South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Mayor Subprime Mike Huether

Mayor Almost Done Mayor Grump Toad Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Pants on Fire Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Open Government Open Meetings Sioux Falls

UPDATE: Mayor Huether a finalist for the 2018 Golden Padlock Award

l3wis 14Comments

UPDATE: I have been reviewing the past 8 years of city government (2,800 posts) because I want to post about the highlights and lowlights and I found the below post. I found it funny that the city council is considering changes to public meetings, all meetings, when just 8 years ago when the council attempted to make this change in ordinance, which I have encouraged this council to do, Mayor Huether vetoed the transparency ordinance and it has gotten worse since. You can’t fix transparency in baby steps. The next council needs to pass a series of ordinances that address transparency and if they want to form a citizen committee on it I would be willing to serve. We need to stop the corruption and bleeding.

He may not win, but I’m guessing there won’t be a press release about this honor on the city’s website;

Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether: For going beyond even state law to shroud public business in secrecy. In early 2017, the city council passed an ordinance to require meetings of a city board to be recorded and published on the city website. Huether vetoed the bill and said: ‘Here’s the way (transparency) works: It protects you one minute. It stabs you in the back the next.’ The Argus Leader newspaper filed a lawsuit in 2015 against the city that went all the way to the South Dakota Supreme Court to get a simple contract detailing what the city called a $1 million refund from a settlement over flawed siding installed on a $115 million event center. After the court ruled in the newspaper’s favor in September 2017, the documents showed city officials weren’t telling the truth: The city received less than half of what Huether claimed. After the drowning of a 5-year-old girl in a park in March, the city defended its safety protocols by citing a 2016 audit officials said was conducted on the park. City officials denied the Argus Leader’s request for a copy of the audit, claiming it belonged to the insurance company. When the newspaper contacted the insurance company, reporters confirmed no such audit exists. Huether is term-limited but has indicated he’d seek public office in the future.

Surprised he wasn’t a finalist every year of his administration.

1st Amendment Elections Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

I was a victim of political violence

l3wis 0Comments

I was thinking about this tonight; ‘Have I ever been attacked physically for my political views?’ I have. And I am not talking about the losers on Reddit that troll me anonymously or the other set of losers (probably the same folks) that attack my grammar.

A few years ago a very angry mayor decided to kick my chair while elbowing my friend in the head, cracking his tooth. The video evidence was scrubbed immediately and the courts wouldn’t allow a hearing because of the lack of evidence. So not only was I the victim of political violence I was also the victim of corruption because of the cover-up. I could care less that he kicked my chair. At the time, I had no idea what was going on, I knew someone either shoved or kicked my chair and my friend was keeled over in pain holding his jaw. I guess my point is that political violence isn’t about the left or the right, it is about rage, people who commit it are enveloped with rage. I still have no idea what his motive was to kick my chair, but it wasn’t political.

MIKE IS RUNNING FOR SOMETHING

After someone was suckered into nominating Huether to the SD Hall of Fame and after he cut them a big check he had his acceptance speech Saturday night. Those in attendance said he cried, of course, and said that he is likely running for mayor because he referenced that he wanted to get back to the work he cherishes, public service. I welcome him into the race, because I will be the one asking him the question, ‘Do you condone political violence?’

Elections Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

My Man Mike may be losing support for his mayoral bid

l3wis 6Comments

All the signs are certainly there; Secret strategy meetings, and a full on ass kiss assault on social media buttering up folks for his mayoral run.

So is he running? That is still up in the air, but someone has presented me a likely timeline scenario. Those close to his shadow campaign have confirmed to me the plan is to announce very late (Feb/March) and self fund. It is actually a good strategy . . . if you are running for a district seat on the council, but not so much if you are mayoral candidate.

I’m sure he is going to rely on name recognition, but has virtually been a ghost since he left office. I have NOT seen him in public since, not even once. Granted I don’t run in those circles, but I find it odd that he has been such a phantom. Take your time Mike, hopefully you will realize by next year you need to pack up your crap and leave town and stay as far away from city hall as possible. We re-elected Trump after a 4-Year stint . . . how is that working out? You get my drift.

Elections Former Mayor Bucktooth & Bowlcut Former Mayor Coors Light & Olives Mayor Almost Done Mayor Grump Toad Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Pants on Fire Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Mayor Race

My latest conspiracy

l3wis 2Comments

All the talk lately about who may run for mayor and the possible appointment of Erickson had me thinking. Even though Huether has been out of office for 8 years, there is plenty of ‘bad press’ surrounding his previous term that is still fresh. I guess what I am trying to say it will be hard for him to defend his reputation.

So what is my conspiracy theory? I don’t think he is running, BUT, I think he has been mentoring a candidate and will likely run their campaign. If this person wins (I have NO guesses, but I’m sure it’s some stuffed shirt banker) this would set up an opportunity for Huether to be chief of staff (which basically means he would be running the city like the current COS does).

I base my theory on NO evidence, but a gut feeling about how he operates.

I will admit though, if he does run again, I would rather listen to him talk every night on TV instead the Orange Menace.

Alex Jensen Christine Erickson Count-cilor Alex Jensen Downtown Sioux Falls Elections Erica Beck Former Mayor Former Mayor Bucktooth & Bowlcut Former Mayor Coors Light & Olives Marshall Selberg Mayor Almost Done Mayor Grump Toad Mayor High Crimes Mayor Hubris Mayor Pants on Fire Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mayor TenHaken Potsdam Mayor Rich Merkouris SF City Council Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Mayor Race

Who is running for Mayor of Sioux Falls?

l3wis 3Comments

The guy who runs Dakota Wuss College thinks he knows who is running for mayor. He basically lifted my predictions that I have had since this summer. You are welcome. But Pitty brings up 3 new names that made me laugh so hard I just about passed out. While we know Erickson, Beck, and Huether will probably run, Pitty says that Councilors Jensen, Merkouris and Selberg are also considering. Pitty says they will have trouble raising money, but it’s NOT money they need to worry about, it is their reputations;

• While Alex was city councilor he gutted the internal audit department to one auditor that basically sends emails to an outside firm. This all came about because he couldn’t properly discipline a city council employee for poor attendance and she ran off to the finance department escaping punishment and got a raise from the mayor to boot. If this guy can’t manage ONE employee, he certainly can’t manage a city. If he announces I will probably piss my pants laughing.

• Oh Marshall. This guy ILLEGALLY lived out of his district for a year (verified by one of his friends) and lied on campaign finance forms. He doesn’t belong in the Mayor’s office, he belongs in a jail cell.

• Rich Merkouris has a pretty clean record, but if you dig, just a little, into his past, you will see he isn’t really respected in the clergy community because of past grifting of a church. It’s a long complicated story that happened several years ago, but the wounds are still fresh, and if you ask the right people, you will get the story.

While I think none of these people are dumb enough to run for mayor, they might. And trust me, I have years and years of proof and data on ALL of the candidates and none of it is good. I think Erickson will rise to the top quickly and will be in the runoff, but who is the darkhorse? Huether may run on the great Trump comeback. Which I find funny, he got the same number of votes in 2020 and 2016.

Greg Jamison told me this summer he would likely not run, and it’s not for the reasons you may think. Greg told me he just wants to spend more time with his family and grandkids, and who can blame him?

I told someone recently that I hope a well intentioned rich person runs for mayor with a good record of community engagement and charity and they will run away with the mayorship. Populism is where it is at these days and no one is interested in electing old (corrupt) hats.

I have a feeling our next mayor will be someone no one has heard of.

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