Sioux Falls City Councilor Erpenbach just doesn’t get it

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I couldn’t agree more with this letter writer;

Whether you agree or disagree with this project, Councilor Erpanbach’s words are a clear admission that her head is fully engulfed in sand and she has no intent to represent the people’s wishes or adhere to the right to petition within the First Amendment.

She pulled the same crap with the snowgate petitioners making citizens wait over a year before they could get them after approving them overwhelmingly, by delaying that election. (Item #31 of the December 18,2012 city council meeting);

31. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD, CALLING FOR A SPECIAL CITY ELECTION.
  Sponsor: City Council

 

A motion was made by Council Member Greg Jamison and seconded by Council Member Kenny Anderson Jr. to adopt said Resolution.

 

Vote to adopt: Roll Call: Yeses, Greg Jamison, Kermit L. Staggers, Kenny Anderson Jr., 3.  Noes,  Michelle Erpenbach, Dean Karsky, Rex Rolfing, Sue Aguilar, James Entenman, 5.
Motion Failed.

Sioux Falls City Councilor Erpenbach oblivious to the concept of a democracy

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Not only did Michelle throw away her populist hat, she spit on, stomped on it, then burned it;

Councilor Michelle Erpenbach, who along with colleagues Rex Rolfing and Rick Kiley has been steadfast in her support for the new administration building, said Monday she wouldn’t do anything to help Stop the Funding force a special election — whether it’s being the sixth councilor needed to endorse the special meetings or to override another potential veto of the mayor if the council votes to delay or repeal the project funding again.

“I’m not changing my stance – I want the bonds sold in October,” she said. “Your lack of preparedness doesn’t create an emergency on my part. I’m not going to approve a special meeting.”

I guess we won’t have to worry about saying Mayor Erpenbach in 2018.

With thousands of signatures gathered in a matter of days, Danielson said there’s no denying a significant chunk of the city either doesn’t want the new building or at least wants a vote on it. To deny the public that opportunity would be a disservice to the democratic process that could have effects beyond the administration building project, he said.

“It’s going to be their problem if any of them want to run for office in Sioux Falls again because there is so much anger in the community right now about this whole process,” he said. “They’re totally ignoring our concerns. They’re absolutely tone deaf to the citizens.”

Well when you never answer your phone, you don’t have to worry about losing your hearing from yelling constituents. I think the rest of the council should suspend Michelle’s phone stipend, she doesn’t use it anyway.

Cell Phone Ban supporters missed the train, move on already

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I have to admit I’m finding the ‘outrage’ about the cell phone ban getting killed in 1st reading quite hilarious, and a little late.

I guess Poo-Point University today had a full on bitch session about it.

Here’s the deal, if anyone from the public cared or was paying attention, I posted about this way back on May 15th. On May 24th, the Argus Leader ran a poll about the ban, and since then have done several stories about the ban.

It’s been in the news. A LOT!

In fact, if so many people were concerned about the ban, why was I the ONLY person from the public to testify in public input at the 1st reading?

The outrage about it now is an after thought, kind of like a fart that doesn’t make a sound or smells.

My feeling is that the people wanting this ban didn’t want public input (against it), that’s why the silence and education about it. They just wanted their fancy-smancy names to speak for themselves;

AARP South Dakota
Augustana College, Rob Oliver, Pres.
Bender Commercial Real Estate Services, Michael Bender, Pres.
DakotaCare, Kirk Zimmer, Pres.
Falls Area Bicyclists
7th District Medical Society
Raven Industries
River Ridge Oral & Maxillofacial Surgical Center
Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital
AAA South Dakota
Southeastern District Dental Society of SD
University of Sioux Falls, Mark Benedetto, Pres.
Vern Eide Motor Cars

