder then words.

I know at least one legislator has tried to revise this law, Greg Jamison, but it is always met with massive opposition from the newspaper association. I have argued in the past, if your news content and advertising is good you should be able to support yourself, why do you think I only make $600 a year 🙂 do the math.

1st Amendment Immigration Mayor TenHaken SF City Council SFPD Sioux Falls

UPDATE: ‘This Sucks!’ Yes it does.

l3wis August 7, 2025 13Comments

Last night while listening to testimony from immigrant activists, immigrants, and children of immigrants one thing was clear; what is happening right now in our country is horrible and riddled with misinformation, lies, and lots of RACISM. About a month before the presidential election, I knew Trump would win. I did the math 20 different ways from Tuesday and the result was always the same. No surprise. The Democrats, while having good intentions, have no follow thru, so while running against the most racist president since Jackson they put up a Black Woman which almost ended up dead last in the last Democratic presidential primary. To say the Dems F’d this past election up is an understatement. To hear all these immigrant horror stories is troubling, and not reflective of our Democratic Republic, which was built on the foundation of immigrants. As I had a lot of mixed emotions last night, after each speaker I kept circling back to why this happened; WE ELECTED TRUMP AS PRESIDENT. None of what is happening is surprising, and the hippie beads, tie-dye shirts and protests with flowers and handmade signs isn’t cutting it, the old way to battle the racist Republicans isn’t working anymore, and you have to fight fire with fire and play their silly reindeer games. But what I kept coming back to after each testimony is this question; ‘WHY THE FUCK DID WE ELECT A RACIST FOR PRESIDENT?’ Heck, even Black and Hispanic men voted for this clown in record numbers. We can point fingers at a lot of people, but I keep pointing my finger at the very people who showed up last night and those on the dais who voted for this rotten person at least once if not three times, YOU ARE TO BLAME FOR THIS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. I LOATHE YOU! The racists got what they wanted and you played right into their hands. Do I think a majority of this country is racist? NO, but they certainly are ignorant and mis-informed to vote for a felon, sexual assaulting, racist (and perhaps pedophile) to the highest office in the land, you made this bed, and now you gotta sleep in it. It is hard for me to feel sorry for those on the dais who have played into this BS. I have struggled over the last 7 months, trying to come to grips with a voting public who is more concerned about the color of your skin and your immigration status then they are about saving a country. And there is more to come, a likely recession, high unemployment, homelessness, lack of healthcare, and the list goes on, all the while instituting a national sales tax (tariffs) on the ones that can least afford it.

(I updated the following paragraph)

After public input the Mayor told the speakers to take a moment while they leave the chambers, and in the hot microphone ‘someone’ on the dais says ‘THIS SUCKS!’ (FF: 4:44:15) While it was hard for me to determine who said it, I’m am pretty sure it was Curt Soehl. AND, It does suck Curt and Paul, and we can thank you for voting for this man likely three times while blindly standing at a press conference that stunk of racism and ignorance. It would have been like being invited to a Klan rally and when you attended you felt like you were mislead. You stepped in it big time, you are really living up to your nickname your daughter gave you. Poops tried to blame ‘misinformation’ before the presser as to why he showed. Gee, doesn’t it SUCK when someone isn’t transparent with you, how does it feel? It’s a gut punch when our government hides stuff from us, how does it feel when the shoe is on your feet? My assumption, whoever said this SUCKED, was a bit irked they had to sit there and listen to this, but you are part of the problem. While I commend all those who spoke last night, it was like a bear crapping in the woods, the officials didn’t hear a word you said, or cared. I am hoping this city and country wakes up before the next city election in June and the midterms in November, because this racist economic policy will be the death of this country, and when the smoke clears, we will be different, and not for the better. A light can never be seen in this darkness.

I also spoke on several other agenda items at the meeting last night.

So this shindig is going on Wednesday night at the 6 PM city council meeting;

This Wednesday at 6:00 PM, we’re going to fill the Sioux Falls City Council chambers in downtown Sioux Falls and demand our representatives exercise HOME RULE AUTHORITY to draw a line in the sand against government overreach with Governor Rhoden’s Operation Prairie Thunder program.

Basically the SD Dems are arguing since the city of Sux has a home rule charter they can tell Rhoden to go to Hell. Which is partially true on some matters. In fact the Mayor with the Council backing him could tell Rhoden that he cannot use our police force for immigration matters, and they wouldn’t even need to vote on it, the city attorney could just send a letter and the only recourse for Larry Buck would be to have the AG sue the city, which would be messy. Public input should be very entertaining. Public Input probably won’t happen until 8 PM.

1st Amendment Mayor TenHaken Open Government Open Meetings Sioux Falls

Will the next mayor of Sux will be handed a gigantic stinkin’ turd?

l3wis August 6, 2025 1Comments

As Poops’ term is coming to end, many directors and managers are announcing their retirement or resignation. Directors are leaving from most of the major departments and several assistant directors and deputies are also leaving.

First, the obvious question? Why are so many leaving throughout the organization? It is not uncommon for directors to resign after a mayor ends their term, some are just brought in for the administration and don’t expect to stay afterwards, but this many directors and management leaving after a mayor leaves is a bit suspicious.

There has been a lot of gossip and rumors from various sources that the city got investigated for financial reasons. I have heard a whole host of reasons why, but nothing solid, so I’m VERY SKEPTICAL this occurred (besides an ARPA audit), but it makes you scratch your head a bit when pretty much Poops entire administrative team is leaving with him. Are they gonna leave the next mayor holding the bag? What will the books look like? Good question.

There is a positive in all these resignations, the next Mayor will be able to pick their team, but this will take several months and hundreds of interviews. I would encourage the next mayor to hire a national recruiter to find qualified employees instead of depending on our internal HR department. But this will still make the first year of the mayorship difficult for the next mayor because they won’t have a permanent team in place when they are sworn in.

So what do these directors know that we don’t? Not sure. This has been the most secretive administration in the history of our city. Huether tried to cover up stuff, but he was really bad at it, Poops turned it into an art form, and if there is one thing he has accomplished it has been a militant closed government.

I hope the next mayor is transparent with the public and tell us what kind of damage the current mayor incurred upon us, but with being ‘SD NICE’ they will likely just sweep it under the rug and not look back. While I agree we shouldn’t dwell on past indiscretions, we should be told what they were, so the public can make sure we never elect or hire folks like this again. History is important, and if we don’t learn from it, well, you know what happens.

More issues with the POORLY PLANNED bike trail upgrades

Sales taxes are regressive, and any effort to raise them will be met with massive opposition

The Libertarian Media Hypocrisy

UPDATE: ‘This Sucks!’ Yes it does.

Will the next mayor of Sux will be handed a gigantic stinkin’ turd?

You Missed

UPDATE: Sioux Falls City Councilor could be facing ethics violations after tonight’s vote on Tre Ministries project

UPDATE: City Council Agenda (Dec 2-3)

Seems we are a we bit behind on snow plowing

Libertyland TIF should go to a vote of the entire state!