South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Mayor Hubris

Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether SF City Council Sioux Falls Theresa Stehly

Mayor Huether says Stehly’s performance last Tuesday was inappropriate

l3wis 4Comments

The mayor finally weighs in. And as usual when you give him a microphone he can’t resist to go on.

He says that he wishes he could say what went on in the executive session. Huh? Did I miss something? You were not in the meeting, so who shared it with you? I thought those meetings were not recorded and the people in those meetings cannot share what is discussed? So who shared that information with him? Is that a violation of the executive session?

He also goes on about the attacks to the city clerk and the city attorney. He claims the city attorney doesn’t just work for him, he works for the city. That statement in itself is hilarious. When Danielson brought up ethics charges against the mayor, he couldn’t walk 100 feet to his hearing, and the city attorney stepped off the dais as the advisor to the Ethics Board and defended the mayor as his personal attorney.

As for the city clerk, that is still unresolved as far as I am concerned until a judge rules in the case tomorrow.

Once again the mayor admits to some interesting stuff over the 34 minute interview.

Jeff Barth Jim Entenman Joe Lowe for Governor Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Rob Oliver SF City Council Sioux Falls

What’s next for retiring Augie president Rob Oliver and term limited Mayor Huether?

l3wis 15Comments

admin_rob_oliver200right

Rob has accomplished a lot as Augie president. He could easily run for political office, and win. At 62, he could be weighing running for office as something to cross off his bucket list. Many retired people in high stature careers decide they want to serve the public after their successful private careers. More power to them.

Is Rob considering a mayoral run in 2018? Not sure, you would have to ask him. But there are some interesting factors if he decides to run.

It is no secret that Rob Oliver is close friends with Mayor Mike Huether, they are probably besties. That being said, an endorsement from Mike and even getting him to help with a mayoral campaign would be beneficial to him. I have always said Mike’s biggest accomplishment is getting elected after being a virtual nobody. Oliver isn’t a nobody and well known in the community. With the help of Huether he could be a real contender.

There is also the factor if Mayor Huether runs for governor or another higher office. He has hinted recently on the Greg Belfrage show that he may become an independent. It is no secret that Joe Lowe and Jeff Barth are seriously considering running on the Democratic ticket. It is also no secret that Jackley and Mickelson have already organized their campaign camps on the Republican side.

So what about the Huether camp? If he decides to run, will he want to challenge Lowe and Barth or go it alone as an independent?

The more I watch Huether over the past few months, it seems to me he isn’t running for higher office. I think he has loved being mayor, and wants to be mayor again. So how does he accomplish that? The rumor floating around is that since Mike is term limited, he couldn’t run again for 4 years, and he may be looking for a ‘place holder’ to run. That could be a lot of people. Anderson is seriously considering a run, Oliver could run and even Jim Entenman has been mentioned.

I’m not sure what Mike has planned, as a huge anti-transparency politician, he keeps his cards close, but some people close to him have mentioned to me, he may not be interested in the governorship.

Time will tell I guess because there is also the Noem factor. Maybe the secret is written on the tyvek behind the bent up siding on the Events Center? Now that is a conspiracy theory you can fun with.

Drugs Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

Where was Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether on Meth crime during the last mayoral campaign?

l3wis 12Comments

BOOMTOWN-C-SOUTHDACOLA-COM

He was silent and blew off competitor Greg Jamison that violent crime was rising in Sioux Falls. In fact he got the now Corvette convertible driving retired police chief Barthel to agree with him.

He said it wasn’t an issue.

It was an issue. Mike ignored it, but now all of sudden with a Wednesday hearing on petition drives is looming, Mike wants to change the dialog that he is being tough on crime and meth.

Bahahaha!

Violent crime has been increasing in Sioux Falls for the past 4 years at least, so now why all of sudden, you care. Empty suit. Blowheart. Also, if you care so much why give the FOP a lousy raise? (you know, the people who have to actually battle this issue)

Want to fight meth use? Fight poverty! Promote living wages, promote good jobs. Pay and train our police force well.

