Closed government in Sioux Falls results in low public engagement
l3wis The mayor continues to blow smoke;
However, here’s what else you need to know: As our elected leaders voted on these substantial projects, a total of three members of the public showed up to give input. None exactly gave the councilors a show of support. And that’s more the norm than not.
“Partly why the aquatics bond has gotten delayed a lot of times is increasingly we’re only hearing from the people who are against things,” TenHaken told me before the start of the year. “I’m only hearing from people against the Delbridge (taxidermy collection) leaving, against us bonding, against building a Convention Center, but I know the vast majority of the community wants an expanded zoo and aquarium and butterfly house there. I know a large majority of the community wants indoor recreation for their families.”
What happens, he continued, is “the loud voices get loud, and they tend to overshadow what we know is the right thing to do.”
First off, you are not hearing from these folks because they don’t exist. It’s really that simple. Recently Shape SF did a survey of citizens, the parks, once again were rated high in satisfactory ratings. Why? Because we have more recreation and park space then we know what to do with, and if people are saying they are satisfied with our current park system, why do we keep adding to it when nobody is asking for it?
I have yet to have anyone tell me we need more indoor rec, refrigerated ice ribbons or a new convention center. The only one saying it is the mayor and the bondsters that control city hall. This is why the bunker ramp got built because Poops was too scared he would piss off the bonding companies.
But the irony of this is that Poops seems to know the problem, he just doesn’t realize it is his closed government policies that are driving citizens away from engagement.
We need a new generation of leaders to emerge, he added.
“They need to get involved, engaged in driving the community and not just hoping the right things happen. We’ve taken for granted what Sioux Falls is. We’re like, this just happens. We just build Steel Districts and Jacobson Plazas and that’s how this works, and that’s not just how it works. It takes a ton of work.”
Every time talented young people have ran for office you go recruit a contender and throw gobs of money at them. Why would anyone want to run against the machine? Your militant closed door government policies have driven the public away from engagement. Just look at the last local election. Wasn’t even worth turning the printing press on for ballots. Keep up the secrecy and you will eventually drive everyone away from local government.
