It appears, with less than 20 days to go, Build It Now is in full gear with their Vote Yes lobbying campaign. Big huge billboards are up, commercials on TV, robo calls and door hangers are the mode of communication. The mailings should be out soon. You can't put this kind of lobby effort together without big money behind it.
The mayor and his administration have also been putting on the big push with their constant news releases and "advocacy" presentations. The latest press conference is to tell us the difference between that old Arena and the new Event Center. I heard the objective was to get out a press release regarding the Event Center every 10 days or so.
We will see if big money can buy the election on November 8th. Why isn't there an announcement telling the voting public that the private money commitment is there to take care of the operating costs of the Event Center for the next 20 years? Who knows maybe that will be the last press announcement before the big vote.
I hope if big money wins this election for the mayor, they step up to the plate and put their money where it really will count - to pay for the operating expenses of the Event Center with their naming rights money and money to buy luxury suites and seats. Then the cheap seats can at least take comfort in the fact that they are paying the big bucks to keep the lights on and the bills paid.
I have to hand it to the mayor. He knows where the money is and knows how to use it to his advantage for the big push.
I attended the annual Chamber dinner last night. When a new Event Center was mentioned (only once) there was a brief silence followed by just a smattering of applause. That's NOT a resounding endorsement from our business community!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll picket City Hall with a sign "LET DENNY SANFORD BUILD IT AND MAKE ALL THAT MONEY"
ReplyDeleteIt it would make money, someone like T. Denny would have built it already.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand if all the good people of Sioux Falls want the events center as Mad Man Mike has been telling us ever since he got elected why does he find it necessary to spend all this money and time campaigning to get it approved at the election. Looks to me like he is getting worried he may not get his name on a building?
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to say I usually am not politically minded, but this whole EC thing has really ticked me off. A few mos. ago I emailed MR. mayor with questions and he gave me a lot of rhetoric and BS…….and called me MR. My name is not a male name. So I emailed him a few times more and got very terse replies and was told I was being unprofessional. I replied, I am a voter and do not have to be professional, and he is my employee. Well…. He will not answer my questions or emails. So I started looking for blogs etc to see what others were saying, which is how I found you and a few other blogs.
ReplyDeleteThe lies he has told us really infurate me. I got into the game very late, but had I known, I would have been printing out flyers with a lot of questions and info. My printer would have blown up!!!! I admit usually I am not very well informed, but I wanted to know why we were going to vote on an issue, that I thought had been settled, but he told me that was the rec. center, not anything like the EC. The voters did not want that, so why would they want this, which is a lot more money? I was very straight forward, which is my nature, and he did not appreciate it.
This man is……….. a jerk and not in touch with reality. I have met a few like him….unfortunately.
In general most of us do not know and do not care. I am hoping people will go beyond their immediate thought about having some where to go for a big concert etc. and see what a costly sham this is.
OK, Now we have at least 2 of us on the City Hall picket line with our signs, my "LET DENNY SANFORD BUILD IT AND MAKE ALL THAT MONEY" followed by "IF IT WOULD MAKE MONEY, SOMEONE LIKE T DENNY WOULD HAVE BUILT IT ALREADY" I'm liking our theme.
ReplyDeleteThey say that city employees sway elections. Hopefully they understand that very power, and vote "no" on this issue.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think if there were any faction of people in Sioux Falls that regretted a prior vote, and would like to limit this self-aggrandizing, egomaniac to a single term, it would be city employees.
If this thing gets approved, prepare for another excruciating mayoral term, a Hindenburg-like ego, and fear and panic further engulfing city hall. City employees will only have themselves to blame (yet again).