We just passed the milestone that is our 5th birthday. Five years of political coverage, commentary and more with a South Dakota focus.  And we couldn’t do it without you!

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1610 17th Ave S
Brookings, SD 57006

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Thanks for your continuing support of the SDWC.

I thought I’d share the note I passed on to the legislators who sit on the House State Affairs Committee, just for your information. Of course, now that I post it I see a grammatical error or two I should have corrected, but, “it is what it is.”  Here you go.

Dear Representatives:

I’ve noticed that HB 1277 and HB 1278 which were introduced on Thursday have been assigned to the House State Affairs committee for your consideration at a coming date.

Please be advised that these measures, while well intentioned, do less than accomplish their stated goals. They will impose a new set of laws on everyday citizens, while leaving bad actors unscathed.

HB 1278 is by far the most onerous measure, which states in part that “Any person who allows internet posts shall keep a record of the internet-protocol logs adequate to provide identification and location of otherwise unknown, anonymous, or pseudonymous persons who leave or upload content.”

This requirement does not simply extend to those who write political websites as I do, but to an unbelievably broad base of South Dakotans. The legislature would demand that nearly everyone who operates a website with a minimal level of interactivity be subjected to a government mandate to collect the IP information of users.

For example, Representative Noem – your website at kristinoem.com, which allows people interested in your activities to offer thoughts, would be one of those websites subjected to the tracking mandate of HB 1278.   And Representative Hunhoff – the interactive “editor’s notebook” website for your magazine at http://www.southdakotamagazine.com/editors_notebook.php would also be subject to the tracking requirement set forth.  Both websites allow the users to use a nickname, comment as “anonymous” or otherwise use a pseudonym, which triggers the IP address tracking mandate of HB 1278.

I compliment you both as to your ability with a computer, and you both likely have the ability to track Internet Protocol addresses already installed, just as I do on my own website. But what about those less sophisticated using free software which does not come with such software? They would technically be in violation of the law.

An example I held out on my website was that for instance, my daughter who just turned 13 decided to create a blog designed to give herself an on-line journal to write stories about flying unicorns.  She does it via the blogger platform, a popular and free forum for her to create “Unicorn Land.”  It has nothing to do with politics – it’s “All Flying Unicorns – All the time.” Under the Hamiel/Turbak measure, because the software format allows people the ability to post comments anonymously, or via a pseudonym,  her Flying Unicorn Blog would be subjected to the requirement imposed by government to install IP Address tracking software.

It has nothing to do with people who print falsehoods – which are already subject to potential civil action under existing law. It has everything to do with going after average, everyday South Dakotans who use the Internet.

THAT’S who this measure will be affecting the most.  It’s written as such to require tracking on ALL websites that allow commenters. This includes funeral bereavement web sites, hospital care journals, newspaper web sites, on-line book discussion groups, personal photo upload websites such as flickr, community discussion websites, pheasant hunting blogs, and any internet based web site where a South Dakotan can potentially leave a comment.”

I think we should all consider that this is an improper exercise of government authority, and very chilling to the rights of free speech that we hold very dearly in our society.

I would strongly urge that this package of legislation be killed in your committee.

If I can answer any questions about these measures, or provide any information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Regards,

Pat Powers
dakotawarcollege@yahoo.com

In the interest of fairness, I thought I’d run down those who are posting on-line in the SD Blogposphere who seem to be embracing the measures proposed in the Hamiel/Turbak-Berry Blog Control Act.

Steve Sibson (a.k.a. Sibby Online) seems to be taking issue with my concerns over a proposal that would force practically everyone with a website to install government mandated IP tracking software.

Now that the ACLU has taken sides agains HB 1277 and HB 1278, it is becoming much easier to pick the correct side, that is if you are supportive of teh First Amendmnt the Founding Fathers created, not teh faus one that has been created by recent Supreme Court rulings.

I’m not sure what he means by “teh faus one.” (Is that a German reference?)

As usual with Sibby, he leaves me scratching my head in a “where-did-that-come-from” quizzical way.  Of all people, you’d expect Steve to be concerned about a government mandate to track who is visiting and commenting on your website.  But, since I’m against this “big brother” tactic, that must mean Steve has to take the contrary, nanny-state position.

I’d be shocked, but this is Sibby we’re talking about.

Only one other person seems to be taking a stance critical of the blogosphere’s near complete opposition to the pair of measures, David Newquist of Northern Valley Beacon.

While David claims that he isn’t taking a position, holding true to his usual snobbery, he spends most of his time belittling blog authors because he believes his own pomposity to be above our savage pettiness.

What makes this really interesting is that I know for a fact that one of the legislators who has an interest in the bill is solely in support of it because of incorrect information (about this legislator) that Newquist posted on his website and on KELO.  AND when this legislator made multiple attempts to contact him and ask for it to be corrected, Newquist utterly ignored him.

Otherwise, Todd Epp, who authored HB 1277 upon request of Noel Hamiel and Nancy Turbak Berry, is against their other measure, the onerous HB 1278 with it’s mandatory website monitoring requirement.

HB 1277 and HB 1278 are still yet to be set for committee hearing in the House State Affairs committee that it has been assigned to.   Keep an eye out, and remember to contact your legislators to let them know what you think.

This week is set to be a busy one for the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” campaign program.

In a sign that the NRCC intends to continue to expand the Republican playing field in 2010, party officials are set to name 14 new challenger and open-seat candidates who have reached the first rung of the committee’s three-tiered fundraising and infrastructure system.

Also, NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) is set to announce the first group of candidates who have completed the necessary requirements to reach the program’s highest level and have earned the distinction of being called the GOP’s top House recruits of the 2010 cycle.

The Young Guns system ranks candidates in three levels: “On the Radar,” “Contender” and, finally, “Young Guns.” Candidates are named to the program by meeting individualized benchmarks set by the committee, which include developing grass-roots support, fundraising and creating a media plan. Those benchmarks become higher and more stringent with each level of the program.

Among the 14 GOP candidates who will be named to On the Radar status this week are South Dakota state Rep. Blake Curd, who is running against Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D).

Read it here in Roll Call.

A Senate majority resolution to amend the constitution was introduced into the Senate on Wednesday to prohibit school districts from supporting or funding any legal proceedings challenging the state over the constitution. If passed by legislators, the amendment could be put on the November ballot.

SJR7 is a “direct attack” on school districts, said Scott Abdallah, attorney for the South Dakota Coalition of Schools, the group supporting the current education funding lawsuit against the state over adequate funding.

and…

Wilbur’s ruling did not prevent a trial in the constitutional challenge. The South Dakota Coalition of Schools withdrew as a party and the trial proceeded with only a handful of students and their parents as plaintiffs.

Wilbur ruled in April 2009, that the school funding system is constitutional. The South Dakota Coalition of Schools intends to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court, as well.

Read it here.

What do you think?

1. Keep it on topic.

No Sibby, HB1278 has nothing to do with initiated measure 10, or the identity of the South Dakota Blog Watch Man, and anything to that effect will be deleted as clutter.

2.  Watch the URL’s in posts.

The Spam Filter is on hyperdrive tonight, and URL’s seem to be disagreeing with it.

3. If you’re kicked into Spam or moderated, drop me a personal note.

It’s not intentional. Just drop me a note, and I’ll fix it. If you’re a horse’s arse about it, and exhibit bad manners…. Well, don’t be shocked if I don’t, and I put baby in the corner.

4. If you’re concerned about HB 1277 and HB 1278…

Crackerbarrels are tomorrow.  Tell your reps they need to kill the Hamiel/Turbak-Berry Blog Control Act.

From my mailbox….

ACLU of South Dakota Concerned By Two Bills in South Dakota House That Chill Free Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2010

SIOUX FALLS , SD- The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is deeply concerned by two bills that have been introduced into the South Dakota Legislature this week. Both bills seek to add serious constraints to websites that allow users to post anonymous opinions. HB 1277 and HB 1278 mandate that websites in South Dakota that allow for unnamed posting of comments, opinions and other speech items must track those who are posting on their web pages and keep records of IP addresses and other potential identifying and private information.

