Phyllis Heineman just got ‘faced.’

I didn’t think you could run for State Senate as a teenager?

Alot of GOP candidates seem to be setting up facebook & My Space pages this year. A few Democrats are. It will be a trend for the future that begins now. It may have limited usefulness though if candidates don’t check their pages regularly and update them. Also, it will be fairly obvious to young users of those sites if the candidate’s page is just being updated by a staffer. I doubt if Rep. Heineman will actually get on Facebook and converse with teenagers.

With PP’s support and prodding you will find that facebook and myspace and boonzone and the other social networking websites will slowly morph and become more mainstream. They will eventually appeal to other than the body-piercing/tattooing demographics as well. The irony is that these sites are already killing what some people might consider to be “traditional blogging”, which will eventually fade into obscurity, unfortunately before it can be taken as form of legitimate media. (Epp’s porn popups are not helping the cause of you “serious” bloggers much)

BF’s back.

Don’t kid yourselves there are lots of adults on facebook etc and I am not talking about the ones that are preying on young people.

The net is nothing new for campaigns, if that is what you are thinking. I hate to say this but those thoughts are behind the times. Maybe that was part of the “R” problem! They didn’t want to believe.

Phyllis is going to give Scott the race of his life. Go Phyllis!

Good luck outspending Heidpriem. That’s how he won in the first place. He’s lives in my district, the only reason he got my vote was because Dick Kelly is a has been. Scott lives about 8 blocks from me, but never once knocked on my door during the race, but he sure filled my recycling bin with postcards. Bill Thompson, Susan Blake and one of Dick Kelly’s sons all stopped by my place. I didn’t even see a Heidpriem surregate. I have never been a very big fan of Scott, he’s a party turncoat, can’t be trusted.

yeah…you guys just keep telling yourselves she has a chance.

Scott is the best thing that happened to District 13 as well as the state legislature. I live in that district as well… and my door was knocked by Scott. Interesting… I’ve met Phyllis a bazillion times and that woman never recognizes me, acknowledges me in the grocery store, never knocks on my door when she’s campaigning. She’s very out of touch with the residents of her district and the state.
It’s going to be an interesting race… but I think she’s wasting her time.

whyphyllis? I guess she hasn’t figured it out yet. No website up.

10 – I don’t believe that for a minute. I’ve never met a more tireless campaigner. Phyllis not only knocks on every door, she prints her own newspaper to voters in her district to update them on the legislature. You obviously are never home when she stops by or conveniently never open your door.

#12, I don’t believe you for a second. In fact I don’t even believe you are a resident of District 13. If you were, you would know that Bill Thompson is the most tireless campaigner there is in that district hitting every door at least once and most twice – personally – every campaign. Look at the numerical Republican advantage Bill Thompson overcame in 2006 to finish ahead of Phyllis. If you were a resident of District 13, you would know that Kermit Staggers also hit every door personally – and even knocked doors for Dick Kelly. If you were a resident of District 13, you would know that Scott Heidepriem actually numbers his campaign flyers so that he knows and people know exactly how many doors he has knocked on. Phyllis does not actually knock on every door. She has been seen walking past houses. I don’t know why she does this but maybe she uses a walking list and sorts out the non-persuadables.

#12, if someone says that Phyllis should recognize them but doesn’t, how the heck would you know? So you accuse someone of intentionally not opening their door to her? #10 looks like a sincere post, and you’re just a propagandist. We know you have your facts wrong with your claim that Phyllis is the campaign champion of District 13. She’s not even close.

Word on the street here at the capitol is that Phyllis was the only one of all 105 legislators that refused to have her picture taken with a group of pages who were trying to complete a scrapbook of their experiences with the legislature.

The only person unwilling to take 30 seconds out of her time in Pierre to help some kids that were working hard for all legislators.

Even if Facebook is a haven for teens, I can’t imagine why any of these teens would want to be her friend. She would probably just crap on them too. I for one was very dissappointed in her.

