South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

David ZoKaites SF City Council SFPD Sioux Falls

Former Mayoral Candidate, David Zokaites files Claim against City of Sioux Falls

l3wis 7Comments

I was NOT at the meeting tonight, so the only copy I have is this screenshot from David presenting the claim to the city at public input (he is the last person to talk at the end of the meeting).

It sounds like a potential civil rights lawsuit. David did say he was ‘considering’ taking action, so he hasn’t filed an actual suit against the city, but notified them that he may.

From his testimony and presentation this is about how the SFPD treats people. Even if David sues and loses the case, at least the noise from the suit will let some sunshine into our police force.

I have heard rumors that since Chief Thum took over he has been trying to clean up the bad officers with some success, but he knows it is a Herculean task. Let’s just say that Thum is probably feeling more like a house cleaner then a police officer these days.

The SFPD has neglected properly training and reprimanding officers for decades and so now there is years of institutional bad habits that will probably take twice as long to remedy.

There is also a rumor circulating that several top officials with the SFPD and SFFD are walking out the door with the mayor in 2026. Some are scheduled retirements some are NOT.

If this is true, it will be a great learning opportunity for the new mayor new councilors in 2026, lets just hope they are all NEW and not USED.

*I corrected the year from 2024 to 2026.

WHO IS RUNNING IN THE MAYORAL RACE?

I’m a little surprised that I have NOT heard an announcement yet. The election is less then a year away and I was at least expecting one major announcement by now. And if you are running for an open seat, you would be wise to be the first to announce, because people will remember you because you will be the media darling for several days.

I wonder if one-term Jensen will run for mayor? I see that Pitty Patt put up a post about how Jensen is running for the legislature and NOT seeking a second term on the council. Nice smoke and mirrors. We all know you can’t run for mayor and city council at the same time. So Pitty, I call Bullsh!t on you!

Bike Trail Sioux Falls

This video says everything we need to know about riding in the street

l3wis 8Comments

Obviously this is NYC and the traffic can be a little congested, BUT, if you are South of 41st street during rush hour, the street traffic is actually worse then NYC because of people’s speeds. But he makes a good point, where is it safe to ride a bike?

REI is proposing a Federal E-Bike rebate program, which I support. Some have said that this is a waste but when you figure there are similar rebates for electric cars, this makes sense;

If 15% of today’s carbon-emitting car trips were made by electric bicycles (e-bikes), America’s carbon emissions would shrink by more than 11 percent.

That’s because in addition to providing safe and convenient ways to get from place to place, battery-powered e-bikes displace carbon emissions from vehicles and lower pollution levels. E-bikes are increasingly popular for people looking to commute to work, run errands, or enjoy the outdoors without needing a car. But we need to make sure more people – of all income levels – can access and enjoy this form of low-carbon transport.

The E-BIKE (Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment) Act would offer a 30 percent tax credit of up to $1500 on the purchase of new e-bikes. It’s time to build support for this exciting new bill that can make climate-friendly transport more affordable for everyone.

It has often amazed me that we don’t give tax credits to people who are trying to improve the environment but turn around and give people child tax credits (which are actually contributing to pollution). We should tax the HELL out of gasoline and turn those dollars into ways to help people commute sustainably.

And for the record, South Dakota gets over 80% of it’s electricity from renewables, so plugging in, in South Dakota is actually carbon friendly.

Ethics Greg Neitzert Open Government Open Meetings SF City Council Sioux Falls

UPDATE: Sioux Falls City Councilor Neitzert looking to change the city’s ethics ordinance

l3wis 20Comments

As suspected, this is ONE of the changes;

  • Reimbursed or paid expenses from a third party to the
    city may be accepted if ALL of the following
    requirements are met:
  • 1. The event is related to the official duties of the
    officer or city’s legislative or policy making role
    (Consistent with City Council Travel Policy)
  • 2. The event organizer is not a person, entity, or
    business who seeks or does business with the city
    or conducts activities regulated by the city or is a
    political party (nonprofits and other governmental units
    are NOT prohibited sources)
  • 3. All expenses are paid for or reimbursed by the
    event organizer (not a sponsor of the event)
  • 4. The event is a widely attended gathering and the
    agenda and any paid or reimbursed expenses are a
    matter of public record

I Still think it is dangerous territory to allow partisan groups to fund trips.

I was alerted to this recently but my foot soldier couldn’t tell me what the proposed changes were;

Ethics Ordinance Update by Greg Neitzert, Council Member

Like I said, I have no idea what he is proposing, but with his impeachment over a paid for partisan trip to Texas with Mayor TenHaken and his then Deputy COS, TJ Nelson, one has to wonder if they are re-writing the ordinance to make the sins of the past go away, which would allow partisan political groups to pay for trips of local elected officials.

If this is the proposal, I think it is dangerous territory. While I maintain that not only was Councilor Neitzert guilty of ethics violations, so was the mayor and Nelson. Partisan groups, left, right or center, should not be able to buy influence.

And while the recreation trail ordinances have languished for 5 years, this apparently is top priority . . . saving their own asses!

1st Amendment Rapid City Steve Allender

Rapid City’s outgoing Mayor Steve Allender struggles with the 1st Amendment

l3wis 5Comments

Even as he is walking out the door today, he still doesn’t understand the document he took an oath on, neither does our Sioux Falls mayor;

In 2021 a similar protest was held and they did not acquire the proper permit to host a gathering. The same is true for Tuesday’s march, and they’ve stated that is an intentional choice.

“It’s not a law it’s a policy. It’s used for parades and other celebrations. This is not a celebration. This is direct action, and we didn’t file a permit for a reason. We didn’t need to. This is our land,” Red Bear said.

While we can go into the tit for tat about who’s land it is, Rapid City is an American city governed by the US Constitution, the State Constitution and whatever rag the city charter is written on.

Protesting is protected speech and you don’t need a permit. Maybe someone needs to tell the new mayor about that document he took an oath on. It’s kinda important.

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