“These bills seek to address issues of defamation on internet websites but do so in a way that is so excessively broad that it suppresses South Dakotans ’ rights to freedom of expression and infringes on their right to privacy,” states Robert Doody, Executive Director of the SD Chapter of the ACLU. “Placing burdensome requirements on bloggers, website owners and others who operate internet-based sites that accept anonymous comments chills freedom of expression to its very core,” said Doody.

The two companion bills seek to undermine and discourage freedom of expression while forcing individuals who operate web-based forums to track their users. If HB 1277 passes, individuals would have the right to sue bloggers, website owners and operators, and others to force them to turn over their business records which identify those who post anonymous comments that might be viewed as defamatory. HB 1278 mandates that “content providers,” those who manage and run websites, blogs, and other forms of internet-based media, track and keep records of all identifying information of their website users.

“Defamation is not protected speech, but anonymous speech and the right to exercise your First Amendment rights are at the very heart of our democracy,” exclaimed Pat Powers, author of South Dakota War College , a blog which allows anonymous comments and which discusses political issues in South Dakota . “Blogs, online newspapers, hospitals, your local funeral home, anyone who allows anonymous comments must install tracking software if this law passes,” according to Pat Powers.

“Defamation is not protected speech on the internet or in any other forum; however, the current bills seek to make anonymous speech a virtual liability for any website owner,” according to Robert Doody of the ACLU of South Dakota. “The ACLU is particularly concerned with how HB 1277 and HB 1278 will chill speech about politicians and other public figures. “Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority…It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation…” as stated by the United States Supreme Court in Abrams v. United States, 250 U.S. 616 (1919).

Although HB 1277 and HB 1278 have the express purpose of helping combat defamation, both bills place undue burdens on websites to the point where the ability to make anonymous comments would be curtailed and in turn limit the ability to exercise the First Amendment. “There are other avenues to address online defamation through the legal process besides passing such chilling legislation,” said Doody.

Lest there are those few out there who question why they should care one iota about the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act, I’d like to point out how far sweeping this measure is, and why it is so chilling in terms of government control.

I’m NOT a fan of HB 1277, which has a multitude of problems, not the least of which is that it could cause internet content providers to shut off their services to access from South Dakotans. But HB 1278 is just plain out scary in terms that providers of Internet Content would have it mandated our state government that they install tracking software.

As “the scary part” notes: Any person who allows internet posts shall keep a record of the internet-protocol logs adequate to provide identification and location of otherwise unknown, anonymous, or pseudonymous persons who leave or upload content.

How far reaching will it be?  Well, let me just show you who Noel Hamiel and Nancy Turbak will mandate tracking software for….

The Mitchell Daily Republic. Noel Hamiel’s old stomping grounds as publisher will be one of the first to feel the sting of the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act.  This newspaper blog allows one to use a pseudonym – and under the law, that would trigger the need for mandatory compliance.

The Mitchell Avera Queen of Peace Caring Bridge Patient Journal.  It’s a very simple matter to use a pseudonymous name. Because it is an on-line content provider, under the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act, hospital journals that allow comments would be required under the law to submit to the draconian tracking software requirement.

The Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act even goes after those grieving.  Because it is “on-line content”  the mandatory tracking measure would also apply to the well wishes of those grieving, since this form of commerical speech in the form of posts about mourning and grief could allow pseudonyms to be used, Nancy Turbak Berry’s act which is offensive to free speech would regulate, and mandate that the Crawford Funeral Chapel in Watertown install IP Tracking software as part of their obituary comment roll.

The Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act is an equal opportunity government control act.  Both the Pro-life website “Voices Carry” as well as the Pro-Choice “Planned Parenthood Blog” will be subjected to install monitoring software to satisfy the  mandates of the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control measure to potentially identify those who are leaving comments.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin, Kristi Noem, the Senate Democrats (dormant or not), and SD GOP, or anyone else’s campaign blog that allows comments? ( And you all do.)  Guess what? The Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act will force you all to install government mandated tracking software.

And finally under the Hamiel/Turbak BCA, even the ACLU would be forced to install IP Tracking software, as if you look at their blog, they allow anonymous comments and pseudonyms.

How’s that for a chilling effect on Free Speech?

Stay tuned.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1278

Representatives Hamiel, Bolin, Brunner, Carson, Cutler, Deadrick, Fargen, Gibson, Gosch, Greenfield, Hoffman, Hunt, Iron Cloud III, Jensen, Juhnke, Kirkeby, Kopp, Krebs, Lederman, McLaughlin, Moser, Olson (Betty), Schlekeway, Sly, Sorenson, Turbiville, Vanneman, and Verchio and Senators Turbak Berry, Brown, Dempster, and Vehle

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to provide for a process of obtaining certain information from online content providers in slander and libel actions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That chapter 20-11 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Any person who allows internet posts shall keep a record of the internet-protocol logs adequate to provide identification and location of otherwise unknown, anonymous, or pseudonymous persons who leave or upload content. However, no person may be compelled to produce such information except in response to a court order.
Section 2. That chapter 20-11 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Any party seeking an order compelling production of internet-protocol logs, whether in an action brought under this chapter or under common law shall establish:
(1) That the request for information is made in good faith and not for any improper purpose;
(2) That the information sought relates to a material claim or defense;
(3) That the identifying information is directly and materially relevant to that claim or defense; and
(4) That the information sufficient to establish or to disprove that claim or defense is unavailable from any other source.
Section 3. For the purposes of this Act the term, internet, is the same as the term is defined in § 37-24-41.

You ever have one of those moments where you’re scratching your head over what legislators propose?

“Any person who allows internet posts shall keep a record of the internet-protocol logs adequate to provide identification and location of otherwise unknown, anonymous, or pseudonymous persons who leave or upload content.”

This literally sets the gold standard for Nanny-statism. Not just the annoying “we think it’s for your own good misguided over-altrusitic efforts.”    This is more akin to out-and-out a police state type of control fascism.

Frankly, this is the type of thing that should offend South Dakotans to the inner core.

Why?  For example….

Let’s (for instance) say my daughter who just turned 13 decides to create a blog designed to give herself an on-line journal to write stories about flying Unicorns.  She does it via the blogger platform, a popular and free forum for her to create “Unicorn Land.”  It has nothing to do with politics – it’s “All Flying Unicorns – All the time.”

Under the Hamiel/Turbak measure, because the software format allows the ability to post anonymously, or via a pseudonym….  Her flying Unicorn Blog would be subject to what we’ll call “the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act,”  and this little 13 year-old redheaded girl would have to install IP Address tracking software as  mandated by state government.

Government mandated comment tracking.

This would be like telling newspapers they have to track and be able to identify any anonymous sources for news stories, except in this case, it goes far beyond news.

And the Hamiel/Turbak Blog Control Act should scare everyone witless.

All the way down to prospective unicorn story authors.

This weekend, take a moment to contact your legislator – and tell then they need to kill this ridiculous measure.

For an act entitled, An act to provide for a process of obtaining certain information from online content providers in slander and libel actions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:

Section 1. That chapter 20-11 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Any person who allows internet posts shall keep a record of the internet-protocol logs adequate to provide identifciaton and location of otherwise unknown, anonymous, or pseudonymous persons who leave or upload content. However, no person may be compelled to produce such information except in response to a court order.

Section 2. That chapter 20-11 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Any party seeking an order compelling production of internet-protocol logs, whether in an action brought under this chapter or under common law shall establish:

(1.) That the request for infoamtion is made in good faith and not for any improper purpose;

(2 )That the information sought relates to a material claim or defense;

(3.) That the identifying information is directly and materially relevant to that claim or defense; and

(4.) That the information sufficient to establish or to disprove that claim or defense is unavailable from any other source.

Section 3. For the purposes of this ACT the term, internet, is the same as the term is defined in 37-24-41.

Much, much more to come.

United States House of Representatives candidate Chris Nelson today highlighted the stark difference between the words and the actions of South Dakota’s incumbent Representative.