#14, was she possibly in a meeting or tied up the day they took the pictures… or do you REALLY believe that she hates children? Come on…

#14 – anybody that knows Phyllis would tell you that children are her first priority. I don’t know the genesis of the rumor you reported, but it is highly unlikely that it is true. This will be a competitve race and Phyllis is a great candidate

14. How ridiculous. If that’s all you can come up with about her…

I met Ms. Heineman a few times and she is a very competent and classy person. I’m tired of the Beatification of Heidepriem by the Dems. Go Phyllis!

14 is wacked out! Phyllis has a teaching degree and I know for FACT children are of the highest priority for her! Stop spreading falsehoods!
I agree with Lee this will be a very competitive race!

Phyllis has worked tirelessly on the Education committee for many years. She is ALL about kids.

sheesh, the stuff people say in political races!

Why do we have all of these problems with education funding while Phyllis is chair of the House education committee? Why does the senate keep passing bi-partisan bills backed by both the education community and the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and having those bills killed in Phyllis’s committee? Phyllis is part of the problem, and Heidepriem is part of the solution.

20 is right on. Phyllis is the worst thing to happen to public education in the history of this state.

#20 and 21 I believe neither of you are telling the truth! I believe a bill starts in committee and then is taken to the floor.

It is the committee that decides what to do with a bill not just the chair.

Maybe a few of you need to visit Pierre to grasp the process or ask your representatives.
I believe I learned this in junior high.

A bill is read (first reading), then goes to committe and can go through hearings, can be sent to the floor for a vote or can be sent to another commmittee for a debate then to the floor and the process goes to the other house for the same process.

I sure hope i explained that correct and in a simplist form. I urge people to visit our capital during session.

#20 is so far off base that he doesn’t even realize that the education committee doesn’t deal with the spending bills, the appropriations committee does.

#20 + 21: Hello? Scott is THE dem leader in the senate, and has not had the horsepower to broker a deal for education funding? The Repubs never had a single bill he could take hostage in exchange for more funding?

Ok, lets blame that on the repubs, cuz they were the majority party.

But wait, I forgot, Scott WAS a leader in the legislature, when he was a Republican in the majority. Did he push the Governor around then and make the gov do his bidding?

No. He carried buckets for the R’s, and now he carries buckets for the D’s. He has legislated as an insider and an outsider, and funding hasn’t changed a bit.

Look it up.

Majority, Minority, in both cases he held leadership posts,

Phyllis will get on Facebook and really write on walls and really answer questions–herself.

That is who she is, what she is about.

She will aslo spell correctly and use good grammer–because she cares about things that those who teach communication care about.

She will also continue to support education that is closest to the parents, the district and the community and not push an adgenda from Pierre–even if that is what the Governor is pushing.

Phyllis is a South Dakota treasure and we should be grateful that she is willing to serve.

I was at the Capitol, those kids were not pages. Just 3 kids, home schooled, who were at the capitol lobbying the mid-wife issue.

I’m confused. It sounds like she did blow off some kids at the capitol, they just weren’t pages; they were home school kids at the capitol taking an active role in our government. Here are my questions:

1. Was she the only legislator that refused to have a picture with these kids?

2. If she was the only one, what was her reasoning for refusal; because they were home schooled, because they were testifying about a bill, or some other reason?

It is far more likely that “if” this happened last year or the year before, that Rep Heineman was up to her ears in dealing with the education bills assigned to her committee, or other demands. It is highly unlikely that Phyllis would intentionally blow off any group of kids, but being limited by the reality that she is human – she can only be at one place at a time. Many times I would have good friends show up in Pierre and I would want to have lunch with them or spend some time catching up, and you just can’t – because you have other responsibilities that take precedent. Knowing Phyllis, and most of the rest of the legislators, that is usually why something like this would happen – to the regret of both sides of the deal.

