My blog has uncovered some pretty serious things. The siding issue with the Events Center and the conflict of interest with the Deputy Secretary of State running a campaign consulting business while working for the taxpayers of South Dakota.
We know how those things have turned out.
I have known about the noise complaints directed at the ICON since there inception last year. I have mostly kept it quiet because I felt an amicable solution would be solved between parties. Didn’t happen. About a month ago I found out it had escalated to citations. I still held back because I felt some kind of negotiation would have happened. It didn’t.
While some would think I just throw stuff out there to get attention, trust me, if I did that on a regular basis I would have the Sioux Falls version of TMZ. I don’t. I want local government to work, and I want people to get along.
After the band Closet Monster had to move their reunion concert to the District from the ICON, I thought it was time to say something. So I did.
The ICON lounge noise story is one of the biggest stories that has been duplicated from South DaCola in the history of my blog. Shared on Facebook like a bad rash and mulled over by every single media source in this town. I’m surprised TIDBITS hasn’t picked it up.
I blush a little bit, because it’s not that big of a deal. A naive person bought a condo residence downtown (I have no idea who this person is) and are mad it is noisy.
There are probably multiple facets to this story that I could blog about for weeks, but I won’t because action is taking place. All I have ever asked from my local government since I started this blog. BRAVO.
My issue is that our local media has ran with this because I brought awareness, when it has been sitting under their noses for months. I would even venture for several years (remember the Food Truck noise ordinances because residents downtown complained?).
The local media is quick to say I am the lazy one, who doesn’t go out and research my topics before blogging about them, guess what, NOT MY JOB. I simply am here to ask questions, and let the public and media sort it out.
I asked the questions, Is this fair? Is the SFPD acting appropriately? Are the codes right? How do certain developers get special easements while others don’t?
I told a reporter once that there are dozens of stories each week about government corruption in this town that are glaring to most of us, why is it so hard for the local media to pick them up?
I will tell you why; FEAR and lack of historical experience.
I’m glad I got the ball rolling on this issue, but our local media should have been all over this months ago. You know, the ones that get a paycheck to investigate these things.
l3wis