Following the President’s State of the Union speech, Representative Herseth Sandlin endorsed the President’s call for a spending freeze on some areas of discretionary spending beginning next year.  This call for a spending cap is at least two years too late.  Spending in these areas has increased nineteen percent in the last two years.  The incumbent easily endorses a cap AFTER the spending has skyrocketed.

Representative Herseth Sandlin continued saying we “must do more” to get spending under control.  Unfortunately the words don’t match the votes.

Today our Representative voted to increase the federal debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion dollars.  This vote to increase the federal debt to $14.3 trillion dollars adds over six thousand dollars of debt to each man, woman, and child in the United States.

Unfortunately this vote continues a long trend of votes for more federal spending and higher debt by Representative Herseth Sandlin:
$820 Billion on first passage of stimulus spending bill on January 27, 2009.
$787 Billion on final passage of stimulus spending bill on February 13, 2009.  Every penny of the $787 is borrowed money.
$410 Billion Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 on February 25, 2009.  Increased spending eight percent over previous year.
$3.56 Trillion Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2010 on April 29, 2009.  Increases the national debt by at least $1.2 trillion dollars.
$1.1 Trillion Appropriations Act on December 10, 2009.  Average increase per department of ten percent over previous year.
$290 Billion increase in the federal debt limit on December 16, 2009.  Sets the federal debt limit at $12,394,000,000,000.  That debt is about $40,000 per person.

Nelson summarized the inconsistency this way, “The incumbent Representative has painted herself as a ‘fiscal conservative blue dog Democrat’.  A review of today’s vote and the Congressional Record shows otherwise.  Our Representative has contributed to the exploding federal debt.  I am ready to go to Congress and vote to balance the federal budget by cutting spending and shrinking the roll of the federal government.  It’s time to bring fiscal responsibility to Congress and limit the size of the federal government.”

SIOUX FALLS – Blake Curd, Republican candidate for South Dakota’s lone congressional seat, voiced his disappointment today with the House vote to increase our nation’s debt limit by an additional $1.9 trillion dollars.

“With this vote today, Rep. Herseth Sandlin and the Democrats in Congress voted to add another $6,000 worth of debt for every man, woman and child on top of $40,016 per person we already have. Past Republican majorities spent too much of the taxpayer dollars, but Rep. Herseth Sandlin and her colleagues have taken reckless spending to a whole new level,” said Curd.

“Rep. Herseth Sandlin claims to be concerned with fiscal responsibility, but the reality is she has supported every major spending bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat majority have put forward including the $787 billion stimulus, major appropriations bills, and budget resolutions,” said Curd, who is a veteran and doctor in Sioux Falls.

“If elected to Congress, I will look for waste, fraud and abuse and question assumptions about spending just like I’ve done in the State Legislature in Pierre,” said Curd, who is a first term State Representative representing portions of Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin has voted for every major budget and spending bill since Democrats have been in the majority:

H.Con.Res 99, Roll Call Vote #212, 3/29/07 (FY08 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 2764, Roll Call Vote #1171, 12/17/07 (FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

H.Con.Res. 312, Roll Call Vote #141, 3/13/08 (FY09 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 1, Roll Call Vote #70, 2/13/09 (Stimulus Bill)

H.R. 1105, Roll Call Vote #86, 2/25/09 (FY09 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

H.Con.Res 85, Roll Call Vote #192, 4/2/09 (FY10 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 3288, Roll Call Vote #949, 12/10/09 (FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

###

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin Says Bring on the Debt: Rewards Pelosi with Credit Line Extension

South Dakota Democrat Votes for $2 Trillion in New Debt, Continues to Embrace Job-Killing Agenda That Spends Too Much, Taxes Too Much, and Borrows Too Much

Washington- Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin turned her back on South Dakota families again today when she approved a measure to increase the country’s debt ceiling by nearly $2 trillion, allowing her party to continue passing off the tab for their runaway spending:

“Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives are counting on new budget deficit curbs to help smooth the way for a bill allowing the government to go $1.9 trillion deeper into debt over the next year — or about $6,000 more for every U.S. resident.

“The debt measure set for a House vote Thursday would raise the cap on federal borrowing to $14.3 trillion.” (“House Faces Tough Vote on $1.9T More Debt,” Associated Press, 2/4/10)

Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight for the taxpayers who are stuck with the bill for Herseth Sandlin’s spending bonanza, as Democrats continue to rack up the debt:

“A 1.9 trillion-mile trip is about the same as 8 million trips to the moon.

“Unfortunately, the $1.9 trillion in new borrowing authority Congress is giving President Barack Obama won’t take people quite that far. The additional $1.9 trillion raises the debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion, but that limit may have to be increased again after the November election.” (“How Big Is $1.9 Trillion? Very,” Associated Press, 2/4/10)

“With Democrats sinking the country deep into the red, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s vote to bring on more debt is simply reckless,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Herseth Sandlin and her party leaders have embraced a job-killing agenda that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. Instead of backing away from her party’s runaway spending spree, Herseth Sandlin just handed them a credit card with a $1.9 trillion line of credit.”

After giving her party the green light to pile another $1.9 trillion on the backs of South Dakota families, will she ever get the message that enough is enough?

###

House Democrats Block Vote on Thune Measure to End TARP

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John Thune commended Republicans in the House of Representatives for offering a motion that would have given House Members an opportunity to end the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and allow unspent funds that are paid back to lower the national debt. Democrats successfully blocked the measure to proceed to the bill by a vote of 233-195. Republicans were joined by 20 Democrats who voted to move to the measure.

“Democrats in the House today blocked an opportunity to take a step toward ending TARP as part of their efforts to increase the debt limit,” said Thune. “The original purpose of TARP no longer exists and it is time to shut down this program. This was an opportunity for the House to show they are listening to the American people and they are willing to stop the spending spree. Mounting debt threatens to crush our economy, but ending TARP would be a significant step toward addressing this growing problem.”

On January 28^th, the Senate voted 60-39 to increase the debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion to $14.294 trillion – the largest such increase in our nation’s history. When the Senate considered the increase to the debt limit, a majority of Senators supported the bipartisan Thune TARP amendment, which needed 60 votes, but was defeated by a vote of 53 to 45.

Last summer, Senator Thune also introduced the Government Ownership Exit Plan Act (S. 1242). The Government Ownership Exit Plan would end TARP authority and require the federal government to sell all the ownership interests in private companies that it has acquired through TARP.

###

As noted on the journal page for Sydney,

Visitation will be held Sunday, February 7th from 5-7 p.m., with family present, at St. Lambert’s Catholic Church in Sioux Falls, SD (1000 S Bahnson). Christian Wake services will be held following the visitation.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Lamberts on Monday, February 8th, at 11:00 a .m.

The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to the:

Sydney Anne Jones Memorial Fund
Catholic Foundation of Eastern South Dakota
523 N Duluth Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Please keep the Jones family in your thoughts and prayers.

It’s a bit of a historic document, so I’m sharing it here.

Yes, that’s FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover congratulating my dad on the occasion of my birth. Unless they had autopens back in 1966, in comparing it to known autograph examples, it looks like it was him, and not a secretary signing it.

That’s going on my office wall!

So what did I learn?

1. Stepanie Rissler of SDPB has impeccable manners, even towards a schlub like me. I chatted with her early this afternoon, and she sent me a nice note this evening.  Make sure you catch her on SDPB’s statehouse.

2. Ben Nesselhuf has a tendency towards dramatic flair when speaking on the floor…

3.  State Representative Rich Engels is not going to run this next election, so he can spend more time with family during those pesky growing years which chase so many out of politics.    Best of luck to Rich.  Also not coming back… Dennis Schmidt & Jim Peterson.

4. I didn’t think I ever realized how hilarious Shantel Krebs is. At the REALTOR Chili-Oyster feed, she was entertainment at the table as among other topics, she explained her hubby’s (former Press Secretary Mitch Krebs) lament because she keeps the thermostat low as a cost saving measure.

