To tell you the truth, when a majority of the council voted against Councilor Brekke’s Ethics training tonight, I started laughing, because the ones that voted NO looked like complete fools.
During the 2nd Reading, Janet even added that the ethics training was endorsed by the Ethics board.
Without discussion they voted. Brekke, Starr and Selberg (I think he was confused) voted Yes and the rest NO. The best part was when councilor Neitzert was the last vote and he had to think about it, you know, the guy who was impeached for an ethics violation.
These people are so tone deaf.
They also deferred Janet’s annotated agenda ordinance to July (which means it will be killed). Janet said it best, “You can still pass this tonight and tweak it later.”
I have been blogging about this city government for over 15 years, I may not be an expert on all it’s ins and outs, but I have watched its deterioration from an open government.
I used to think the Munson administration was bad, but he was a light weight in comparison to the last two mayors who have destroyed any shred of transparency and open government.
This is why voting for the ‘Democracy’ candidates for council is important, Janet Brekke, Emmett Reistroffer, Cody Ingle and Pam Cole.
We need to bring openness back and shine a light, we also need to put the mayor back at city hall to run the day to day operations and keep out of the council’s policy objectives. This isn’t an ask, this is how the charter is written. The mayor runs the city by directing its employees to implement the policies the council adopts. I have argued for a long time the past two mayors have been violating charter over and over again, and the rubber stamp council has been derelict in their duties of writing good policy and controlling the purse strings.
If we don’t elect at least 3 of these candidates you will see a downward spiral to darkness and we will never be able to crawl out of that hole.
What would happen;
• Government action will be done in complete silence.
• The mayor will introduce all policy and his hand picked rubber stamp puppets will implement it.
• Taxes and fees will skyrocket to keep up with the reckless spending on special interest projects.
• Crime will go thru the roof.
• The core neighborhoods will crumble to dust.
I know this sounds dire, but we are already moving in these directions and it needs to be stopped. While a 4/4 council might not be able to stop all bad legislation (The mayor can still break ties and veto) it will at least be slowed and hopefully we can turn this around.
What does mean to elect the ‘Democracy’ candidates?
• More open and transparent government (which saves us millions).
• More interaction with the citizenry to shape policy.
• Building density and cleaning up our core neighborhoods.
• Fiscal responsibility and holding the line on handouts to wealthy developers, banksters and bondsters.
• A strategic plan for the city written by the council with interaction from the citizens.
• Creative ways to build affordable and workforce housing.
• Safer streets and neighborhoods.
• A modern, safe and practical bike trail.
• More opportunities for small businesses.
I am not asking you to vote for the ‘Democracy’ candidates, I’m BEGGING YOU!
After Tuesday, if we don’t elect these 4 candidates, we can’t go in reverse, and I am afraid Sioux Falls will never be the same.
As you may know, Sioux Falls city council candidate, Dr. Sarah Cole hasn’t voted in any city or school board election since moving to our city. I would assume if this was NOT true, she would have made a statement about it, she has NOT. One of her other opponents is not much better, Bobbi Andera, only voting one time in 10 years in a local election.
As I mention in the title, I struggle supporting someone for public office who hasn’t even bothered to take 10 minutes to vote. Does this say something about the time she will dedicate to her job if elected?
One in four physicians didn’t vote in all of the last three presidential elections. So, what’s their excuse?
Dr. Nidhi Goel, a hospitalist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, offers up a suggestion: “I think everybody will use the excuse of time, which is fair, but then kind of not so much. Because we can find time to do things that are important.”
When Dr. Cole mentions in her latest mailer integrity, it kind of falls on deaf ears. How can we expect her to show up to meetings? Will she be absent, not only in votes but in responding to constituents?
Dr. Nidhi Goel, a hospitalist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, offers up a suggestion: “I think everybody will use the excuse of time, which is fair, but then kind of not so much. Because we can find time to do things that are important.”
And she’s right. Lack of time is a key reason doctors give for not voting. Researchers who study voting patterns have theorized that doctors vote in lower numbers because medical schools attract people who like science more than civics. Other studies have indicated that many doctors feel like their work has enough social purpose, so they can skip voting, guilt-free.