Individuals

Dr. Loren & Mavis Amundson
Kathy Amundson
Robert Amundson (retired Justice of the SD Supreme Court)
Duane Anderson (former ass’t City Attorney)
Rich Aquilar
Sue Aguilar (former City Councilor)
Tam Baker (former City Councilor)
Dr. Jack & Linda Barker
Brenda Beninga
Gerald Beninga (Pres. & CEO Active Generations, former City Councilor, current Chair Minnehaha County Commission)
Bruce & Mary Boyd
Frank & Martha Brost,
Vernon Brown (former City Councilor)
Dean Buckneberg
Walter O. Carlson, MD
Gary Conradi
Steve Crim
Msgr. James Doyle
Jim Entenman, (CEO J&L Harley, former City Councilor).
Cy Farner
Dick Gregerson
Joel & Susan Hagen
Anne Hajek (former City Councilor, County Commissioner, member of the SD Legislature)
Doug Hajek
Robert W. Hartman
Ann & Joseph Henkin
Sandy Jerstad (former member of the SD Legislature)
Gene Paul Kean (former States Attorney and former Circuit Court Judge)
Bob Kiner
Dan Kirby
Joe & Jennifer Kirby
Helen Henkin Kluck
Jeff Kluck

Knobe (former Mayor)
Laurie Knutson
Rich & Shirley Lauer
John McIntyre (former member of the SD Legislature)
Steve Metli (former Planning & Services Director for the City of Sioux Falls)
David Munson (former Mayor)
Nathan & Brianna Nassif
David Nelson (former Minnehaha County States Attorney)
Mary Olinger
Loren Pankratz
Gary Pashby
Douglas Pay, MD
Sandra Pay
George Roberts
Daniel A. Rykhus
Ellie Sabers
Richard Sabers (retired Justice of the SD Supreme Court)
John Simko (retired US Magistrate Judge)
Tom Simmons
Terry & Cleo Sorensen (their son was killed by a driver texting on his cell phone at 26th & Minnesota in 2012)
William Srstka (retired Circuit Court Judge)
Jim Stavenger
Theresa Stehly (Drivers Ed teacher)
Bob & Trish Swanhorst
Jerry & Mary Pat Sweetman
Bob Thimjom
Pam Tiede
Stuart Tiede (retired Circuit Court Judge)
Carol Twedt (former County Commissioner)
Robert VanDemark Jr., MD
Dick & Marilyn Viehweg
Dave Volk
Ron Williamson
Dick & Jeanne Wold
Jim & Penny Woster

This is a list I have had since May also.

The bigger question is why is our current mayor absent from this list? And why the deafening silence from City Hall? The Police Chief?

Let’s face it, it is a public safety issue, put it on the ballot and let the voters decide, not a bunch of thumbsuckers that get their way every time they come crying to the city council. You are really starting to make an embarrassment out of our local government.

Sioux Falls City Council Kills the 2nd reading of the cell phone ban

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For those of you not following along at home or may not understand 1st and 2nd readings at council meetings, what this means is that the cell phone ban ordinance will NOT got to a second reading for public input and council vote. Essentially the council KILLED the ordinance before they had to vote on it at all (5-3).

Pretty crazy, because just two hours ago I testified at the meeting in public testimony telling them to KILL it tonight, and force the group supporting this to do a petition drive. Michelle felt this WASN’T a ballot issue because it is public safety. Not sure what that means, I guess she doesn’t feel like people in this community should be able to vote on public safety issues (even though we voted on snowgates).

Well, they might just get their chance, that is if the Hoity-Toity businessmen and women that supported this get out their clipboards and pens.

What are the political motives of pushing the cell phone ban?

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After watching councilor Erpenbach push the cell phone ban on to the council agenda yesterday during the public services meeting, some wondered what the sudden urgency was?

After hearing the comments yesterday during the meeting and taking the temperature of the council, it seems, as of right now 6 of the councilors will vote against the ban, and even if there were 4 on board, rumor has it that the mayor and city attorney are not in favor of the ban either.

One could argue many things, that this is a state legislator issue, or that the council or charter revision commission should put this on the spring ballot instead of just approving it at a council meeting.

But you have to question the political motivation of Erpenbach to push this ordinance change when she is well aware she doesn’t have support for it? Is she doing this to get her fellow councilors on the record voting against a safety issue? Or is she ramrodding this, so in case it fails, they have time to do a petition drive (something I would like to see). For once it would be nice to see the ‘specials’ in Sioux Falls standing with a clipboard in front of the courthouse instead crying to the council anytime they want their indoor pools and tennis centers and other things. If you truly think this will benefit the safety of the public, get the signatures and get it on the ballot. I would like to see the ‘specials’ work for something for once instead of just greasing palms.