5. Bruce Rampleberg is going to be running for State Senator Gordon Howie’s seat in the State Senate.  Elizabeth Kraus is slated for that Schmidt seat…

6. Bad news, I heard that Curt Hohn, who ran against John Thune a few years ago, and former Senator J.P. Duniphan were both mentioned to be undergoing treatment for cancer.  Good luck and a speedy recovery for both. 

7. The best show in town today was an unrecorded, informal meeting.  Senator Jim Bradford and Representative Iron Cloud apparently got into a very heated discussion in an informal state-tribal relations committee.  Unfortunately, since it was informal, it wasn’t on tape.   And we’ll never know what was really said….. 

From everything I heard, it would have been worth a listen.

Stay tuned – I’m back on the road in the AM!

Sydney is hospitalized at Creighton University Medical Center, and I was informed tonight of a web journal set up with more information for people to review and to leave their best wishes for a speedy recovery.

You can find the Journal *Here*

Please click on the link, and sign the guestbook. You can set it for regular updates to be sent to you vie e-mail.

Again, all our best to Sydney for a speedy recovery, and our prayers remain with the entire Jones family during Sydney’s illness.

Right on my rear-end. Rats.
About at that moment, as I’m exploring the extent of the damage, my friend Brock Greenfield chooses that moment to right a wrong, and recognizes me from the house floor.

Taking my hand away from my posterior, I waved in reponse to the gracious courtesy of the House (after my light ribbing).

But it’s not all sunshine and roses.

A Sgt at arms admonished me from using my phone… And I still have a hole in the seat of my pants.

Such is the life of a political blogger.

I come to the Senate, I managed to get introduced (again).

The House? Not so much as they toil under the burden of being the lower chamber.

Although, I wasn’t sure if everyone here was clapping.

(And you know who you are.)

Only to be denied.

Hmph.

Last time I was here, no less than the Lieutenant Governor introduced me in the Senate, to mild applause, and a boo or two from the Dems.

But I come to the House……

I guess we all know why they’re considered the lower chamber.

(I kid, I kid)

So it says on the website of South Dakota’s newest congressional hopeful Tarn.

Tarn Viera, that is.

As for his biography…

Tarn’s Biography

• Born August 23, 1967 in Chico, CA
• Grew up in the orchard, rice, and cattle country of Northern California
• Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Science and Management – University of California at Davis – 1990
• Master of Agriculture and Management – University of California at Davis –1992
• Employment Experience
  • Farmhand
  • Summer Field Rep for grower-owned canning cooperative
  • Truck Dispatcher
  • Oil Refinery Maintenance
  • Cattle Feedlot hired man
  • Beef Packing Quality Control
  • Packaging Engineering for Beef and Pork Packing
  • Farm Proprietor: hay and cattle

Winston Churchill said: ”Know history, and you’ll know statesmanship.” With this in mind, I’ve read most of Durant’s Story of Civilization – 11 volumes, approximately 1,000 pages each

You can catch all of Tarn’s website at tarn4house.net.

What do you think?

That in 1876, it was founded by a group of disheartened prospectors that had come to the Black Hills in search of gold.

That Black Hills Staple & Spice Market is one of those places you need to shop at when passing through the area.

And that if you are an elected official that cares about his position enough to look into allegations of waste in city government (and not just accepting of the company line) that the city will spend $17,000 to investigate you, because they don’t like you sniffing around.

Let that sink in. They spent $17,000 to hire an outside attorney to investigate it. And what was the end result? A resolution of fierce scolding.

Once again…. They spent $17,000 so they could scold someone.

As I’m reading this tale, I’ll refer to the Rapid City Journal article that brought it all up:

Aldermen voted 8-1 on Monday to hold a public hearing Feb. 16 on the matter after a heated executive session that approached the two-hour mark.

Kooiker said the grievance stems from his asking questions about the disposal of thousands of dollars in Rapid Transit signs and brochures last fall.

Read that here.

More importantly, in part, read the finger waggling resolution that they felt the need to spend $17,000 on.

As I’m gleaning the story from the information out there, “supposedly” someone decided not to follow recommendations of a consultant, and decided to do the bus routes their own way. And after finding it was a mess, they had to fix it, dumping color brochures – and here’s where we start splitting hairs – possibly costing tens of thousands of dollars. But the person who dumped them claims it was only a waste of a few thousand, not tens of thousands.

And when Sam Kooiker decided to not just accept the answer of the person who might possibly be performing “job-saving CYA,” that person filed a complaint under the conduct policy crying that he was being questioned too much.

So they spent $10,000 (in addition to $7000 spent previously) to investigate whether Sam is too probing in his quest for answers from city staff.

Are. They. Kidding?

It looks like a public hanging hearing on the witch hunt letter of censure is to be held on February 16th because some people didn’t like Alderman Kooiker doing the job he was elected to do.

When Kooiker doggedly questioned if in the neighborhood of $33,000 worth of taxpayer dollars were possibly thrown in the trash; instead of being congratulated for being diligent, and joining him in the quest for the truth, his fellow council members wasted even more money trying to avoid the issue, and instead used him as a scapegoat as they created their own live modeling of the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” statue.

All I have to say is that if you’re in the area – show up on February 16th. And demand that the city council let Sam do the job that taxpayers hired him to do.

And while you’re at it, you might consider what you want to do with the rest of the council.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1245

Introduced by: Representatives Lange, Blake, Feickert, Hunhoff (Bernie), Kirschman, Lucas, Nygaard, Schrempp, Solberg, and Thompson and Senators Hundstad, Jerstad, and Merchant

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to repeal the death penalty and commute certain death sentences to life imprisonment.

Forcing a vote on the death penalty, so we can see which legislators are weak on crime?

Wasn’t it Scott Heidepriem who was crying that Republicans were putting in controversial resolutions to force legislators to take positions on policy statements?

He’d better have a look at the measures that his own political party is placing in the hopper before he grumbles about it again.

Not that this measure will make it out of the house.

At the very least, we can add this to the long, long list of terrible legislation from Gerry Lange.  Although, I’m having trouble reconciling how in his mind, the United States did something to deserve the attack on it by terrorists on 9/11, but someone who brutally rapes and murders a little girl deserves less than the ultimate penalty that can be meted out by society.

HB 1147 – FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to permit townships to provide certain health, life, and disability income insurance benefits.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
    Section 1. That chapter 8-2 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

A township may enroll in any group health insurance plan, group life insurance plan, or group disability income insurance plan permitted by law to be offered in this state for the officers and employees of the township. The township may pay all or part of the necessary premiums for its officers and employees.

In this measure, the township board members are asking for the ability to vote themselves – possibly at taxpayer expense – health insurance.

For showing up at – as required by law – three meetings a year.

Three meetings a year.  At what? 3-4 hours per meeting?

It’s bad enough that we have county commissioners recieving health insurance benefits because they were elected to what amounts to little more than a part-time office.

Now township officials want it too?  At the expense of people, many of whom possibly can’t afford to carry health insurance in these times when checkbooks are slender?

Do they plan on wiping the milk off their lips after suckling at the bosom of the taxpayer?

I’m just asking, because otherwise, it might be rude.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Opposing the government takeover of health care as currently proposed by Congress and encouraging preservation of states’ rights regarding health care regulation.

The question being on Sen. Brown’s motion that SCR 1 be adopted.

    And the roll being called:

    Yeas 22, Nays 10, Excused 3, Absent 0

    Yeas:
Abdallah; Adelstein; Brown; Dempster; Fryslie; Gant; Garnos; Gray; Hansen (Tom); Haverly; Heidepriem; Howie; Hunhoff (Jean); Knudson; Maher; Nelson; Novstrup (Al); Olson (Russell); Rhoden; Schmidt; Tieszen; Vehle

    Nays:
Bartling; Gillespie; Hanson (Gary); Hundstad; Jerstad; Kloucek; Merchant; Nesselhuf; Peterson; Turbak Berry

    Excused:
Ahlers; Bradford; Miles

Wow. A couple of blue spots in a sea of Red State protest against Obamacare.

Thanks to Ryan Maher and Scott Heidepreim for helping the Republican caucus stand against Obama’s reckless plan to bankrupt the country.

