Argus: Governor and Veterans Board at odds. How does that play out in the coming months?
Last time we heard about this kind of controversy, the Governor had been in a battle with the Brand Board over some of their practices and allegations, which ultimately soured the relationship between the Governor and some rancher groups.
This time, the Governor is in a battle with a different one of his appointed boards, the Veterans commission in an article by Peter Harriman at the Argus Leader:
The leaders of South Dakota’s four major veterans organizations are angry at Gov. Mike Rounds and his administration for selecting a man they say has a questionable military service record to direct the state veterans’ office.
and..
“The Governor regrets to inform that his schedule will not allow him to meet with the commission at any time in the foreseeable future,” Summerside wrote. He said Rounds wanted the veterans commission to meet with Summerside and his staff “on any issues it may have.”
Officers with the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans also wrote Rounds asking why Foell was made to retire, and the Legion letter asked Rounds to address the process of naming Foell’s replacement. Rounds replied that he would not comment on personnel issues. He said Friday that whether Foell retired voluntarily or was forced out is a moot point, since the Veterans Affairs director serves at the pleasure of the Military and Veterans Affairs secretary.
and…
But other commissioners suggest the veterans commission will lose its effectiveness if it is not able to have Summerside removed and name a new director.
“We’re ineffective now because the veterans organizations are supporting our stand. At the same time they are saying they are not attending our meetings because they are not recognizing him as director,” Loudner said.
Interesting. Take a moment to review this long article and read it all here.
I’d caught wind of a little of this as I was on my way out of state government, and I’d heard that Dennis was being somewhat pushed out, but a lot of that was second hand information. I do know Dennis is a heck of nice guy from all our work on the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial Dedication together.
I suspect these types of controversies flare up naturally with every administration. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. Is it ultimately going to affect a man who is said to not be running again? Probably not.
But what about his protege’ ?
Any comments about controversy in the waning months of the Governor’s time in office also tie into Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard’s quest for the big chair. One comment I’d heard was that the Lt. Governor has been very reluctant to have any difference of opinion between he and the Governor. You name an issue, and to his credit, the Lt. Governor is as loyal a soldier as there can be to his Governor.
With about 8 months until the Gubernatorial campaign 2010 will likely kick off, if there’s any downside to this type of controversy, given his close association with Rounds, Dennis stands to have the most to lose when the Governor gets into battles like this.
Yes, he benefits from the Governor’s successes. But in a case like this, he might get stuck carrying some extra baggage as well.
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Comments
Vets, Brand Board, Airplanes, fed game warden, Secret Government, Appropriations, Highway Patrol, K-12 funding, DOT trust fund blown, ethanol tax fight, lack of vision, abortion veto/signage, and to some extent the lack of support for republican legislators (do not help lists, etc.).
Stack ‘em up…these things and others will mount against Daugaard all the way through 2010.
The question is to what extent those things count against Daugaard - do people blame him for Rounds faults or see him separately? (And to be fair how much credit does he get for Rounds successes?)
I suppose it is the same as when any lt governor or vice president runs for the top spot.
Rounds had successes? If he did, they have been forgotten in the flood of controversial faux pas that he mishandled with all the dexterity of a guy with no arms trying out for catcher in the major leagues. These issues all came back to smack ol’ Smilin’ Mike in the face.
Daugaard may very well be a likable guy, but I can’t think of a single person involved in any of these blowups who would even consider supporting him for governor simply because it would be another round of Rounds. Having been involved in a couple of these myself on the opposite side from “Janklow Light”, the very thought of another Rounds causes me night terrors!!
Forgot about government spending (topping $3B), Board of Regents puppet, FTE growth, $4M mansion, and out of state contracts.
Gov Mike does have Janklow’s lab to lean on as a success. That and expanding the air fleet.
Daugaard will have to answer for these things and he will need to have his own opinions. This will be a coronation for him.
Rounds must be tone deaf. Proving that the new Director of the State Veterans Affairs Office is an honorably discharged veteran shouldn’t be that hard. And, if he isn’t, why the hell would you appoint him? Vets are asked all the time to provide their DD214 (discharge papers). It isn’t that big of a deal and producing it shouldn’t be considered a personnel issue.
The Rounds administration proves once again that they are able to get so wrapped around the axel that they grind to a halt.
The gaul of Rounds! Appointing someone whose most recent military discharge was a general discharge rather than an honorable discharge as director of veterans affairs? Then leaving him in despite the complaints of the veterans groups? Then refusing to meet with the veterans groups? Rounds seems to be going out of his way to alienate friends and generate enemies. He obviously has given up on any political future for himself.
My impression from this article is that the appointment is made by the adjudant general, not the governor. I thnk these two paragraphs in the story kind of get to the heart of it:
“On Friday, Rounds said the veterans have a valid point in arguing that Summerside’s appointment was not in accordance with state law. Rounds also said he acknowledged that point in a meeting with leaders of veterans organizations and a veterans commission member, Gene Murphy, last month in Pierre.
“Rounds said his preference is that Doohen and the veterans commission work out their differences and come to an arrangement for appointing a new director that is agreeable to both sides. In the meantime, though, the position is too important to leave vacant so Summerside will continue as acting director.”
It sounds like someone goofed up, and there was miscommunication between the Governor, the Adjudtant General (either the last one or the current one), and the Veterans groups, but they have found a reasonable way to solve it.
