City of Sioux Falls working on their recycling rates
l3wis 
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Has the Sioux Falls Mayor’s office become autocratic?
Over the past 20 years I have heard a lot of comments from the podium at public meetings that make my head turn, mostly from concerned citizens, but last week, Joe Kirby really had a zinger at the Charter Revision Commission Meeting.
Once you get past the commission calling Mike Zitterich by the wrong name for the first 20 minutes (they do this at every meeting, and it is becoming extremely condescending and annoying) they dive into asking Joe questions about his proposal of removing the mayor from the city council.
After board members Carl Xylophone and Anne Flapjack tried every excuse in the book to persuade Mr. Kirby from moving forward with this proposal thru the CRC process there was a moment of enlightenment.
Carl didn’t seem to think there was an issue with the Mayor being on the city council and he asks Joe why he thinks he should be removed from the council, and Kirby simply replies, “The mayor’s office has become autocratic.”
Mic drop.
As I suspected, his proposal will probably be voted down. And remember, his name is spelled KIRBY not DERBY for the permanent record.
Washington Pavilion proposes amazing local entertainment series, but should it be Free?
I’m a local visual artist and have worked with local musicians over the years and have argued for a long time they are extremely underpaid and I will go fisticuffs with anybody who wants to cheat local performers (it happens a lot).
That’s why I think this program series is awesome;
Officials with the Washington Pavilion have announced the lineup for a new performance series, called “Live & Local.”
The series will include monthly performances showcasing Sioux Falls area talent, such as singers, dancers, comedians, actors, musicians, artists and more.
The stickler?
Tickets for all nine dates go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. The price is $20 for a ticket plus tax. Visit WashingtonPavilion.org/LiveandLocal to view the full performance lineup and additional details, as well as to purchase tickets.
The average price of a ticket to see national acts at local music venues runs you around $10-15. So for $2 to see a show (there are nine shows) it is a pretty good deal.
I can’t remember the last time I was charged a cover to see a local act (they used be able to charge) that’s because the venue presenting them budgets for their compensation.
As a local performance series there is absolutely NO reason the Pavilion could not have found a sponsor for this so everyone could attend for FREE.
Better yet, cut the salary of the director to fund it.
They did the same thing in the Visual Arts Center charging to see regional visual artists (I’m all for charging for National or International exhibits due to the cost of insurance, etc.) going against their promise of keeping the VAC open for FREE.
I actually think it is petty to charge $2 to see a local act, you could make up that revenue in beverage sales. This has ‘experiment’ written all over it.
I am often amazed when a local arts non-profit presents amazing programming for local artists then turns around and says, BTW, it’s going to cost you. But what makes this different is that the Pavilion receives millions in subsidies from the city in building maintenance and operating expenses EACH YEAR (roof replacement, for example).
I’m sure they are looking to see what kind of interest there is and what kind of revenue could be pulled in. I have no doubt that people interested in seeing these shows will plop down the $20, but do they really have to?
The American Middle Class Crisis
Toward the beginning Noam touches on what the business elite call pro-democracy, politically involved, regular middle class folks; special interests. It was startling because the mayor recently used the term to describe certain folks who were promoting the original sustainability program. Apparently we are a threat, mostly to their backdoor plans.
Why I love Arnie
I disagree with some of his political philosophies, but I love his honesty, it’s almost brutal.