Jim is termed out himself, but Bill is rumored to be committed to the race because he’s always wanted to be in the Senate.

Stay tuned to see if this potential contest arises…..

Well, as usual, you’re hearing about it first at the South Dakota War College.

I’ve spoken with several legislators who have signed on, or are being asked to sign on to a pair of bills being circulated by Hamiel who is apparently directing an attack at bloggers. And more specifically, the free speech of commenters.

One of these measures I’m being told directs those hosting or writing blogs to turn over (upon request) identifying information of commenters. I believe the other is with regards to “libelous” statements allowed to remain out on the internet.

Is he kidding? 

Despite this fact, I’m told there’s a long list of legislators who are signing on to this unconstitutional measure. But then again, when has constitutionality ever been an overriding concern when it comes to legislation? 

Anonymous free speech has been upheld by the US Supreme Court.  And since this measure is coming from what I would assume is a number of aggrieved public officials, I’d also remind them that as public officials their protections are even less, as demonstrated by a SD based Supreme Court case.

Yet, as has been noted to me, Noel is promoting a measure to force blog hosts to provide IP addresses to the offended. We won’t know how much htis bill infringes upon free speech until it hits the hopper, and we can see the full language. But, it still leaves me scratching my head.

Here is a former main stream media journalist who we might assume would go to jail to protect his sources, But when another iteration of the media arises that threatens to supplant his? The main guns are loaded for bear.  

At the end of the day, this is a shot across the bow of the blogosphere, and a protective measure for newspapers who are slow to adapt to the leap in technology that has, admittedly, added to the continual erosion of the Mainstream Media’s readership and resources.

But then again, if you’re reading this, you’re adding to their erosion too, since you like your news “breaking” and “electronic.”

Troy Jones, who contributes posts here from time to time, and is an avid and active commenter just had his 21 year old daughter suffer a heart attack.  She is currently in the Hospital in Omaha.

If this website deviates from it’s moral compass on occasion, Troy often is the first one to shift it back, and is never afraid to tell me so. He is passionate about his politics, but they are always marked with common decency.

Please keep his daughter Sydney, and the entire Jones family in your prayers as they face this challenge.

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to authorize reasonable suspicion testing and prohibit the use of controlled substances by welfare recipients.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:

Section 1. That chapter 28-1 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

Upon reasonable suspicion, the Department of Social Services may test a recipient of public assistance for marijuana or controlled drugs and substances. Marijuana is defined in subdivision 22-42-1(7) and controlled drugs and substances are defined in chapter 34-20B. If a recipient tests positive for marijuana, a controlled drug, or a controlled substance, the Department of Social Services may deny public assistance for the recipient. A recipient who tests positive for marijuana, a controlled drug, or a controlled substance may appeal the positive test result according to the contested case procedure in chapter 1-26.

Section 2. That § 28-12-3 be repealed.
28-12-3. Pursuant to section 115(d)(1)(A) of Public Law 104-193, South Dakota opts out of the provisions of section 115(a)(2) of Public Law 104-193.

Read it here.

What do you think?  Should welfare recipients (and they’re requesting welfare, it’s not a right) be compelled to do drug testing if someone has a suspicion that state government is paying to fuel their habit?

HOUSE BILL NO. 1220

Introduced by: Representatives Thompson, Engels, Feinstein, Gibson, Hunhoff (Bernie), Kirkeby, Lederman, Lucas, and Sorenson and Senators Turbak Berry, Abdallah, Hanson (Gary), and Heidepriem

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to provide for legislative redistricting by a bipartisan, nonlegislative commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. A commission of seven citizens, none of whom may be public officials, shall be selected to prepare the plan for redistricting the state into legislative districts.
Section 2. The majority and minority leaders of each house shall each designate one commissioner. A commissioner shall be appointed from each district listed in section 3 of this Act. The majority leader of the Senate has first choice of the district from which the majority leader will select a commissioner. The majority leader of the House of Representatives has second choice; the minority leader of the Senate has third choice; the minority leader of the House of Representatives has fourth choice. Within twenty days after their designation, the four commissioners shall select the fifth, sixth, and seventh members. If the four members fail to select the fifth, sixth, and seventh members within the time prescribed, the chief justice of the Supreme Court shall select the fifth, sixth, and seventh members.

and…

Section 11. The commission shall submit its legislative redistricting plan to the Legislature by September 20, 2011.
Section 12. Within thirty days after the commission submits its legislative redistricting plan to the Legislature, the Legislature shall return the plan to the commission with its recommendations.
Section 13. Within thirty days after receiving the legislative redistricting plan and the Legislature’s recommendations, the commission shall file its final legislative redistricting plan with the secretary of state and the plan shall become law fulfilling the requirements of S.D. Const., Art. III, § 5.

Read the rest here.

Remember a couple of years back when Tom Katus thought the legislature wasn’t tough enough to take the heat on our tax structure? He proposed a measure to dump the duty of the legislature off on a “bipartisan, nonlegislative commission.”  That proposal went over like a lead balloon.

Well, guess what? Another round of “buck passing” is being proposed, this time with legislative redistricting.

Democratic State Representative Bill Thompson is proposing this measure…. well, I’m not sure why, but you have those legislators who think they just need to do SOMETHING to justify their time in Pierre.

Except there’s a problem with this legislation. Or possibly two.   The problem is that is appears on it’s face to be unconstitutional.

Why do I think this? Well, here’s the passage that gets my attention when it comes to redistricting. Article 3, section 5 of the South Dakota Constitution states:

§ 5. Legislative reapportionment. The Legislature shall apportion its membership by dividing the state into as many single-member, legislative districts as there are state senators. House districts shall be established wholly within senatorial districts and shall be either single-member or dual-member districts as the Legislature shall determine. Legislative districts shall consist of compact, contiguous territory and shall have population as nearly equal as is practicable, based on the last preceding federal census. An apportionment shall be made by the Legislature in 1983 and in 1991, and every ten years after 1991. Such apportionment shall be accomplished by December first of the year in which the apportionment is required. If any Legislature whose duty it is to make an apportionment shall fail to make the same as herein provided, it shall be the duty of the Supreme Court within ninety days to make such apportionment.

Where in there does it say that they can pass the duties off to a “bipartisan, nonlegislative commission?” According to this proposed measure, they’re allowing the commission to have the final say. If it came down to brass tacks, I’d seriously question whether or not this law (and any action of the commission) would survive a challenge with the state supreme court.

That’s problem #1. Problem #2?

The state constitution provides that it is within the Governor’s scope of authority to appoint officers of the state. (and also stated in law here)  It really isn’t addressed in the Legislative or Judicial articles that they have a similar blanket authority to appoint people to commissions. That’s why (up until recent years) you used to see the legislature creating task forces as opposed to official commissions such as this.

This is probably more argumentative, but it’s one of those gray areas that no one has ever really challenged head on, because no one really wants to know the result.  This isn’t something I came up with myself. When I was with first with the Governor’s office handling boards and commissions, there were those from the previous administration (with a legal background) who considered that very important and very true.

As I was writing this, I also noticed another problem with the measure that if I were affected, I might roll the dice and attempt to challenge….

Section 7. No member of the commission may run for election to a legislative seat within two years after the redistricting plan in which the member participated becomes effective.

How does that hold up to being challenged on the basis to our constitutional right of free speech? Or how does it hold up against the stated qualifications for the South Dakota Legislature as set forth in the state constitution?

Not that the legislature is opposed to approving bad law.   But it just seems as if there are too many problems with this mess to let it even be considered for approval.

SENATE BILL NO. 154

Introduced by: Senators Adelstein and Bradford and Representatives Pitts, McLaughlin, and Nygaard

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to prohibit the use of tanning devices by minors.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That chapter 26-10 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Terms used in this Act mean:
(1) “Tanning device,” equipment that emits electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in the air between two hundred and four hundred nanometers and that is used for tanning human skin. The term does not include a phototherapy device used by a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 36-4 that emits ultraviolet radiation and is used in treating disease;
(2) “Tanning facility,” a place or business that provides persons access to a tanning device.

