It appears the local TV stations have decided they finally need to get in the education game regarding the Event Center debate. KELO TV is dedicating an hour long special election edition of Inside Keloland on the subject. The planned guests are Huether, Turbak, Jamison & Barclay. Frankly, I am tired of hearing from this group and their same old, same old.
I have often wondered where all those business people in the community are who stood up at the press conference announcing the new Build It Now group and campaign. There are some heavy hitters in that group who would have made a strong voice in support of the campaign to convince voters to vote yes. Afterall, they were committed enough to stand up, give money and their public support to building the event center.
Build It Now Co-Chairs
Alan Amdahl
President of the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire
Owner of Amdahl Construction
Nicki Ellerbroek
Owner of McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub
Dr. Dave Kapaska, Regional President
Avera McKennan Hospital
Tom Kelley
President of Gage Brothers Concrete
Dr. Charles Pat O’Brien, President – Sanford USD Medical Center
Sanford Health
Mike Sullivan
Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority
Why aren't some of these people guests for KELO's special programming? Why aren't these people out in the community doing some of the presentations?
The Build It Now website says: "Build It Now Sioux Falls supporters are a cross-section of the Sioux Falls community, including local individuals, large and small businesses, and organizations that see value in bringing a new Events Center to Sioux Falls."
It would have been nice to hear from some of these people at all the event center presentations since this is the group that put the money up to lobby the citizens to vote for their vision of the value of bringing the event center to Sioux Falls. These business people have been noticeably absent from these presentations.
Instead, all we will get is the same old tired song and dance and maybe a little intimidation and insincerity towards poor Mr. Barclay and Councilor Jamison.
They don't need to advocate for this plan. The mayor is in charge of advocating for this plan. Oh, excuse me, I mean he's in charge of "educating".
ReplyDeleteBuild it Now has 55 or so businesses supporting the event center. THEY have the power to "build it now" with NO help from the tax payers. At ONLY Two hundred nine thousand apiece (the price of an average house) these 55 businesses can purchase this event center for themselves!!! Businesses have to advertise. Think of how much they profit from the advertising abilities they gain for themselves by owning their very own EC where thousands upon thousands will see their ads. The Mayor has already said the EC will not only be self sustaining but will make 1 to 2 million dollars per yr. in PROFITS! Remember that $40,000,000 benefit to the community in added revenue promised by the mayor? Who do you think will gain most of that revenue? THE BUSINESSES WHOSE ADS ARE STARING VISITORS IN THE FACE!!!
ReplyDelete(Personally, I don't know why they didn't see this right away and forbid the mayor from offering this goldmine to the city. Well, if it's voted down they'll get their chance to put some skin in the game.......that is, if they really believe that it will do what the mayor says it will.
The Mayor can advocate for the plan. He is elected. He just can't use City resources when he does. When he or anyone uses City resources he needs to educate. In any event, it is pretty clear to most people that the Mayor stepped over that line, it is just unclear who or what can be done about it.
ReplyDeleteWho is Barclay?
ReplyDeleteTake it easy on those BIN folks, Jen. Let me break it down for you as to why you don't see many of them:
ReplyDeleteSullivan: Isn't from here & doesn't live here..he's hanging in Florida where the action is and people don't have to beg, borrow and steal to replace a simple scoreboard.
Amdahl: I'm sure he's buying up as much lumber and steel as he can get his hands on. Since all of those things are going up faster than the price of Gold according to them, it's time to hedge.
Kelley: He's busy selling concrete panels to places like Sanford, also buying trainloads of raw materials to sell back as they appreciate double digits next year per BIN propaganda machine.
Ellerbroek: She's busy inventing economic impact numbers ($40 million in NEW spending..WTF??) and pouring overpriced Jag bombers to trust fund kids. Also picking out colors for soon to be announced McNally's North.
Kampeska: He's busy running a hospital and trying to figure out where a non-profit can spend all its profits.
O'Brien: same as Kampeska and also returning fan mail for the real Pat O'Brien.
It appears to me that most of those people stand to profit from the building of the events center. So are they advocating for it for the good of thier own pocket books or for the good of Sioux Falls. I believe this event center and this plan will be a great financial strain on the city and it's basic needs, police, fire,streets will suffer to keep this white elephant funded.
ReplyDelete