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Cynthia Mickelson

Cynthia Mickelson Mark Mickelson SF School District Sioux Falls State Funding State Legislature

Mark Mickelson concerned about big money influence, maybe he needs to have that discussion with his wife

l3wis 4Comments

Many people across the state are having a good chuckle (or good cry) about the hypocrisy of Mickelson’s proposal to limit big money influence in initiatives. Besides the fact that the Koch brothers have funneled millions into our state from out-of-state donors from ALEC supporters to Republican State legislative races, let’s look at the influence LOCALLY in his wife’s race for school board. While the money may be local, you have to question the BIG money influence in her race. This is from her last financial report (I think the next one is due on July 18);

SE Friends of Affordable Housing $500

SD RPAC $250 (Association of Realtors)

Two Minnehaha county commissioners $600

Dan, Steve & Joe Kirby $750

Dennis Breske (Developer) $100

Dr. Vance Thompson $250

Tom Walsh (Formerly Burger King, now Great Life) $100

Sweetman’s $350

Valerie Fox (Former Principal of Lincoln HS) $500

Dr. Alvine $100

Doug Hajek (Bond Attorney for largest bond provider in the state) $100

Chris Houwman (Developer, Washington Square) $250

Scott Abdallah (Attorney) $100

Erickson’s (City Council) $200

Dana Dykhouse (First Premier Bank) $250

Dave & De Knudson (Sanford Health) $250

Russ Janklow (Attorney) $250

Arch Beal (Beer Distributor) $200

Scott Lawrence (Ad agency) $100

Michael Crane (Developer) $100

Dave Owens (SD Chamber of Commerce) $200

And that is just a sampling. I know what you are thinking, none of the donations are HUGE but they speak volumes, especially when you consider she raised 10x more than her closest competitor.

Mark doesn’t sweat big money when it helps him, his wife or his fellow Republican legislators, but when it comes to ethics reform he wants to crack down on it. Go figure.

Cynthia Mickelson SF School District Sioux Falls

Should we be ramping up privately funding SF Public Schools?

l3wis 6Comments

I will admit, I am kind of on the fence on this one. I think if people want to donate to public schools, who am I to say NO, but it also leaves open the door to entitlement and segregation. Something that already exists with open enrollment.

Newly elected Sioux Falls School Board member Cynthia Mickelson suggested changing the way the Education Foundation is set up so that individuals can give specific donations to specific programs for specific schools and classes (Inside KELOLAND, FF: 5:20).

While this could be very beneficial to SOME schools, not sure how this helps with the lower income schools. I just don’t see parents donating to the Whittier art program while they are applying for free or reduced lunches. Like I said, all for the donations, but those donations should be spread EQUALLY to all the schools.

Cynthia Mickelson Elections Randy Dobberpuhl SF School District

Mickelson spends almost $10 per vote to beat Dobberpuhl for Sioux Falls School Board

l3wis 16Comments

This, of course is according to her last financial report. It could be closer to $15 when the last financial report comes out, that is if Bev Chase decides to post it online. Big GOP money wins again, and I am sure they are not one bit to ashamed of it.

Mickelson would have been better off sending out $10 gift cards (probably shouldn’t give them any ideas).

Dobberpuhl spent about $2,400 or $1.32 per vote (2000 votes).

There was a 3.7% voter turnout.

As I have said before, I felt all candidates are qualified, but I do worry Mickelson and her donors want to turn our high schools into Vo-Techs to train carpenters and plumbers instead of preparing them for secondary education.

The CHOKEHOLD the Republican Party has on our state will now continue on the School Board. Now if more than 4% of the 90K registered voters in SF would have decided to show up.

FINAL RESULTS

There was also some ‘questionable’ things that went on during the campaign;

• One day before the election the Argus posted a ‘quiz’ online to determine the best candidate instead of just posting the bios/info of each candidate, many of the questions were geared towards Mickelson’s agenda. Then today, their website was plastered with Mickelson advertising.

• May 30 financial report was never posted online by the school district.

• There were NO voting centers in most of the northern part of the city, yet several in the more affluent Southside.

• KELO-TV had a cut video of Inside Keloland of the candidates that cut off Dobberpuhl’s interview.

Obviously, the planets would have had to align, but some of this stuff is a head-scratcher.

I would like to actually congratulate (Independent) Dobberpuhl for doing as well as he did against the DARK MONEY machine of the SD GOP, SD Chamber of Commerce, and SF Homebuilders Association. He held his own. I have a feeling if spending in the race would have been capped, he would have walked away with the honor tonight. Keep fighting Randy.

I would also like to congratulate Mickelson, she had a well-oiled machine behind her, and she threw everything but the kitchen sink at it. Huge donations, yard signs, direct mail, radio ads, bumper stickers and robo calls. If she were running for governor, her chances would be very good . . . oh that’s right . . .

Cynthia Mickelson Elections SF School District

Cynthia Mickelson breaks Sioux Falls School Board Candidate fundraising record

l3wis 7Comments

I was told while viewing Mickelson’s financial report today (DOC: cyn-a11) that no one in the history of a school board election has anyone raised even close to that amount (Over $20K). All for a job that pays around $5,000 a year. And it is a little startling considering her closest opponent raised $2K, another one spent $350 and the other spent and raised $0.

Besides the fact the itemized list reads like the who’s who of Sioux Falls and developers and almost a carbon copy of her husband’s campaign donor list (but she’s her own lady, except I guess when it comes to raising money, then she needs daddy’s help). Some interesting other players got in the game.

Two Minnehaha County Commissioners donated (one is married to a big developer and the other runs a senior center);

But what is precedent is the fact that ‘Affordable Housing’ PAC gave money. WTF?! What a way to spend their dough, on a school board candidate that has already raised TEN-Fold her closet opponent;

Like I said, while Mickelson may claim to be an ‘independent’ candidate from her husband, reading her financial report tells a different story. This is about Mark and his agenda, make no mistake.

And that’s not misogyny on my part folks, that’s the truth.

Inside KELOLAND will feature the candidates this Sunday Night.

Here are some Previews; ONE, TWO, THREE.

Cynthia Mickelson Randy Dobberpuhl SF School District

Big Money in the Sioux Falls School Board Election (at least one candidate)

l3wis 3Comments

I’m still waiting to get the actual financial filing documents that the school board candidates had to file yesterday, but the early results are startling.

Mickelson seems to have the SF GOP behind her in fundraising (though she says she is independent from her husband). She has raised $20,000 and spent $7,800. Makes you wonder if a couple of invoices were held off until June 1st. Like I said before, her signage alone around town has to be close to $10-12K.

Dobberpuhl has raised around $2,000 and spent the entire amount.

Not sure if the other candidates have raised any or spent. I do know that Robinson does have some yard signs up and has given out printed handouts.

I expect a full on media push by Mickelson in this last week. Like I said, though the school board is a non-partisan race, the SD and SF GOP just can’t stand to let one of theirs lose, so they will outspend the other candidates, which seems at this point by ten-fold.

Pretty pathetic when voter turnout MIGHT hit 2,000 voters. Divide and conquer, the Republican way.

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