Section 2. That chapter 26-10 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:No person may permit a minor to use a tanning device at a tanning facility. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Section 3. That chapter 26-10 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Any person charged with a violation of section 2 of this Act may offer evidence, as a defense, that the person made a reasonable attempt to investigate the age of the person by examining an age-bearing identification document that would have appeared valid to a reasonable and prudent person or relied upon a consent document that would have appeared valid to a reasonable and prudent person.

(For those of you wondering, a Class 2 misdemeanor means thirty days imprisonment in a county jail, a five hundred dollars fine, or both.)

I think I grumbled derisively last year that “In times of deep fiscal crisis at the national and state level, it is time for our elected representatives at the legislature to focus FOCUS ON THE RETURN OF THE TAN BAN!?!”  Fast forward one year.  The budget crisis is worse, and so’s this legislation.

In the face of all our crises, the best that they can come up with is a measure that threatens to throw people in jail for allowing to use tanning beds.  This year’s measure is even more onerous in terms of being “big government” than those in previous years, as it even takes the permission slip out of the hands of children. It flat out makes it a crime to allow minors to use tanning beds.

Unfortunately, there are too many Republicans sponsoring this bill who have forgotten the tenets of the Republican party that state in part:

I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs least.

How on earth is it “Governing the least” to make it a crime to do that which people can do in the sun legally? How are Senators Adelstein and Bradford and Representatives Pitts and McLaughlin making government less burdensome by this measure.

A hint for them - It’s not, and they’re not.

How can legislators such as these possibly think about complaining about big government initiatives coming out of Washington when the garbage they’re foisting on South Dakotans are just as bad if not worse?

For the efforts of the prime sponsors, we have to dust off an old award for this session’s big government social engineers…….

Senator Stan Adelstein (who else?) and Representative Carol Pitts are guilty of bringing the same kind of bad “nanny state” legislation that their fellow legislators have smartly killed “hands down” in 2 previous sessions.

Shame on them, and for anyone who casts a vote in favor of this mess of a bill.

Senate Bill 154 is the worst kind of legislation. And anyone with a lick of sense can recognize that.

I’m coming over to paint some trim at my dad’s house, so we might finally get it on the market, and to attend the REALTOR’s Chili-oyster feed with the legislators Wednesday evening.  That is, if the weather holds.

So if you don’t hear from me in the AM, I’m probably getting my oil changed, or I’ve already started out across the cold wintry tundra.

If your bill is complicated, state,”Go ahead and pass it and we will clean it up next year”.

Why do I think that all too often in response, there’s plenty of legislators who stare blankly and nod in agreement?

According to the Capitol Journal:

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, introduced SB140, which would create independent departments of Tourism and Economic Development.

and…

Rounds created the Department of Tourism and State Development by executive order when he took office, which both he and Knudson said is the normal way to reorganize state government.

“Whoever the new governor is will have a chance to revise his entire cabinet the way that they want to do it by executive order,” Rounds said. “I will handle my departments the way I see fit.”

Read it all here.

Backhanded slap and ouch.

it’s only going to get worse as session wears on.

Update – check out this note on the issue from Tony Mangan at KCCR Radio…

Knudson says he has no examples of how having one large office has hampered economic development or tourism efforts. But he says economic development experts have told him that the current office is too large.

and…

At the same time, Knudson will offer a resolution this session seeking a summer study to consider the idea of whether the state Video Lottery Commission and the South Dakota Commission on Gaming should be combined.

Knudson says that too makes sense.

Read that here.

Er… yeah.  “That too makes sense?” Or not.

Click here for Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s FEC Report
Curd Contributions from Individuals: $170,081
SHS Contributions from Individuals: $59,014

Curd Contributions from PACs: $6,500
SHS Contributions from PACs: $165,410

Hmmm……

As Travis writes, “just wanted to post the numbers that came in (thanks to Cory H. for posting this on the comments).” Well, don’t go thanking Cory Heidelberger just yet.

I thought I read somewhere that Travis did or does some teaching in the Sioux Falls School District. But on this assignment, he gets an “F.” Why? Because as every good teacher instructs, you should check your work.

The report he’s citing…..

The last time I looked, 2009 was last year.  And Travis Dahle teaches children?  I sense a dangerous trend in Sioux Falls of backdated documents in that city’s future.  (We already knew that Cory at the Madville times was a lost cause.)

Not even a gold star for effort.

Maybe Travis and Cory need to take a lesson from one of South Dakota’s other blogs on researching, and knowing how to build on material from other sources.

Er… maybe we can find a better example out there for them.

Read it all here.

But not so fast……    He wasn’t done with just one $10,000 check to Dave Knudson.  There’s another one that Stan funnelled through his “All South Dakota PAC.“   Although, even PAC-a-Stan is a bit of a piker, compared to T. Denny Sanford.

Sanford’s “GPS PAC” is into Knudson for $50,000.

Stay tuned.

The interesting thing is that nearly all of it came from outside South Dakota. Ten people contributed amounts ranging from $100 to $250. Six have New York addresses, one is from Massachusetts, one from Connecticut and one Maryland. The in-kind contributions were made by Arthur Marcus of 750 Columbus Avenue in New York, New York, and by Bruce Piatt of 120 N. 96 Street in New York, New York. Mehlhaff also lists $5,374 of debts and obligations incurred in 2009, with all but $500 owed to himself.

Read it here.

For those of you who want to dig a little deeper into it, you can find the report here on the Secretary of State’s website (.pdf file)

Or, in case you’re interested….

No, I don’t know any of these people from a hole in the ground either. Which prompted me to do a little looking. Here’s what I came up with.

Add to that list Arthur Marcus and Bruce Piatt of New York who apparently hosted an event according to the financial report, via an in-kind donation. (Since all of these people come from NY and the area, I’d assume that’s where it was held.) Marcus and Piatt both serve as high ranking officers in a company called Chaldron Associates.

Who are they? According to their website…

Chaldon Associates LLC was established in 1996 as a business development firm dedicated to marketing investment-related products and services to public funds and theTaft-Hartley market. Collectively, our diverse sales team offers more than 65 years of institutional marketing experience.

Our primary goal is to increase assets under management for our clients and assist trustees in their fiduciary responsibilities by protecting plan assets. We position our clients’ products and services before public officials, administrators, union officers, board members and consultants.

Read that here.

This is the first SD race where I’ve noticed high powered out of state investment firms and their top officers taking a particular interest.  With only one SD Donor (David Omdahl of Sioux Falls), this is certainly an interesting item in a race (at least for the Republican ticket) is to be decided in Huron at the State GOP Convention.  In contrast, his opponent Rich Sattgast, the current State Auditor, raised $100 from former Senate President Pro Tempore Mary McClure Bibby, and another $1000 from other sources. Otherwise, he covered most his expenses out of pocket, except for borrowing a printer from his deputy.

Bob Mercer thought the big out of state money on the Mehlhaff side would wag some tongues.  What do you think?

Does it matter worth a hill of beans? Or is it much ado about nothing?

Stay tuned, and we’ll see if it’s truth or fiction.

Senate Joint Resolution 4

Senators Kloucekand Hundstad and Representatives Schrempp, Blake, Hoffman, Hunhoff (Bernie), Kirkeby, Lange, Sorenson, Thompson, Vanderlinde, and Verchio

Proposing a constitutional amendment to combine the offices of state treasurer and state auditor into the single office of state comptroller.

Read it here.

Kloucek and Hundstad? Enough said there. This dumb idea won’t make it out of committee.  Why do I call it a dumb idea?

Let’s see….  We’re combing the offices of the person who recieves money for the state together with the person who writes the checks for the state.

What is one thing that the office of legislative audit dings people on regularly? Well, according to government accounting standards, those people aren’t supposed to be one and the same.    But the brain trust of Kloucek-Hundstad apparently says, accounting standards be damned.

So much for checks and balances.

If we do anything, we need to strengthen the oversight of these two offices on behalf of the executive branch. Not neuter and combine them in opposition to the basic accounting standards that we’re expecting people to follow.

