A cell phone ban? What's Rapid City going to ban next, left turns?
Oops. Too late.

By -
The headline in today's Rapid City Journal talks about how the City Council was asked to be nanny to everyone using cell phones in cars:
Alderman Bob Hurlbut questioned how far an ordinance could go.

“Are we going to say cell phone use is illegal? Is it going to be cell phone possession? We can put in any number of distracting factors and try to outlaw them, but the bottom line is, there will be distracted drivers whether we have this ordinance or not,” he said.

City attorney Jason Green isn’t sure the city has the authority to adopt an ordinance banning drivers from using cell phones.

“It seems to me there’s a potential for enforcement difficulties with an ordinance like this. I think that’s why you’ve seen state legislatures struggle with this issue also,” he said.
(Read that here.) But at the same time they reject that as problematic to enforce, another article talks about how the public is coming uncorked over people turning left. As if that isn't equally problematic to enforce.
After getting calls from people upset about getting a ticket, Johnson said he wants the council to reconsider its decision.

“I think it’s a hindrance to traffic and the way we move traffic. There have been a lot of tickets written there, and I think it’s an important part of our transportation system,” he said. “I regret having voted for this. I guess I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have."
Read that here. (BTW, Great quote for a mayoral candidate - "I guess I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have.")

It's a problem that a lot of elected officials have - they listen to those interested in propagating the bureaucracy, as opposed to the people.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's time for you to come out in support of medical marijuana, Pat. It's the only way for you to avoid being horribly and embarrassingly inconsistent on this nanny state stuff that's got your panties all up in a bunch.

Sorry for the off topic post. Hope it doesn't get axed...
9:39 AM
Anonymous said…
So, let's get this straight. If a person admits to having followed staff's recommendation, but then regret the decision because of the results, they are criticized? If a person doesn't follow staff recommendation, they are micromanaging? Would this all be a moot point if Tom Johnson were, instead, Sam Kooiker?
3:30 PM
Anonymous said…
Tom Johnson had no trouble opposing staff recomendations when he lobblied for a 150 thousand dollar, full blown traffic light, on Cathedral drive. ohhhhh I remember, that was election time, just like it is now, nice flip flop Tom. I bet the only reason Johnson voted for this is because he wasnt planning on running for mayor at the time.
9:15 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A note from Benedict Ar... Sorry. A note from Stan Adelstein why he thinks you should vote Democrat this year.

By -
Image
(Click on letter to enlarge) And while it may not be printed at taxpayer expense, I don't see a disclaimer, either. When they hold the special session (supposedly at the end of November) , since he's left them already, I think his colleagues should expel him from the caucus. Sure. At that point it's only going to be symbolic. But since he's already said he's running again in the near future, sometimes symbolism is enough.
Read more

Corson County information on Klaudt Rape Charges

By -
Here's some of the information on the Corson County Charges: COUNT I That on or about December of 2005, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration with his foster daughter, A.M., through the use of force or coercion; and as to COUNT II That on or about July or August of 2006, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration with his foster daughter, A.M., through the use of force or coercion; and as to COUNT III That on or about July or August of 2006, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration, separate and distinct from the act alleged in Count II, with
Read more

It's about health, not potential promiscuity.

By -
As the only South Dakota blogger out with 5 daughters, I feel I need to weigh in on the whole discussion that's occurring with regards to the HPV vaccine, and Governor Rounds' proposal to make it available. My family (including my three oldest girls) watched my mom, their grandmother, succumb slowly and painfully to cancer which spread throughout her body. If a similar fate from a different type of cancer was preventable through a simple shot, why wouldn't anyone advocate for it? At the age most of my kids are going to be getting it, they're still playing with barbies, and negative influences such as most of the programming on MTV, and other assorted trashy television is verboten in my house. All they're going to know about this vaccination is that it's a shot, just like for teatnus or measles. They'll go "Ow, I don't want a shot," and that will be it. Just another mark on their vaccination record. One check box for DPT, one for HPV, and so on
Read more