To read this article at the Argus Leader website, click on this link. The PSL is supporting Amanda Todd’s campaign for City Council in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Four seats on the Sioux Falls City Council are up for grabs. Elections are scheduled for April 8. Voices asked each of the 11 candidates to submit responses to the same series of questions about themselves, the issues facing the city and their view of the city’s progress. During the next several days, Voices will publish their responses.
– Nestor Ramos, Voices editor
Name: Amanda Todd
Age: 27
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Profession: Mail processing clerk for the United States Postal Service
How long have you lived in Sioux Falls, and if you moved here, from where did you move: I grew up in rural Valley Springs and moved to Brookings while I attended South Dakota State University. I have lived in Sioux Falls for four years.
What should the City Council’s role be in the ongoing consideration and planning for a new events center?
The City Council should definitely have a say in where the events center should be and how the construction should be funded. Everything should not be decided by a committee that no one elected and no one can influence. If the building goes with the current trend, it will be named after a company or businessman; therefore, it should be paid for by companies and not taxpayers.
Do you support the proposed increase in the city’s second penny sales tax? Why or why not?
I do not support the tax increase because, while it is small, the tax will be another burden on poor families at a time they can least cope with it. Inflation and the cost of living are going up and the standard of living is going down for the majority of people. This is especially true when those in charge cannot agree whether the extra money would go for roads.
Do you believe the city of Sioux Falls has hired enough police officers and firemen to keep up with growth, and do you support a population-based formula for staffing?
The city has the capacity to hire more police officers and firemen, but the real question is whether there are enough teachers and affordable medical professionals for the growing city. I support hiring more teachers who are paid what they deserve and services such as prenatal care for uninsured women.
How would you like redevelopment of the Pettigrew Heights area to progress? What’s the next step?
I would like to see Pettigrew Heights get improved low-income housing projects for those already living in the area. If this were turned into a high-priced neighborhood, many people would be without homes with nowhere to turn. On any given night there are a million people in the U.S. who are homeless, and 200,000 of them are veterans. Sioux Falls does not need to add to the statistics.
Please give Mayor Dave Munson a letter grade on his term in office and defend your position.
Looking at Dave Munson’s record, the people of Sioux Falls have not gained much. Lately, we have been given a road for downtown tourists and many proposals that have been overturned by the voters. Downtown businesses might call him “friend,” but when he opposes using money to update residential roads, he might have some people calling him “foe.”
What are the top three issues or priorities facing the city of Sioux Falls in the coming years?
We should focus on making life better for the citizens of Sioux Falls. Immigrant workers should be treated equally in all areas. There should be job programs that give young adults an option for the future without having to turn to the military. Finally, the city should raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour to ensure people have enough to live on without working more than one job.