The White House is doling out $8 billion in grants for high-speed rail projects, an initiative touted as a jobs creator.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced the grants at a town hall-style meeting in Tampa, Fla., Thursday — a follow-up appearance to the president’s State of the Union address. The administration says the rail projects will save or create tens of thousands of jobs.

Thirteen rail corridors in 31 states will receive funds. Projects in California, Florida and Illinois are among the big winners.

Read that here.

This shouldn’t come as a shock, because Obama’s been wanting to do this for years. Whether it made a lick of sense or not.   As one liberal commentator noted back from way back in November 2008, ….

From day one, Barack Obama campaigned to redress this infrastructure deficit through an ambitious program of public investment: “For our economy, our safety, and our workers, we have to rebuild America.” Originally he proposed to finance this spending by ending the war in Iraq. Although his present commitments to a larger military and an expanded war in Afghanistan seem to foreclose any reconversion of the Pentagon budget, he continues to emphasize the urgency of an Apollo-style program to modernize highways, ports, rail transit and power grids.

Public works, he also promises, can put the public back to work. His “Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class” vows to “create 5 million new, high-wage jobs by investing in the renewable sources of energy that will eliminate the oil we currently import from the Middle East in 10 years, and we’ll create 2 million jobs by rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges.”

Of course, Bill Clinton entered the White House with a similarly ambitious plan to rebuild the derelict national infrastructure, but it was abandoned after Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin convinced the new president that deficit reduction was the true national priority. This time around, a much more powerful and desperate coalition of interests is aligned to support the Keynesian shock-and-awe of major public works.

and…

One of the most likely targets for a congressional stimulus plan is light-rail construction. Streetcar systems are enormously popular with local governments, redevelopment agencies, and middle-class commuters, but generally they operate less efficiently (per dollar per passenger) than bus systems, and at least 40 percent of the capital investment leaks overseas to German streetcar builders and Korean steel companies.

Personally, I would love to commute via a sleek Euro-style bullet train from my home in San Diego to my job in Riverside, 100 grueling freeway miles away, but I’ll take gridlock if the cost of rationing federal expenditure is tolerating the closure of my kids’ school or increasing the wait in the local emergency room from two to 10 hours.

Obama, unlike his predecessor, has a bold vision, shared with his powerful supporters in high-tech industries, of catching up with the Spanish and Japanese, while redeeming America as the synonym for modernity. Lots of new infrastructure will, however, become so many bridges to nowhere (especially for our children) unless he and Congress first save human-needs budgets and public-sector jobs.

Read it here.

And in a video update…..

Heidepriem Campaign Hires North Woods Advertising

Company Founded by “World’s Greatest Political Adman” Signs on to Spearhead Gubernatorial Advertising Strategy

Sioux Falls – The Scott Heidepriem for Governor Campaign announced today it is hiring the Minneapolis-based independent political consulting firm founded by the person Slate called “the world’s greatest political adman.” North Woods Advertising’s Bill Hillsman, the creator of some of the most successful and attention-getting communications campaigns in American political history, will direct the Heidepriem campaign’s advertising and media strategy.

Hillsman and North Woods Advertising (http://www.NorthWoodsAdvertising.com/) have won a number of political, television and marketing communications awards, including the American Marketing Association’s Grand EFFIE, awarded for the most effective marketing and advertising campaign in the nation. North Woods Advertising is the smallest company ever to win the Grand EFFIE. The company also has won numerous American Association of Political Consultants POLLIE Awards, for the best political advertising in the country, and even an EMMY. Hillsman, a Chicago native, has also been recognized as one of the 100 best marketing people in America by Advertising Age.

North Woods is perhaps best known for the creative television ads it produced in Democrat Paul Wellstone’s longshot upset U.S. Senate victory over incumbent Republican Rudy Boschwitz in Minnesota in 1990, as well as independent Jesse Ventura’s stunning 1998 gubernatorial campaign victory in Minnesota. Hillsman is also the founder of Independent Voters of America, and his longtime work with independent candidates and study of independent voters has made North Woods the nation’s foremost experts on that fast growing political demographic.

“We are delighted to have Bill Hillsman and North Woods Advertising join the Heidepriem gubernatorial team. Bill’s expertise– rising above politics, reaching out to all voters with creative and honest messages, and winning campaigns that political insiders did not think possible– speaks for itself,” Heidepriem campaign manager Steve Jarding said.

South Dakota Gubernatorial and Congressional Candidates Join 42 legislators to Sponsor Iran Divestment Bill in Legislature

Bipartisan and broad support to divest state funds from world’s chief sponsor of terrorism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2010

Pierre, SD.  – A bill that seeks to divest about $60 million dollars of South Dakota state funds from companies that do business with Iran has gathered the support of 42 Republican and Democrat state legislators.  The measure would pull state funds out of three companies that pay taxes and royalties to the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism.

Prime Sponsor Rep. Dan Lederman states, “South Dakotan’s should not be investing in companies that do business with Iran’s government. Iran has produced munitions that have wounded and killed American troops.”  Speaker of the House Tim Rave is also supporting the measure, “as lawmakers, we need to do our part to protect our brave men and women serving in harms way.”

Gubernatorial candidate and Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson (R-Sioux Falls) and Senate Minority Leader Scott Heidepriem (D-Sioux Falls) are co-sponsors of the measure. Sen. Heidepriem said, “we are saying to these companies, you either do business with Iran or the United States.” Sen. Knudson states, “the Iran divestment bill guarantees that South Dakota tax dollars will not support terrorism and a regime responsible for the deaths of American and South Dakota veterans.”  The bill also garners support from Sen. Gordon Howie (R- Rapid City) who agrees, “we will no longer support these companies with tax dollars unless they choose to get out of Iran”

If enacted, the Iran divestment bill, would give three foreign oil companies fifteen months to leave Iran or the State of South Dakota will divest itself from these companies. Twenty states including Minnesota and Missouri have enacted similar legislation and policy.  As a result, these states have already divested over one billion dollars.

Sioux Falls based statewide candidates, Sen. Jason Gant and Rep. Blake Curd have also signed on as co-sponsors.  Rep. Curd, an Air Force veteran states, “Iran is a known state sponsor of terrorism. Their role in supporting terrorist activities has led to the loss of American lives. Our State and Nation should not make this easier by investing in companies that do business with Iran.”

Sen. Gant adds, “it is important that South Dakota is a responsible investor.  It is irresponsible to invest in companies which do business with the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism.”

The following legislators have signed on to sponsor the bill:

House:

Speaker of the House, Representative Rave

Representative Blake

Representative Bolin

Representative Curd

Representative Deadrick

Representative Engels

Representative Feinstein

Representative Frerichs

Representative Gibson

Representative Gosch

Representative Hamiel

Representative Hoffman

Representative Hunhoff

Representative Killer

Representative Mark Kirkeby

Representative Krebs

Representative Lange

Representative Lederman

Representative Lucas

Representative Moser

Representative Nygaard

Representative Betty Olson

Representative Russell

Representative Schlekeway

Representative Schrempp

Representative Sorensen

Representative Van Gerpen

Representative Verchio

Senate:

Senator Abdallah

Senator Adelstein

Senator Bradford

Senator Fryslie

Senator Gant

Senator Heidepriem

Senator Howie

Senator Jerstad

Senator Knudson

Senator Maher

Senator Merchant

Senator Nesselhuf

Senator Peterson

Senator Schmidt

For more information visit www.DivestfromIran.com.

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Cap and Trade/Tax Forum

WHEN? Monday, February 8th 12:00pm-1:15pm; $15 includes buffet lunch and dessert
Monday, February 8th 7:00pm-8:15pm; $15 includes dessert and coffee

WHERE? Downtown Holiday Inn, Sioux Falls, SD

Please RSVP to 605-332-1962 by Friday, February 5th.

Space is limited so please register early.

Sponsored by Tea Party SD
www.TeaPartySD.com

Dustin “Dusty” Johnson was elected to the Public Utilities Commission in November 2004, becoming the youngest utilities commissioner in the nation. Since that time, he has been a champion for smart energy policy, keeping utility rates low, and protecting South Dakota families and businesses.

