We can say one good thing about Mayor Mike Huether’s inaction on free rides for young people on Sioux Falls buses this summer: at least he didn’t block the plan. Refusing to sign the city council’s resolution delayed the plan for a week, but Sioux Falls kids will be able to bus around town for free starting June 26, just as Augie students did in a successful pilot program this past school year.
Beyond that, Huether gets no love from the blogosphere. Scott Ehrisman hears Huether’s excuse that the council acted too quickly and rightly roasts Hizzoner for His-pocrisy:
This coming from the guy that has ram-rodded every project he was for, like the indoor aquatic center that has to be built with cash because no bonding company will give a bond for a building being built on land with a quit claim deed. Let’s talk ‘Due Dilligence’ [Scott Ehrisman, “Mayor Huether Refuses to Sign FREE Youth Transit Resolution,” South Dacola, 2015.06.04].
Pat Powers jumps on the Huether-pocrisy bandwagon, not because Powers is particularly concerned about helping kids get around town safely, but because it gives him another chance to berate a Democrat. Powers’s tiresome partisanship becomes amusing when we look at what he’s really criticizing the mayor for. Powers seems to agree with the independent Ehrisman and Democrat me that Mayor Huether’s ego-trip ad campaign was a slushy payment to private vendors for work the private sector could have done on its own. Powers seems to agree with Ehrisman and me that not signing off on free summer bus rides for kids makes the mayor look like a jerk.
Hmm… handouts to companies but no help for kids. Seems to me Pat is criticizing Democrat Huether for acting like a Republican.
And so am I. Isn’t it nice that we can all agree?
It surprises me Mayor Huether would not be a big supporter of this idea. He often talks about the challenges of growing up “on the wrong side of the tracks” in a lower-income Yankton neighborhood. Seems to me this program will benefit kids in similar situations.
You’d think, Brian! Here’s Huether’s comment to KELO-TV:
Councilor Greg Jamison says the council expedited this plan because time was wasting, and they wanted to help the kids as soon and as much as possible. Again, as in their opposing views over Walmart, Huether sounds like the anti-government Republican, while Jamison sounds like the New Deal Democrat.
Huether is like Thune the photo op xpress
Yeah, that whole partisan thang? Nobody does that anymore.
What the hell is it with South Dakota politicians and their “War on Kids”?
No free rides for kids. No free lunch for the hungry. BUT millions to aid developers who really don’t deserve or need a dime of state, local, or federal assistance. Guess who butters the bread of the influentials.
bUTTERS IT FOR THE BIG BOYS
Mike is a dictator, not a Democrat, Republican or Independent.
I agree with Scott in the regard that Huether doesn’t seem to resemble a Democrat, Republican, or Indy. Huether’s affiliation appears to be a member of the Huether party – he doesn’t seem to share a platform with a known, registered party and is more concerned with building his own brand regardless of who he alienates in the process.
I don’t seem him being successful in a statewide race regardless of which party he registers as, but something tells me his ego won’t allow him to retire from politics entirely.
Craig, if that’s the case, then we must ask the question: which party would fall for his ego trip and use him the way he would use them?
Unfortunately Cory, the Democrats haven’t had much success recruiting strong candidates in several races in recent years, so there is an opportunity for Huether to enter a race (such as the one for Governor) and effectively go unchallenged in the primary. His name recognition alone will give him an advantage, as will his network of contacts who can help him fill his campaign coffers.
I’ll just say I won’t be shocked if he ends up on a ballot, but in my view any race he enters effectively guarantees a Republican win. Unless of course Huether switches parties… that would be fun to watch.
If Huether were to switch parties, would the Republicans be willing to about-face and snuggle? Does GOP antipathy to Huether extend beyond the confines of Dakota War College? Huether seems to play ball with the GOED agenda, so perhaps it wouldn’t be that hard for the SDGOP to welcome him into their tent.
Libertarians were too weak and understaffed to turn back the Haber takeover last summer; I can only hope my party will not be so susceptible to co-optation by someone who doesn’t advance our party’s platform.
Huether would fit in well with the SDGOP. That would be one exciting and very competitive SDGOP primary with Huether, Noem, Mark Mickelson and Jackley. Jackley would be at a disadvantage in terms of fundraising compared to the other SDGOP candidates.
The SDDP? I’d say Joe Lowe but he would need to start out quickly out the gate with a well organized campaign.
Libertarians? Hubbel again?
Lynn, I suspect Lowe would learn from the lessons of the 2014 primary and bring a bigger and better organization to the battle. He also would have a lot of allies won during the 2014 campaign who’d be eager to help from the get-go, no get-to-know-you phase needed.
Curious: I can understand the Huether and Noem fundraising advantages, but why do you think Jackley would be at a fundraising disadvantage to Mickelson?
Cory,
I see Mark Mickelson having better connections. He has done well for himself building his career, being active in the community, name recognition will play a big part with South Dakotans knowing his grandfather and his father were both Governors. The SDGOP has a deep bench.
Given how competitive the SDGOP field will be in their primary I feel it will be very important for a SDDP candidate such as Joe Lowe to start out early and build momentum, fundraise, tell his story and what he will do for SD
Yeah, but Mickelson is a Sioux Falls money man. Marty Jackley will come to the 2018 campaign with eight years of law-and-order butt-kicking on his résumé. Which will play better with voters?
If Huether was a real Democrat he would advocate for Sioux Falls raising its minimum wage to $15 and hour.