The indoor pool was on Georgia's mind.

A couple of the Sioux Falls locals told me that they'd gotten this e-mail from former SD GOP executive Director Georgia Hanson as she promoted the passage of an indoor pool as part of the recent election in Sioux Falls for an indoor versus an outdoor pool:
From: Georgia Hanson [mailto:********@qwest.net]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 2:04 PM
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"
Subject: Vote NO on Tuesday

Could you go swimming in a public pool today? No, and there are only 80 days a year at best that you can because Sioux Falls has five outdoor pools and no indoor options. Ten South Dakota communities have indoor public pools to offer their citizens year round exercise options. That’s important in a city with long winters and all generations struggling with obesity. It’s time for a Pool for All Seasons.

On Tuesday, May 15 VOTE NO on another inefficient, outdoor-only pool for Drake Springs. There are many reasons to VOTE NO so we can build an indoor pool:

* Open year round – 360 days instead of 80, giving our community 5,400 hours of swim time a year versus 640
* Open to everyone – The indoor pool rates will be identical to the current outdoor rates, including free passes for families qualifying for Food Stamps
* No new taxes – The City Council has budgeted the existing sales tax dollars wisely to pay for the construction

Sioux Falls is one of the nation’s best small cities in the country because it always challenges itself to do better for its citizens. The indoor pool is another investment in the quality of life for all citizens. This is a chance to build a piece of eternal summer for Sioux Falls.

Please join me in voting NO on the inefficient, outdoor-only pool. VOTE NO to get a Pool for All Seasons.

Please forward this message to your friends and family. We need a strong voter turnout to keep Sioux Falls progressive.
As we all know from the headline in today's Argus Leader, Overwhelming win for outdoor pool at Drake Springs, that didn't work out so well for the indoor pool team.

As I had noted earlier, the word I'm getting is that we should anticipate that Georgia is going to be tapped for a congressional run by Sioux Falls City Councilman Pat Costello who is in the middle of his first term as councilman. In fact, if he runs for congress, he'll have not yet completed his term.

If this is the case, this would mark the return of Georgia to statewide races after managing PUC hopeful John Koskan's unsuccessful bid for the office, which ended up going to current PUC Commissioner Steve Kolbeck. Georgia has also previously done work in Sioux Falls for Mayor Munson, as well as for John Thune.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Georgia Hanson also coordinated the losing Rec Center campaign in Sioux Falls last year. Given yesterday's results, and the overwhelming defeat of the Rec Center proposal...well, maybe a Congressional Race against Herseth's High Faves is a bit of a heavy lift.

Plus...Costello has been on the SF City Council for one year. He's going to do what Larry Diedrich couldn't do? I think you've got your facts wrong PP.

Why not just email him at his Council email address and see if he's seriously considering this run? Costello was also an active proponent of the defeated indoor pool.
Anonymous said…
If Georgia Hanson runs any statewide race against Herseth, she's going to have to answer the still unanswered questions dating back to Dave Munson's campaign fundraiser fracas that led to him leaving the Sioux Falls mayor's race last year (which he got back in, obviously.)

Hanson knows whether that money went where they said it went, which people in political circles don't believe it actually did.

That would be an issue -- no question.
Anonymous said…
Georgia Hanson is incompetent. Costello is doomed. Georgia is advising him, he's wealthy, owns Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse, and a Sioux Falls country club'er. Didn't Steve Kirby's failed 2002 Gubernatorial bid teach him anything? Good luck, Pat.
Anonymous said…
You get what you pay for.

From what I've seen and heard of Pat he'd be a good candidate. He should probably be rethinking his campaign strategy if he's really interested in the big race. Sioux Falls ain't the SD electorate big guy. And by the looks of this deal, you might not even take sf's.
Anonymous said…
Well, i am going to talk the pool!

I do feel they should have built an indoor pool.
I do agree that we have more winter and or cold weather in South Dakota and i feel an inside pool would have been better.
No I am not from S Falls, but i truly believe that this was a bad choice in my opinion.

Nothing against Costello but he needs more time and if he is thinking about running he is just a tad late in my opinion or he needs to bust it now and hit the road.
Anonymous said…
don't forget the great job she did for dick kelly as well.
Anonymous said…
What about the great job she did at the special convention for congressman Williamson....

ooops. lost that one too.
Anonymous said…
Georgia Hanson is an awesome lady. Very intelligent and very classy!!!

She knows better than anyone how to run a campaign. She has SEVERAL winning campaigns under her belt.

Those of you bad mouthing her obviously havent worked with her or know her.

The GOP is very lucky to have her!
Anonymous said…
I'm so sick of people trying to hold this city back! The indoor pool would have been a great asset to this city and the location would have been a great boost to that part of town. Why can't people in this city embrace progress??? This isn't a small town anymore... you need to accept that fact and move forward.
Anonymous said…
"Those of you bad mouthing her obviously haven't worked with her or know her."

That's right! Georgia's been fired from better campaigns than this one. And she only screwed up Munson's race a little. And as for Koskan.... Well, she got an "A" for effort.
Anonymous said…
Pat Costello was a big time backer of the indoor pool that lost big in every precinct in SF. How's he gonna win a statewide race if he gets clobbered in Sioux Falls? How's he gonna win a primary without the hometown? At this point he probably couldn't win re-election to city council.
Anonymous said…
Georgia is friends with Joel Rosenthal, which is yet another reason to not trust her. Didn't Thune fire Georgia? With the exception of Pat Costello, When was the last time Georgia actually won a race?
Anonymous said…
ah...let's see...

Tom Dempster
Gene Abdallah
Shantel Krebs
etc. etc. etc.

(sounds like someone is jealous of Georgia)
Anonymous said…
After speaking with a few friends... we ALL agree that the ballot on this issue was very confusing. Even those of us who were educated on the issue had to read the ballot explanation a couple of times. It led you to believe that a yes vote meant that we will have a pool and a no vote would be nothing. Instead of it being a yes or no vote, it should have read indoor or outdoor. I think if it did we would have seen a different result.

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