If this is true, why does Dr. Cole want the job?
Think about it, do you really want to know that your doctor is voting for the candidate you can’t stand? Some doctors stay out of politics for the same reason, so they don’t alienate their patients.
This the same reason why many business people stay out of it, not to alienate customers. Shouldn’t Sarah be worried that a decision she makes on the council may make her look bad affecting her practice and employer?
“We are very linear thinkers,” Lam says. “We base all our decisions, or we try to, on data, on things that we see, on observations. That’s not necessarily the case in policy, where you’re trying to convince people. From a physician’s standpoint, from a scientist’s standpoint, it’s incredibly frustrating to realize that the data might be completely outweighed by one or two stories.”
Lam warns that politicians also make decisions based on who shows up to vote: “If they see that the physician community doesn’t come out to vote as often as, say, the attorney community, then they will probably be more likely to listen to the attorney community than to physicians. Because you don’t turn out to vote.”
I am sure Sarah is a fantastic physician. I have actually heard from colleagues and parents of patients she is good at her job. But being a good doctor may not make her a very good lawmaker as mentioned above.
After Mayor TenHaken’s intimidation tactic on Janet Brekke was revealed, it is even more obvious she was recruited for a job she probably has no desire to have and Poops probably feels he has to make up ground for Sarah due to the lack of her enthusiasm. I also find Councilor Greg Neitzert’s mentoring a little strange considering he is sitting on that very dais because someone mentored him and has since turned his back on those mentors.
If Sarah loses, and I think she will, it will be interesting to see how quickly her relationship with Neitzert and TenHaken deflates.
It turns out, taking good care of patients includes showing up Tuesday morning to pull that lever.
And if she can’t even bother to do that, I would suggest you vote for the incumbent, a former city attorney and prosecutor who will make the time to serve us, Janet Brekke.
During the council debate on Thursday night Janet Brekke said she will work with Chief Thum to try to implement some national standards for the police. In her recent mailer she said;
• Secure a stable Police Department training budget so our officers have the latest instruction available.
• Support Chief Thum’s 3 new initiatives to engage young people so they don’t become offenders.
• Strengthen relationships between patrol officers and neighborhoods.
Apparently this really irritated candidate Merkouris who went on this rant;
While I would partially agree you don’t take all National standards and hope they work in Sioux Falls, you still have to look at what could work. I was very surprised how agitated he got over it, considering the problems we are having with our police and other city employees. There have been 4 arrests over the past couple of months of city employees. Two for abuse and two for child porn.
There was also some other ‘dog whistles’ on other candidates postcards;
David Barranco said this;
I have two strong boys . . .
and continued on the back;
We must not assume someone who shares our values will prevail on April 12.
You can take that how you want to, but I think Barranco is painting his opponent as someone who lacks values and it is a low blow.
Sarah Cole also made some false claims on her latest mailer;
I am not a politician.
I hate to break it to you Sarah, but when you run for office you become a politician. As a recent female business leader said to me when TenHaken made the same claim, “He is extremely tone deaf.”
Politician; a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of or a candidate for an elected office.
Sarah continues her rant;
The people of Sioux Falls deserve a city councilor that will serve with integrity and respect for others. I won’t play games or pick petty fights.
The timing of this statement after TenHaken tried to intimidate Brekke is interesting to say the least especially coming from a POLITICIAN who has never voted in a single city or school board election in the community she wants to serve.
I think on Tuesday, your choice is very clear; Reistroffer, Brekke, Pam Cole and Cody Ingle.
Mayor TenHaken currently is the chair of the FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, as a committee member they have to follow certain rules and guidelines in that position. According to the FCC they are only allowed to provide opinions to the FCC Commission. I was unable to find the specific rule that prohibits committee members from making accusations or pronouncements about other fellow lawmakers, like a city councilor he serves with, but I do know that Federal boards have to meet a much higher bar when it comes to conduct. I would think if Councilor Brekke made an inquiry to the FCC about his accusations they would look into the rules he must follow as a committee member.
Here is the video of Brekke’s press conference. I like how she compared Paul to a singer of a rock band and the council is the musicians in the band;
l3wis 