I really got a laugh out of Greg and Rick last night when they acted like a couple of babies crying over the legislative priority amendments calling them ‘last minute’;

“I just want to state I’m going to vote no on any amendment that’s brought tonight because, frankly, the process is broken because we’re just springing amendment after amendment without talking to anybody else at the last minute,” Neitzert says.

Council Member Rick Kiley also refused to vote on any amendments brought forward and said the Council needs to follow the process.

Kiley says, “It has to go back to the process. I mean, there’s been a number of us that have been hit over the head with the word ‘transparency.’ This is anything but transparent. And so, I, like councilor Neitzert, am not going to vote on anything that is brought forward for the first time this evening.”

The problem with their pouting session is that these amendments are far from last minute (they are NOT finalized until December – see below) and even if it was final last night, who cares? These are merely ‘suggestions‘ from the Sioux Falls City Council to the State Legislature. These ‘suggestions’ hold as much weight if an average citizen would grab a legislator at a cracker barrel and make the same suggestions.

The city council has been making amendments to these ‘suggestions’ for years.

I also found it refreshing that the city council’s operations manager, Jim David, was the one who had to show the council the actual timeline below. I have told councilors I have always appreciated Mr. David’s professionalism and integrity. He never sugarcoats things. I wish the entire council staff was like Mr. David.

One of the most important jobs of city councilors is approving or amending the yearly budget. How can you ask questions about a $500M+ budget when you don’t even attend the meetings? Rick is always the one who tells us he ‘studies’ things before making a decision. I guess he studied the budget on the golf course.

Last night at the Sioux Falls City Council meeting, Councilor Kiley recused himself from voting on items #21-22 that have to do with Northern States Power. I do know that councilors in the past have served on some kind of board with the energy company, so it was wise of him to recuse himself.

Usually these boards have some kind of compensation to be on them, or at the least compensate for travel/lodging and meeting time. A state official has said that Kiley is NOT being paid to be on the board, which seems a little strange. Would you serve on an energy board without pay out of the goodness of your heart? And if you were not getting paid to be on the board, what’s the point in recusal?

It just doesn’t add up. If anyone has a link showing the board members and compensation, that would be helpful.

Councilor Rolfing didn’t enjoy my Paganini impression.

I have probably talked numerous hours over the past 15 years in front of the city councilors. But it seems all that mouthing off never got their attention. It took my mime of playing a violin in the very back row of the council chambers last night to finally get a reaction out of them. As I was doing this during one of Kiley’s ‘Life is Beautiful’ speeches while referring to the Presentation Sisters apartment complex (that will pay NO property taxes) he yelled out something like this;

“Yeah, play your violin back there Mr. Ehrisman. Very direspectful sir, very disrespectful.”

I responded;

“Like you’ve never disrespected me?”

In which I let out a hearty laugh. Mayor TenHaken told me not to address the dais unless I was offering public input. PTH also gave a good stare at the security guard. I guess, according to state law, it’s ok to carry a concealed weapon into council chambers without a permit, but laughter will not be tolerated. Sorry, I will not be called out by an elected official sitting on the dais without reacting.

Which brings me to my point. They seem to be deaf, dumb and blind when citizens are testifying about the importance of transparency and good government but I guess the only way to get their attention is to publicly shame them. I better rosin up my bow.