"Smilin'" Jeff Scherschligt. "Demandin'" Jeff Scherschligt must be hiding behind the chair.Remember those halcyon days of early December when a smiling and happy Jeff Scherschligt was on the TV about the Zip Tower implosion and all the good it was going to do for the city and MS funding?

Well now, according to today's Argus Leader, Jeff apparently has an evil twin who plays hardball businessman when he doesn't get his way in a sweetheart deal.

The Argus reports that Scherschligt, apparently without full Sioux Falls City Council approval, was expecting $400,000 in city money to help defray demotion costs and was set to receive other favors for his development that, oh, by the way, would be across from a proposed events center.

(As an aside, the events center, like the rec center, looks DOA.)

Oh, and by the way, Scherschligt and his group was going to resell the land for the events center to the city at their cost--IF they received the favors.

One problem: the city council didn't know about this additional items until AFTER a contract for the development was approved.

Meanwhile, in typical fashion, Mayor Dave Munson is pretending to be MIA on the whole deal. 

So which is it Dave?  You knew about it and you're not telling the truth or you simply don't know what's going on during your watch in City Hall?  Huh?  Huh? 

Smilin' Jeff, er, Demandin' Jeff, has now said that "a deal's a deal" and that he'll just develop the Zip site and screw the city.  Apparently Demandin' Jeff doesn't give a rip about how an open democracy is supposed to work.  And apparently Mayor Dave doesn't have a clue how to conduct one.

Read the article:

http://www.argusleader.com//apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051216/NEWS/512160342/1001/NLETTER01&theme=