So what are you doing Mike? Holding press conferences like you care, pretending to cry. Thats it.

Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Rex Rolfing SF City Council Sioux Falls US Postal Service

Sioux Falls City Councilor Rolfing goes on junket to support the F-35 lemon

l3wis 15Comments

I don’t support the F-35 project, not because I don’t want our air base to do well, it’s because the old F-16’s we currently have already fly circles around the Lemon the US military has been ‘developing’ called the F-35. Many military experts have contended that they pretty much tried to pack 2 pounds of sh*t into a 1 pound bag while developing the F-35. They want it to dogfight, be a harrier and drop big bombs. It can’t do all three. Don’t believe me, google the project and read all the pros and cons, not to mention it is a gigantic waste of money.

Either way, speaking of wasting taxpayer money, Rolfing recently told the press that spending $72K on a special election for an administration building is a waste, I agree. Where we don’t agree is that he thinks flying to DC to hand deliver a letter (from our prestigious mayor) to our Washington delegation (who already support the F-35 coming to Sioux Falls) is a great expenditure of tax payer money. Apparently Rex and Mike have never heard of the US Postal service, a FAX machine or an email;

Mayor Huether sent a letter to Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds and Congresswoman Kristi Noem, that highlighted the history of 114th Fighter Wing and pledges Sioux Falls’ unwavering support to ensure the city is a selected basing site for the F-35.

Sioux Falls City Council chair Rex Rolfing and Community Development Director Daren Ketchum hand-delivered the letters to Thune, Rounds and Noem.

When you refer to a government trip as a ‘junket’ it usually means it is an unneeded trip. I wonder if he also attended any music award shows while in DC?

Whether you support the F-35 (you shouldn’t) or not, there is absolutely NO reason we needed to send our Council Chair and Community Development Director to hand deliver letters. The next time Huether or Rolfing want to spout off about being prudent and saving tax dollars, I will gladly point to this ludicrous trip (and that worthless Tennis Center).

Greg Neitzert Homeless Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Michelle Erpenbach Mike Huether SF City Council Sioux Falls

If it saves us money in law enforcement, it makes sense

l3wis 1Comments

Councilor Erpenbach must have had a cup of coffee and calculator at last week’s working session;

“The Bishop Dudley is open as an emergency shelter year round and the numbers of people that are using the facility are far and away what we thought they would be,” said Councilor Michelle Erpenbach, who along with Greg Neitzert wants to amend Mayor Mike Huether’s proposed budget to bolster the shelter’s funding to $120,000 next year.

Neitzert said increasing Bishop Dudley’s funding will allow the non-profit to serve even more than the 1,500 guests that used the facility last year, which he thinks will create organic costs savings in future years.

“They save us money by helping people who otherwise would be on the streets and left to all of our social services and police to deal with,” Neitzert said. “I believe they run a very wonderful and efficient service and they require accountability by making them work. … It’s not just a permanent hotel. They’re giving them a hand up, not a handout.”

I would agree with Greg, like the Safehome the county runs, taxpayers save money by housing the chronically homeless alcoholics because they no longer are draining emergency resources and filling up the jail. Of course, Mr. 500K to his private tennis club disagrees;

Huether, who did not attend the work session*, said he’s apprehensive about dedicating resources beyond traditional functions of municipal government.

“We really have to be cautious in spending dollars on programs that are outside of regular government operations or facilities, even though they may be doing good things,” he wrote. “It is so incredibly hard to have to say ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ to good folks and organizations, but it is also absolutely necessary if you are going to have good city government on solid financial ground.”

Trust me, I would much rather see my money spent on something else, but this facility is helping to keep people off the streets, so it is money well spent. Unlike $500K to Huether’s private tennis machine shed that has done ZERO to reduce crime and homelessness in Sioux Falls. What is going on out there anyway? We have never gotten a report.

*I wonder why the mayor didn’t go to the work session? According to B-n-B he is a council member, shouldn’t he be at these meetings?

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