08/ 28 /2009

Hi This is my Story

I am Robert Alsgaard. I was laid-off from Hutchinson Technologies Incorporated, in Sioux Falls, S.D. on January 12, 2009 after working there for 16 years. Over 300 other employees were also laid-off that day. The company closed its doors several months later. To my knowledge, Hutchinson is building a new plant to be opened in 2010 in Thailand and renting a building with some operation run. The Sioux Falls Unemployment Office set up a meeting with all of us at one time. At the time we were told we would have to use up our severance pay before getting unemployment benefits. We would have to make two job contacts on a weekly basis, while drawing unemployment benefits.

There was a attorney from New York on the Oprah Winfrey Show saying a person doesn’t have to use up severance pay before getting unemployment benefits. It is this true? I would also like to know who the person or people are who decided an unemployed person would have to use the severance pay first?

At the end of May I called the Aberdeen Unemployment Office to find out when my severance pay would run out. The first day I called eight times and each time I would get a recording saying you have reached Aberdeen Unemployment Office. The recording would give four or five options each time I choose the option to talk to a person. In a few minutes. I would be cut off. An operator would say hang up and try again. The next day I called six times and I was cut off each time. The third day I called and again I was cut off. I called the Sioux Falls Unemployment Office I told report what had happed. The person said “I CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL ABERDEEN.” I replied “I will call Aberdeen again, but every time I get cut off, I call the Sioux Falls Office.” On the third call to the Sioux Falls Office after I called the Aberdeen Office witch I got cut off, the person said “CALL THIS NUMBER YOU WILL GET SOMEONE IN ABERDEEN.” I called the new number and got though to a person in Aberdeen. I told her that I was trying to find out when my severance pay would run out. With a raised voice she said “ YOU HAVE TO USE UP YOUR SEVERANCE PAY.” I replied “ I know that but when will the severance pay run out for me?” Again, in a raised voice, she said “ YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR SEVERANCE PAY FIRST.” By this time I was getting very frustrated and I thought she was very rude and I shouted “WHO IN THE HELL DO I TALK TO OR WHAT IN THE HELL DO I HAVE TO DO TO FIND OUT WHEN MY SEVERANCE PAY RUNS OUT.” she replied “ YOU HAVE TO CALL THIS NUMBER AND PICK OPTION ONE.” I said “Why didn’t you just answer my question the first time I asked and I wouldn’t have got mad and neither would have you gotten mad and this conversion would have been over.” I called the number back chose option one. After listening to the recording I realized I didn’t have all of the information I needed, so I hung up. I got the information and called the number again.

In a few days I received a packet from the Aberdeen Office on how to file a weekly certification. I thought my severance pay had ran out, since Aberdeen sent the packet out. So, I started to send in the weekly certification on line. I have very little experience in using the computer and putting the information online is very confusing for me. Two weeks later I got a letter from Aberdeen Unemployment Office saying I was held ineligible to receive unemployment pay commencing 05/31/2009 through 07/11/2009. Why did the Aberdeen Office wait for two weeks before sending me a letter to tell me, I was ineligible to receive unemployment pay until after 07/11/2009? I spoke to two of my co-workers who are going back to school. They found out when their severance pay would run out the same day they called in to Aberdeen Office. My co-worker told me if they put in for unemployment too early, that would count against the number of weeks they could get unemployment. Since I put in early for unemployment will the three weeks count against me. I didn’t receive any unemployment pay for them weeks. Will I only be able to draw twenty-three weeks of unemployment benefits instead of twenty six weeks?

