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Councilor Barranco suggests a ‘Renters Ombudsman’ in the city attorney’s office

l3wis January 29, 2025 9Comments

This wasn’t the first councilor to make this suggestion. Councilor Janet Brekke, also an attorney and the first full-time city attorney, said they need a citizen’s ombudsman in the office to answer basic questions about property rights, etc. Personally, I think it is a great idea. The city attorney’s office works for us, we pay their wages and benefits and if we have a basic question about our legal rights as a citizen of this city, we should be able to get an answer. This in no way is expecting the city to represent a citizen in court, this is basically a Q & A service to citizens. I wouldn’t even be opposed to this person sitting on the staff of the HelpLine center with a dedicated line and funding from the city. This is important. There are so many slumlords in town and most people don’t know where to turn.

Barranco wants to add funding for this to this year’s budget and as he said in the budget hearing, he knows he has some work to do to win over his fellow councilors,

Also during this period in the meeting Chair Soehl ‘allowed’ other councilors to bring up their priorities with the budget, and that is what Barranco addressed. Lucy was rambling about something with the parks(?). Sorry, every time she talks I just tune out. Merkouris was talking about crime prevention funding, which I totally support, but then quickly went into the ‘kids’ which he brings up a lot. Hey, I’m with you man, but sometimes your priorities are whacked. Go serve on the school board already! This is all the things they address! The city’s responsibilities are simple; infrastructure, crime, fire. That’s it! If you want to help raise the kids of this community, sit on the respective board. It’s not the city council Rich. Curt’s priority was making sure we had ambulance funding in place in 2026 when the contract runs out. I would encourage the council to go a step further and put a plan together for a municipal ambulance service and compare that with a private service. Right now, we are getting screwed as taxpayers and patients! Basically the SFFD provides FREE EMT service and the private ambulance shows up as a taxi to the hospital and the city gets NO reimbursement for that service while the taxi service collects all the fees. With a muni service we hire a third party bill collector and we receive a commission on those rides, and if someone is unable to pay, it is a simple write-off by the city. This isn’t rocket science Curtis the Blurtist!

Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken needs to learn from the Mayor of Omaha on how to handle the Slumlord Tzadik

l3wis January 22, 2025 2Comments

So look how Omaha is handling this A-Hole;

Officials emphasized that law prevents the city from acting on behalf of tenants until there is a fully written and filed complaint. They can’t act on a YouTube video or a social media post.

City code enforcement can’t come in and inspect anything until a formal complaint is filed with the name of the resident, their contact information, and details about the specific issue the resident is complaining about.

“We cannot file a complaint or take a complaint from a social media post or a video posted on YouTube,” Stothert said.

Notice how this mayor is handling the situation compared to Poops. She is asking the residents to file complaints with her office. SHE IS TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE SITUATION. Something Poops could never do because he is too busy trying to buy the properties. This is how code enforcement works. If the landlord is a Piece of Sh!t you should have a backup plan, that’s local government. I think the owner of these properties not only needs heavy fines but belongs in a f’ing jail cell. Anyone who treats humans like this is not even equivalent to the dried dog turd on the soles of my shoes. Leaders have courage and are not ‘wimps’ when faced with a challenge, they tackle it and hold the ones at fault accountable, while Poops is worried that a millionaire Floridian doesn’t get a return on his investment(?). I sometimes wonder what Paul does with his day, because he certainly isn’t working . . . or thinking.

Emily’s Hope Art Show & Auction 2025

l3wis January 14, 2025 1Comments

Bob Dylan

I will be participating in the art auction. You can make bids here. There is a ton of great work in the auction and it is going to a fantastic cause, supplying businesses and organizations with NARCAN. It is a life saving tool in the fight against addiction. Buy something!

I love the BIO they wrote for me;

Bob Dylan, by Scott L. Ehrisman
Dimensions: 13.75” x 16.75”
Year: 2021
Medium: Mixed Media/Collage

A tribute to the legendary Bob Dylan, this piece blends collage, mixed media, and acrylics on art board, all encased in a shadow box under glass. Scott L. Ehrisman masterfully combines layered textures and vibrant hues to create a dynamic portrait that captures Dylan’s enigmatic spirit and cultural significance. The work pays homage to the intersection of music and art, embodying a sense of timeless creativity.

Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Scott L. Ehrisman has been practicing art and graphic design since 1991. Influenced by early pinup photography, pop art, and masters like Picasso and Van Gogh, Ehrisman’s work merges elements of Byzantine Icon art with contemporary mixed media. His distinctive style has been showcased in regional exhibitions and sold globally, reflecting a unique fusion of historical and modern artistic inspirations.

Good Blessing Mr. Yarrow

l3wis January 7, 2025 3Comments

It didn’t hit at first. A friend texted me today that a great man died. I did not know what to think. A few years ago I took a weird trip to the Hills to see a ‘Honor the Earth’ concert put on by Native Americans. Pete put it on, he was the organizer. Between meeting him and Arlo Guthrie, I was in a complete different world. I want people to know, whether you like his music or not, doesn’t matter. We don’t make people like this anymore.

RIP President Carter

l3wis December 29, 2024 5Comments

Probably one of the most under rated presidents. I was born in 1972 after the Nixon fiasco, so Jimmy was my man. I often tell folks besides Nixon bringing it up, Carter warned us of climate change and if the SOB would not have beat him in 1980, we would have had real change. I still remember election day in 1980 or shortly after and my grandpa talking about the presidential election, “I voted for Jimmy, he is a good man.” It was classic Carl sarcasm, it was a dig on Reagan. Man how they hated Reagan.