Mayor Subprime Mike Huether

Mike is really into Mike

I watched Mayor Huether on Inside STORMLAND last night (the video will probably post later today).

He gave a great interview, but how couldn’t he? Jorgi threw so many softballs, it was hard not to. I also realized that Mike really likes Mike. I also wondered where was his opposition during the interview? There wasn’t one single council member that has an opposite view of the budget willing to be interviewed? C’mon.

There were some parts of the interview that I was a little suspicious about (besides the fact that Mike thinks highly of himself). He was being very secretive about the Events Center plan and this ‘supposed’ partnership to build a Rec Center.

I will give Jorgi credit on one of his questions about the Events Center; He asked why we would be putting money aside to draw up ANOTHER Events Center plan when we already have one (actually we have several.) A Mexican hat dance ensues.

UPDATE: He also goes into speech at the beginning of the Informational meeting today about how well he communicates with the council, basically implicating that the media isn’t telling the whole story, or at least not Mike’s version of the story.

Will Mayor Huether’s code enforcement rampage backfire on him?

It now is no secret that Mayor Huether is ramping up code violations, not only on complaint basis but it seems proactively. He has pronounced it himself in the media and city employees and private citizens said they have seen the effects already. But won’t this all backfire on him and the city financially if they don’t fix the code enforcement mess?

I wrote a negative red-light camera letter to the Argus Leader almost four years ago. Former Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson sent a tough-guy code enforcer on a vendetta against me. It took four citations, four city hearings, four years of litigation, four circuit court dates and $40,000 in legal expenses to exonerate myself. In the process, I showed home rule charter is not democracy.

Mr. Daily sent me the original – unedited version of the letter . . . oh the Gargoyle Leader and their editing pen.

Traffic Camera Case

I wrote a negative traffic camera letter to the Argus some 4 years ago.  Munson sent out the tough guy code enforcer vendetta.  It took 4 citations, 4 city hearings, 4 years of litigation, 4 circuit court dates, and $40,000 in legal expense to exonerate myself.  In the process, I showed Home Rule Charter is not democracy.  Present city procedure ignores the South Dakota Civil Procedures Act and 2 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

For the camera case, Circuit Court interpreted and applied the law.  The class should be compensated for illegal citations and litigation.  There should be punitive damages.  My situation (above) was 4’s and I suggest a $4 million judgment.   The city plans 10 more cameras.  This case should first go into state court to answer constitutional questions and evaluate city civil procedures.  The assistant city attorney has violated citizen’s rights in city hearings and obstructed justice in circuit court cases.  He represented an unfounded and improperly noticed ethics complaint against a city councilor in order to influence an election. There should be a state Supreme Court ethics hearing and reprimand. The city turned off the camera and, after ignoring 3 prior court orders, finally complied with one.

If the mayor will not repeal home rule or if state court doesn’t revoke it, I suggest a new mayor and term expired council members in 2014 who advocate:

‘REPEAL HOME RULE, RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY’.

Munson oligarchy became tyranny then a full blown dictatorship.  The mayor makes all decisions such as policy, budget, tax increases, and non-competitive bidding.  The city council has become puppets meant to mimic democracy.  At one time, during Munson, Home Rule Charter could have been amended into a viable concept.  Considering misapplications and citizen torment, it should now be abandoned.  Then, city administration can be welcomed back.  If they apply and can answer a few constitutional questions, they can be reinstated as U.S. citizens.

Daniel R. Daily, Citizen and Constitutional Plaintiff

Mayor Huether makes some interesting comments about the media

Mayor Mike lays out his vision for the press

During the informational meeting, Mike had this to say about the media concerning the recent audit of Global Spectrum

“. . . why I think it is important to verify the recommendations is that it will help us manage the press as well, not that we want to tell the Argus Leader, KELO, KSFY or KDLT what to report on but I think it will help the public understand that having this business audited is a good thing, and that’s how they started the process, when I was in business, I wanted my department to be audited, because I wanted them to find recommendations and mistakes prior to the press, or 60 Minutes or some Eide Bailley or whoever will be find it, and in this case I think it got out of hand, and I think the spirit was good and then I think oh my gosh, the sky is falling when in reality it wasn’t . . . “

Mike sure has a skewed view of ‘The fourth estate’ It is their job to report everything; the good, the bad and the ugly. One reason why blogs have gotten so popular is because the MSM isn’t reporting that way anymore. This is also an interesting comment, because this is a guy who has had hissy-fits with several media people for simply reporting the facts about his campaign. The media needs to keep an eye on Mr. Huether, I think he will be a Slippery Pete when it comes to the press.

It also seems that the council doesn’t want him to continue the King Dave practice of money transfers;

Sioux Falls city councilors Tuesday set the stage for the latest battle with the mayor’s office over who controls tax dollars, an ongoing struggle that former mayor Dave Munson’s administration also confronted.

If Huether wants to shift money among projects, he might have to get the City Council’s approval first. Councilors are looking into requiring their authorization on certain money transfers – an action Huether opposes.

Which is interesting, because if Mike wants to be a ‘fiscally prudent’ mayor, wouldn’t he want more checks and balances in place?

“I think it’s a good form of checks and balances, and we are protecting our constituents,” councilor Rex Rolfing said.

It is possible to put a process in place without disrupting our form of government. In Omaha, which has the same form of city charter, I believe, the council has to approve any money transfer over $20,000. While that may make the council meetings last longer, there may be a way to streamline that process.

Brown later said, “It’s like handing a big bag of money to one person, in this case the mayor” and allowing him to spend it on projects of his choosing.

But Huether doesn’t think council approval is necessary.

“City government already moves slow enough because of all the controls that are in place,” he said. “At some point, you’ve got to allow government to work, and you have to trust government to work.”

That is the problem, the council trusted the last mayor on this issue, and where did it get us? $300 million in debt. This isn’t about TRUST anyway, it is about checks and balances and I hope the city council moves forward on this issue.

Why would our mayor show up to a building razing announcement?

(Image; KELO-TV video screenshot)

Mayor Subprime doing what he does best; blabbing.

I found this story and video a little odd considering our mayor has time to do press conferences about a building demolition. Of course, this probably shouldn’t surprise me, considering he makes a political speech any chance he gets;

“This is where they’d stay when they would go to the State A’s or State B’s. It was a hot bed and I think that’s what David is planning to turn it into in the future,” Mayor Mike Huether said.

It was a hotel. Big deal. And this comment in the AL story scares me even more;

“Sometimes in code enforcement you get people who won’t respond, they don’t want to be a good neighbor, they want to take advantage of the system,” Huether said. “We are going to take this code enforcement, and we are going to take it to a new level, we are. Folks, if you’re not going to be a good neighbor, you need to find a new place to live.”

We need LESS code enforcement not MORE. Taxpayers would prefer their money be spent on services to them not on legal fees.

You’d think he would rather be hanging out with these guys;