For the week of 07/12/2009 through 07/18/2009 I could not file the weekly certification until after 07/19/2009. On 07/20/2009 I sent in my weekly certification. A message
came up I was to call the Aberdeen Office. Being frustrated knowing ever time a message come up it means I did something wrong in filling the weekly certification. I called the Aberdeen Office. I told the person “I got a message in which I was to call in.” Then I believe I said “Now what in the hell did I do wrong?” She said in a raised voice “YOU WHERE TO CALL IN ON 07/13/2009 TO REOPEN YOUR CLAIM.”. I received no notification that I was suppose to do that. I then came back with “ How in the hell was I to know that?” Said in a loud voice “IT SAYS IT IN THE HANDBOOK.” I replied “ WHAT DOES THE HANDBOOK SAY.” She come back with “ THAT YOU HAVEN’T FILED ANY WEEKLY CERTIFICATION FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR WEEKS OR MORE YOU HAVE TO REOPEN YOUR CLAM, IF YOU WOLD HAVE READ THE HANDBOOK.” I said ”I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT FOUR WEEKS WENT BY AND I READ THE HANDBOOK BACK IN MAY.” She said “YOUR REOPEN DATE WILL BE 07/19/2009, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT CALL IN UNTIL TODAY.” I think I said “God damn it I have to wait another week.” She replied “WELL I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THAT.” I said “FINE I WANT TO TALK TO YOUR SUPERVICSOR .” She responded in a lower voices “ Calm down, we will get though this.” I believe she didn’t want me to talk to her supervisor. Then she asked me “Why didn‘t you call on 07/13/2009?” So she could type in why I didn’t call on the 07/13/2009. She said “You will more then likely need a written appeal for a request to backdate you claim.”

I have written an appeal to backdate my claim. The appeal will be on 09/03/2009 by phone. In the packet I got for the appeal it said I could get an attorney. I would have to pay for an attorney. The most I would get is $323.00 of unemployment benefits if my appeal is approved. I know of no attorney that would take this case for only $323.00. So I feel the unemployment office has me over a barrel.

The conwersation I had with the person in Aberdeen reminded me of the time I drew unemployment back in 1975 and 1976, it was very frustrating to me. I thought to myself is this time going to be just as frustrating to get unemployment benefits now as it was thirty-four years ago.

I thought the people at the unemployment offices were there to help us, but now I really think they are trying to discourage or make it as hard as they can for a person who is trying to apply for unemployment benefits who isn’t going back to school. Does that give the unemployment office people the right to be rude to a person or give an unemployed person a hard time about not finding a job. To me it seems some of the people in Aberdeen are using their job as a power play, “If you don’t do as I tell you, you will not get your unemployment pay.” To me the unemployment office acts like I am not trying to get a job and I want to live off of unemployment pay.

To my understanding all of us who are laid-off in South Dakota have to file a claim with Aberdeen to get our unemployment pay. I also know it does not help when I get frustrated or upset, because I usually say things I shouldn’t say. I know the way I spoke to the people in Aberdeen was not right, but the way they spoke to me was not right either. Am I the only one who is having trouble with the people in Aberdeen? I believe more people are having trouble with the Aberdeen Office worker. If the people in the Aberdeen offices are speaking to other unemployed people like they spoke to me maybe there should be a change made in the attitude of the worker in Aberdeen. I think the unemployed people should also speak up if they are having trouble with the Aberdeen Office worker and maybe things will change.

I have trouble with understanding how to do things on the computer. Part of my trouble may be I only read at an eighth grade level. My math is at collage level. The
unemployment office in Sioux Falls did set up three classes of four hours at a time to help people with no or little knowledge of computers. Nine people were in the class. For me the instructor covered to much material for me too keep up and to understand it all.

I cashed in my 401 (k) plan in hope of keeping my home. Right now I have Cobra Insurance thanks to the stimulus plan. After the insurance stimulus plan runs out, I don’t know how I will pay for health insurance. The cost of insurance for me will be over $400.00 a month for one person, a $900.00 deductible and $2000.00 out-of-pocket maximums (does not include the deductible or prescription drug co-pays).

I fell I need more help. Where do I go? This whole situation has been very FRUSTRATING for me.

Robert Alsgaard
e-mail robertalsgaard1@msn.com