1st Amendment

City of Sioux Falls code enforcement FAIL

As you know, I have been after the city for almost 20 years to take out this property. Finally saw some progress when they tore down the recycling center, the liquor store and a gutted house. I fully expected them to tear down the other two properties (abandoned houses) but they gave the property owner another chance to make amends, as you can see, it was a bad idea.

Instead of replacing the basement windows, he put concrete block in the sills, then he decided to paint the house without fixing the soffit or siding and it has sat like this for a couple of weeks. There is also old tractors parked in the backyard and the privacy fence has fallen over. And while he may eventually get the house to look better on the outside, the inside is totally destroyed with massive water and fire damage. In other words it would take a lot of $$$ to fix the interior, so basically the city is allowing a property owner to fix the exterior of a house when the inside remains unlivable. WHY!!!!!!!?????? Incompetence.

I know that the due dates for having the repairs completed passed this Spring, so I was surprised the city is NOT tearing down the properties. Funny how it took me 20 years, and only half was torn down, yet when a religious non-profit needs some demo or an old Sears building needs toppled the city has all kinds of money in public works to demo these buildings almost immediately. Crappy houses in low income neighborhoods are apparently not a priority.

Keep playing games, because when the new mayor is installed I will be in their face to bulldoze this property. You solved nothing in 20 years except kick a can down the road. Those houses will be demolished and I will make sure of it.

America was BUILT on the 1st Amendment

There has been a lot of discussions about the 1st Amendment these days, mostly negative due to a president who uses the constitution as a tampon. Most of these conversations (yelling matches) encompass protests and dissenting government, as if that is all the 1st Amendment encompasses. Other democratic nations across the world have free speech rights, but no nation even holds a candle to ours. There are really only two restrictions; Language that incites violence (January 6th for example) and child p*rn*graphy.

While the 1st Amendment is invaluable for political dissent, it has built the greatest economic engine in the world.

While we won this nation (twice) by the barrel of a gun, it is the 1st Amendment that really built this nation.

Besides being home to some of the greatest visual artists, musicians and actors in the world, we are also the home of the greatest scientists, doctors, inventors. Why? Because of FREE expression and the opportunity to create without being hampered by silly civil right regs. It has also brought us some of the greatest immigrants the world has ever seen. Leaving their countries for America because they were tired of being held back due to free speech restrictions.

While a musket may have founded this country, peaceful protest and speech is what started it and has made this country great.

Let’s have a real discussion about the 1st & 2nd Amendment and their importance instead of shooting at each other. If we lose the 1st Amendment, we lose America.

Congrats to Cameron Stalheim!

I have often told people we have world class artists in Sioux Falls, and Cameron is one of them!

Cameron Stalheim was awarded the juried 3D category prize at ArtPrize 2025 for his sculpture Persist, which originally was shown on SculptureWalk in 2018.

ArtPrize is probably the best American sponsored yearly art festivals. I have dreamed of going for years! To win this award will be huge for Cameron’s career!

Like I said, many talented artists in our community like the ladies that did the censored mural in SF at the Smithsonian or Eyob Mergia who is known internationally and now resides in Vegas.

We have the cultural figures in SF but can we appreciate them?

Frank Lloyd Wright inspired? Not quite.

I have seen many exhibits of Wright’s furniture and visited his original home in Chicago a few years back and walked the neighborhood and looked at the exterior of the 16 homes he designed in that hood. After reading this article, I really struggled to see the influence of Wright. The main thing that stood out was the lack of woodwork. Wright had a knack of combining different types of wood to create an affect on a wall or floor. He was a master at it. I don’t see any of that in this home. Even the lines are lacking. Wright liked low ceilings unless in a specific room that required studio space. He even built a loft viewing gallery in his living room! The woodwork in his original home is very valuable and original and the staff is adamant about NOT touching any of the wood surfaces and staying on rug paths. My friend got his ass reamed after leaning against the dining room wall. I can see some architectural elements in the home that ‘pluck’ some Wright ideas, but I really don’t see the influence. I tell people my home is a museum of bad taste, and is influenced by Ed Roth, though Rat Fink may disagree.