Gawd said, “Operation Timber Strike” has been a success, even though Scott may not think so.
MMM asked me to blog about his speech at Democratic Forum, so here it goes.
As a city official said to me once about Mike, “I really don’t get the guy.” and after you listen to him speak at an open forum, you become even more confused of his intentions.
Forum started out with MC Tom Cool cracking a (very funny) joke about how Mike thinks citizens should be limited to 5 minutes for public testimony, so Tom says we are limiting him to 5 minutes (for each topic).
As Mike gets started, he began by talking about saving historical buildings in Sioux Falls. Forum’s rabble rouser, and education advocate, Melanie Bliss yells out, “SAVE MARK TWAIN!”
He then went into 1000th time about how he frostbit his ear while campaigning (how many times is he going to tell this story, until our ears fall off?)
Mike was surrounded by several mounted posters that said, “Sioux Falls is getting stuff done.”
Then Mike calls me out (Twice) because I have been critical here about him wearing his religion on his sleeve at Listening and Learning sessions,
“I’m sure Scott doesn’t like it that I said God, go ahead and blog about it.”
I laughed, and laughed even harder the 2nd time he said it. My friend sitting next to me says, “Boy, you really got under his skin.”
Then he had a little hissy about the microphone cutting out. Noticeably annoyed. (he doesn’t like being embarrassed, even though it wasn’t his fault the microphone wasn’t working.)
Then he went into a strange rant about how SF needs more affordable housing that doesn’t have dirt floors. Huh?
In some kind of stark irony he bragged about the city fixing the employees pension plan (which saves the city millions) which I applaud him for. But he seemed aggravated that the media did not cover it, because it was a ‘big story’. He said the media would rather cover stories about people punching each other in the face. (which reminded of the time he tried to get Citizen Stanga to punch him in the face in the Carnegie parking lot). The irony of the pension savings is that they are all getting burnt up in the EC interest payments.
He went into a long diatribe about how the city reserves are in great shape but never once mentioned the $400 million dollar debt lurking over our heads (around $2000 per citizen). Then says NO recession exists in SF. While I partially agree, the business sector has rebounded nicely, wages are still stagnant, even more then before the recession. He also brags about all the jobs available in SF (most low wages).
Then Mike turns into Dr. Huether and blames diabetes on the fact that no one can swim in the winter. Really? I will say this. I like jumping in a pool or a lake on a hot summer day, but I don’t know how to swim, and I don’t think it has altered my life in anyway. Not being able to swim in the winter is not a big deal, and if you think it is, go to one of the many PRIVATE indoor pools around the city and take a dip.
He almost started crying while talking about ‘Operation Timber Strike’ and says we really don’t need the Feds money. Once again proving my point that the city can afford to trim THEIR trees in the boulevard. He said the volunteerism that happened during the ice storm reminded him of the ‘old time days’ where neighbors on the farm helped each other combine and milk cows. Of course he lived in town as a child and collected beer cans at Yankton’s famous ‘Ice House’ bar.
In some weird intro, he talked about all the ‘crust’ on him from serving the public. Then gave another 1000th time speech about ‘negativity’. Someone at my table says to me ‘What does he mean by negative?’ I said, “The truth?” While I don’t get annoyed too often, I do get bothered when politicians call people who expose corruption and lies as being ‘negative’. So are oncologists being negative when they tell you that you have Cancer?
He still has yet to say if he is running for Governor or Mayor, well, someone asked him the question at Forum. After a long pause, he said that him and the governor have a great relationship of getting things done (LOL) and said he still wants to ‘do things for Sioux Falls.’ but never really said if he is running for either office. I am still in the camp that he is ‘exploring’ running for Governor.
Another Forum friend sitting next to me asked what Mike was going to do about how bicyclists are treated so rudely in Sioux Falls. She confessed to me that people were making fun of her one day at the grocery story for riding a bike. Really?! I have rode bike in SF for almost 18 years and people in this town are rude and oblivious to bicyclists. My advice has always been, “Be on the defense, and take no prisoners.” Mike just kind of shook his head about the issue, and asked if she wanted to be on a ‘task force’ to help bicyclists? Sorry but it is going to take more then a task force to solve this problem. Bicyclists in San Fran took the bull by the horns a few years back and flooded the streets causing traffic to back up, after several times of doing this, people started to get the picture. Be courteous to bikers.
Then before he started taking questions, Mike claimed that the Federal government was ‘broke’. When any politician uses this talking point, I usually cringe. Because, the Feds are NOT broke, just swimming in debt, just like our city.
Then he promises he will develop an ‘Economic Engine’ by the new Events Center site. He said that building an EC downtown would have basically wrecked DT, because people would not want to live across the street from an EC? Nevermind that there is a large residential area next to our current EC building site. Have you asked them how they feel about it? Nope, let’s just snag up more space for parking (Item #34).
My opinion about MMM has never been that great, politically speaking, but I have always tried to not have anything personal against the man. What a politician does in their personal life is their business. But after attacking me at a public forum, I will say, Mike, my ‘personal’ opinion about you has just been flushed.
Love this last little diddy where our mayor poo-poos property rights and almost makes the assumption that judges don’t understand the law, wow. (audio file)
Mayor Dem Forum Code Enforcement 5-10-2013
l3wis 