The way to solve it lies in plain sight right in front of their noses. Can Summerside and put in Todd Kolden. Problem solved. (The full article makes it clear that Kolden was the first choice of the Veterans Commission and the second choice of the Adjutant General behind Summerside).
The fact that this hasn’t been done and that summerside is still in the position indicates that the veterans groups are still not being listened to. And that crazy 6:22 commenter who wants to absolve Rounds of any responsibility, where’s the leadership? Where is the leadership?
anon 6:44
Anon 6:22 is a bone headed Rounds apologist that, like Mike Rounds, apparently never served in the military. One of the first things I learned was that “a commander is responsible for everything that their unit does or fails to do”. With Rounds and his bunch this isn’t the case. Or rather they try to avoid responsibility whenever possible.
PP, please add post numbers.
The governor’s bumbling will continue through 2010. Take that to the bank.
Daugaard is second-in-command of this debacle called the Rounds administration. Poor dude is in a tough spot.
Knudsen, as the senate majority leader, isn’t much better positioned. He & Stan the Man have been ardent supporters since day 1.
It’ll be an interesting race & may blow open the door for Schoenbeck, Michels or (gasp) a Democrat.
Voters will be anxious for any kind of change that’s for sure.
PP won’t add post numbers because then it gets all difficult for him to renumber when he goes out and nukes a bunch of posts he doesn’t agree with NN.
I think he posted this information once in a fit of rage at Newland.
HB 1298 attempted to address this issue during the legislative session, but was killed in the House State Affairs Committee on a 7-5 vote. Dykstra was the only republican that supported the bill(I wonder why ). If you believe the Governor has no influence on who is appointed to this position I wonder why his lobbyists worked so hard to kill the bill? That is fact and the pressure before during and after on this bill was incredible. The Governor has a dog of some type in the fight despite what he or anyone else says.
Anon 7:12 I know PP nukes posts, sometimes lots of them. I really hated it when he would renumber them. Nuke’em if ya need to Pat. You don’t need to renumber because that just throws off all the comments that refer to a past post.
PP Probably doesn’t have a choice. I’ll bet when he erases a post it automatically renumbers the others.
#16, PP is an internet God and he could make them be numbered whatever he wanted, if he chose!
My take on the issue at hand in PP’s post is that Dennis probably has a lot bigger issues he’ll have to deal with before the election is over. If you thing this is the worst that the Argus will dole out, you’re wrong.
There are flat out lies coming. More of them. Randell has a book of them ready.
Randell will control the next gubernatorial election, no doubt. Unless his rag has fallen to complete shambles by then, which is a very real possibility.
Otherwise, whatever candidate is NOT endorsed by that “paper”, WINS!
Hands down.
It is interesting to read all the criticisms here of Gov. Rounds from posters I am guessing are predominately Republican. Where were you guys (and gals) in 2006? Jack Billion tried to point out many of these issues about the Rounds Administration.
Perhaps my Republican friends will find a non-Daugaard candidate that they like better. Maybe my friend Lee Schoenbeck is the guy for you. But you’ll also have a choice of a Democrat who really make some changes. Maybe Rep. Sandlin, maybe Sen. Heidepriem, maybe someone else completely.
I’m just sayin’ that if you want change–real change–in Pierre, it’s probably going to come from a Democrat. Don’t blind yourselves to that possibility.
Epp SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
I’m reading these posts and I’m wondering this. Does it make sense to assume that Daugaard has the same management/leadership style that Rounds does?
It makes sense, I guess, to assume that they are probably close on policy (although as LG, Daugaard has to keep differences to himself).
But if your gripe with Rounds is leadership/management style, which is what this veterans issue is really about, I think Daugaard is just as likely as Schoenbeck, Heidepriem, or anyone else to be different. He is a different person, after all.
It’s like with vice presidents. Should you vote for George Bush because you like Ronald Reagan? Not necessarily. Should you oppose Al Gore because you oppose Bill Clinton? Not necessarily.
I dunno, I’ve just always thought you’ve got to consider each candidate on his own merits.
I agree that we have to consider each candidate on their own merits, but Daugaard is going to have to make a real point of distancing himself from Rounds’ policies if he hopes to overcome the handicap Rounds has hung around the neck of his Lt. Gov.
Daugaard is going to have to come out against the incompetents on the Brand Board and GF&P, he’s going to have to tell us that under NO circumstances would he consider having the state buy conservation easements around Bear Butte to accommodate a bunch of Indian activists that only recently decided that the mountain is sacred to them, and he is going to have to jump on Max Wetz to give support to ALL Republican candidates, whether he agrees with them or not.
Frankly, I don’t think any of this is going to happen and if it doesn’t, Daugaard is toast.
Daugaard will have to offer solutions to the highway funding problem, the school aid problem, the mess in Social Services, just to name a few. His “deer caught in the headlights” responses may satisfy his wealthy “keepers” but I doubt they will sell in the primary. It doesn’t matter how much money he raises. He lacks the single most important characteristic needed, leadership.
I’d forgotten about that Brand Board incident - that was a while back! My favorite was the fight with the Library Board about the teen sex website - “Ask Eliza” or something. And of course there is that Prieksat (sp) fight. It’s like you said - every governor gets these “flareups.” It would be fun to make a list.