Major Company in Sioux Falls laying off over half of workforce

I was told that the ‘lay off’ process started over a month ago with soft, random firings and forced resignations and demotions and will continue until 60% of their workforce is eliminated by the end of the year.

I do NOT know who this employer is, but have my guesses. If my assumption is correct, this employer is in the top 30 employers in Sioux Falls and they run a multi-state multi-faceted business that also employs many private contractors (so employees of these companies will also be affected).

While I just received this information this morning, when you talk to people who may be affected by this, they confirmed that they have been suspect for months because the company hasn’t really started any NEW projects and the main reason for the layoffs is because projects they handle in Sioux Falls have dried up. There are also rumors of financial problems (which makes sense) and legal issues with several court cases moving thru the courts.

Eventually they will have to admit to the failure, but like most institutions like this in Sioux Falls you won’t hear a peep about it in the media until the ship sunk.

BTW, this business is NOT a food truck 🙁

Sioux Falls City Councilor Curtis Soehl, DEFENDER of the GIGANTIC TRUCK!!!

While Councilor Soehl has done very little in his two terms, besides brow beating public inputers like a unruly child, he did surprise his fellow councilors today with his passionate defense of gigantic trucks that only belong in gravel pits with the governor’s dead dogs.

A new councilor, not Lucy the cement bucket lady, but Jennifer Sigette has proposed an ordinance that previous chickensh!t councils and parking department gurus wouldn’t pull the trigger on; if you have a gigantic truck, don’t park it on these four blocks on Phillips Avenue.

Pretty simple, but Curtis the Blurtist wasn’t having it!

“What if a bunch of my podunk relatives who only drive gigantic farm trucks from Woonsocket came downtown to shop at all the luxury boutiques, buy rare antiques at Zandbroz, have a steak meal at Crawfords or Minervas right before taking in the Symphony at the Pavilion after getting this ticket, they may never come back.”

First off, he didn’t say most of that, but he might as well had. He gave some bullsh!t anecdedote about some farmer visiting from a small town. Yeah, so many boot scraping visitors downtown these days I am surprised it doesn’t smell like cow manure . . . nope, just dead hogs. As someone who has lived and worked in DTSF for over 30 years, the only time you observe ‘Farm Folks’ downtown is when all six of them are trying to read a parking meter and after 10 minutes of frustration get back in their sheep hauler and drive away never to experience some overpriced app at Parker’s.

Besides the safety reasons for passing this ordinance, it is just plain RUDE. So you have a big truck. Good for you. I don’t need one, I drink a couple of Arnold Palmers each day, it seems to cure my fascination with large shiny things.

Drinking Liberally Update (Oct 18, 2024)

To give you, our faithful readers, a leg up in this week’s contest, here is a peek at one of tonight’s questions:  “Fact or Crap”? Since August 1st, reversing a long-term trend, the South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP)  has added almost 1500 Democrats to the State’s voter roll………Fact!!! It may be a baby step, but at least it’s movement in the right direction in the absolute sense.  Congratulations to Dan Ahlers, the SDDP’s Executive Director, and the SDDP’s leadership.  But, before euphoria sets in, you might want to compare the Democratic increase in registrants to the over 6000 registrants the Republican Party added to the State’s voter roll over the same period of time. 

I have been encouraged by some Democrats to be more positive, so on the positive side, voters may be choosing the Republican party 4 to 1 over the Democratic party when they register to vote but at least Democrats are gaining not losing voters anymore.

In Politics: Nationally: The race for President is too close to give anyone comfort. The very thought that Donald Trump might win makes me ill. 

I have turned to tequila for its beneficial characteristics. 

In Politics: South Dakota: The South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP) finally issued an October press release. It properly honored Senator Tim Johnson, who passed on October 9th, for his service to South Dakota and our Country. Senator Johnson truly was a steady ship on the rough political seas of our times. Selfless, honest  and hardworking seem universal accolades in everyone’s tributes to him. His leadership will be missed. It seems we have lost too many leaders in the last year or so, Jim Abourzek, Harvey Wollman, Jack Billion, Jim Burg, and now Tim Johnson.

South Dakota Election Predictions

I can’t predict the presidential race, but I can very much guarantee Harris will win the popular vote by over 10 million. Unfortunately we act like this is 1910 and we use an old out dated electoral system based on pony express, so yes, MAGAts, your guy has a chance.

I think the Dems will take the house and the Repugs take the Senate.

As for the local referendums, initiatives, referrals and amendments, let’s go!

• CON AMEND E, this has to do with changing gender in our Constitution to include women. While I believe this will pass by 80% of the vote, don’t be surprised to see a ton of undervotes. I had a prominent Democrat woman tell me she voted NO. She said, I served many years, and the state constitution didn’t prevent me from serving.

• CON AMEND F, this has to do with changing Medicaid to have a work requirement. We have a 2.1% unemployment rate in SD, anybody who isn’t working CAN’T. I think this will fail by 55%. People in this state have a problem with the legislature messing with our initiatives.

• REF LAW 21, this will also go down in flames with the landowners winning. I think it will fail by 70% of the vote or more, same as above, screw our legislature and how out of touch they are with our issues.

• IM29, Legalizing Rec MJ, unfortunately polling has been erratic, but the pot folks haven’t seen a positive yet and I think they are losing ground, unfortunately, this will probably fail by 52%. I guess peeps will just have to keep smoking diet weed. Hopefully when pot gets ready for retail sales in Minnesota they will have bus tours to Luverne. I still think if Harris makes it in the WH, we will get Federal legalization within 5 years, and many peeps minor pot felonies will be erased from their records.

• IM 28, eliminating food tax. I have been enjoying all the Republican lawmakers in the state trying to pour cold water on this, it is an immoral tax, most know that and it will easily pass by 70% of the vote. I think in the 2026 legislative session our unimaginative leg will pass a retail tax increase on all other goods actually hurting low income people even more. I call the food tax a boomerang effect, and why I almost voted against it.

• CON AMEND H, Open primaries will also pass by 70% or more. Half of registered voters in this state are Indies and we are fed up with the minority parties (that’s really what they are) controlling our elections.

• CON AMEND G, Abortion legalization, this will pass by 55% of the vote or more, but our idiots in Pierre will take this to the SDSC and have it overturned. Sorry Sodak ladies, you have to go to Minnesota for MJ, abortion and a decent pork chop on a stick.

*On a separate note I believe Dean Karsky will be booted from the Minnehaha County Commission, and if that happens I may just send him a ‘pleasant’ note about all of his years of service after getting APPOINTED and not actually elected into public service 🙁