Dusty has done extensive study on cap and tax and how it will cause energy bills to skyrocket for every American. He was the only PUC state office holder to testify before the US Congress taking on Senator Barbara Boxer. Be informed! Be involved! What’s at stake? YOUR FREEDOM! YOUR JOB! This issue will impact every American.

“Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket.” – President Barack Obama

“I think it’s critically important that he is more clear on what he wants to do,” Steve Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand points to health care reform as one of Obama’s priorities that has drawn confusion and conflict during the President’s first year in office.

“A lot of people support health care reform, but they don’t support President Obama’s health care reform.

Read it here.

Basically, he’s going  but…. but… but….  our posts have disappeared from the SDWC, as if appearing in my blogosphere update somehow validates their existence and reason for being.  In a week where a woman attained her dream of a college degree at age 100 a day before dying, there are others who set their raison d’etre a few notches lower.

Anyway, for the reasonable SD blogosphere authors who wonder why stuff doesn’t show up, or blogs drop off; as I’ve lamented before, and again, and again, sometimes stuff goes a little goofy with the software.  Sometimes, it goes down, and sometimes it just stops updating for a day or so. Or it drops tracking for a site. I just have to go in and spend some time monkeying with it #1 – when I notice it, and #2 – when I have time.   My problem is that I have the feed aggregator heavily overloaded and modified, and that’s the price I pay for tracking so many RSS feeds.

It caused me to try a switch to (and learning from scratch)  Yahoo Pipes which I still maintain as a potential option, but like Rocky Balboa, after a time the old warhorse somehow comes back and runs right in the end, or I have to go in like Apollo Creed and get Rocky back up to snuff after facing Mr. T.

So, if your feed has dropped off, or stops showing up, or you notice nothing is updating for a day or so, drop me a nice note (as Bill Fleming, Mike Sanborn, and others have done before) and point it out, and I’ll investigate.

For those who happen to be a self-appointed “Grumpy Gus,”  and bemoan the loss of a momentary free mention on the state’s top political website without bothering to just simply ask me via e-mail – I’ll get to it when I get to it.

Question for Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: Would You Support the Failed ‘Stimulus’ Again?

One Year Later, South Dakota Families Wait to Hear Herseth Sandlin Answer the Simple Question: Where are the Jobs?

Washington- It’s been a year since Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and her fellow House Democrats passed their trillion-dollar boondoggle through Congress and ultimately onto the backs of South Dakota families. With unemployment climbing to over ten percent and the economy showing few signs of recovery, it’s time for Herseth Sandlin to admit that her so-called ‘stimulus’ is a failure. As Americans continue to seek relief during difficult times, Democrats refuse to admit their stimulus is a mistake as they charge full speed ahead with more partisan spending sprees. After a year of failed ‘stimulus,’ middle-class families in South Dakota deserve to know: Would Herseth Sandlin support the stimulus boondoggle again?

In fact, the trillion-dollar stimulus has been such a failure that its sheer ineffectiveness will now cost taxpayers billions more than originally forecasted:

“The cost of President Obama’s stimulus plan has jumped another $75 billion, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, and part of the reason is more people are getting unemployment benefits because they’ve lost jobs the bill was supposed to preserve.

“The CBO now says the stimulus package, passed by Congress last February, will cost $862 billion over 10 years because of the added unemployment-related costs. The program had originally been estimated to cost $787 billion when Mr. Obama signed it in February. (Stephen Dinan, “Tab From Stimulus Program Jumps, CBO Says,” Washington Times, 1/26/010)

After blowing billions of taxpayer dollars in an attempt to stimulate the economy, the Democrats’ spending spree has not only managed to increase unemployment rates, but has led to the largest federal deficit since World War II.

“New deficit estimates Tuesday project a $1.35 trillion shortfall for the coming year even as Congress debates creation of a bipartisan commission to propose long range steps to relieve the mounting debt facing the nation.”

“CBO projects that unemployment will average slightly above 10 percent in the first half of 2010 and then turn downward in the second half. But the building debt carries with an added burden. Once the economy improves, CBO says, higher interest rates will come back and bite the Treasury trying to finance the accumulated deficits.” (David Rogers, “More red ink: CBO projects $1.35 trillion deficit,” Politico, 1/26/2010)

“The nonpartisan CBO, in a new report looking at the country’s financial outlook, also found that the country faces giant budget deficits for the foreseeable future and has the biggest debt problem it has seen since just after World War II. The report is designed to give Congress guidance as it prepares to receive President Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2011.” (Stephen Dinan, “Tab From Stimulus Program Jumps, CBO Says,” Washington Times, 1/26/010)

“One long year after House Democrats passed their trillion dollar ‘stimulus’ boondoggle, Americans are facing daunting double-digit unemployment numbers and a skyrocketing deficit,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Rather than putting the brakes on her party’s reckless tax-and-spend policies, Herseth Sandlin has continued to rubber-stamp their runaway spending, further pushing the federal deficit into the red. After a year of punishing middle-class families with mountains of debt fueled by partisan government giveaways, South Dakota families deserve to know: Would Stephanie Herseth Sandlin do it again?”

With these dismal results, can South Dakota families really afford to elect Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to another term?

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SENATE BILL NO. 87
Introduced by: Senators Tieszen, Abdallah, Adelstein, Ahlers, Garnos, Hansen (Tom), Haverly, Hunhoff (Jean), Jerstad, Maher, Merchant, Miles, and Nelson and Representatives Krebs, Brunner, Conzet, Cutler, Elliott, Gosch, Juhnke, Kirkeby, Lust, McLaughlin, Moser, Peters, Pitts, Romkema, Sly, Street, Thompson, Turbiville, and Verchio

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to require evidence of financial responsibility at the time of certain vehicle registrations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That chapter 32-5 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
No motor vehicle may be registered as a noncommercial motor vehicle unless the applicant presents evidence of financial responsibility as defined by §§ 32-35-115 and 32-25-119 to the county treasurer showing that the motor vehicle is covered by one of the forms of financial responsibility required by § 32-35-113.
Section 2. That chapter 32-5 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Any person who intentionally provides false information of financial responsibility for the purpose of complying with the provisions of section 1 of this Act is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Follow this measure’s progress here.

Also coming soon, legislation to make it a misdemeanor not to mow your lawn regularly, for teenagers to become pregnant, and for your dog messing in someone else’s yard.   In other words, all they’re doing is foolishly setting themselves up for failure with this one.

If government could actually mandate and enforce responsibility, then we would have laws on all aspects of human behavior, and no problems in the world. But, with humans being what we are, “lots of luck with that one.”

The best we can do is to address things when they become a problem as opposed to creating a bigger headache, as legislators tend to have a tendency to do (including this one).

Take the line “Any person who intentionally provides false information of financial responsibility for the purpose of complying with the provisions of section 1 of this Act is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”  What happens when someone buys a policy, and then lets it lapse after they have the card in hand? Because studies have shown that’s what tends to happen for irresponsible slobs in states with such laws.   Does that mean that they violated the law? They had a policy when they applied, and the law says nothing about lapsed policies.

Or are we now going to have to create a whole new level of bureaucracy to track people’s insurance?  And what would happen when such a law goes into effect?

Because of those slobs who let their policies lapse immediately after purchase, if an insurer has a huge number of people who do that (as South Dakota would with such a measure) administrative costs will skyrocket. And what does that do? Well, it gets passed on to the consumer causing all of our insurance rates to go up.

Even better – a problem that isn’t addressed at all in the measure. How exactly would this government mandate work for those other governmental entities within our state’s boundaries? Specifically, with the separate system of government on the reservations.  Could reservation drivers ignore the law?

Well….. if the tribes set up their own framework, the answer is maybe.

If you look at it, there are Native American tribal governments that issue plates for their members. Take the Fond du Lac tribe for example.  They have a whole set of motor vehicle licensing and registration regulations, including those involving financial responsibility.  I’m not aware of anything that prohibits tribal governments from doing so here.  In fact, several already do…..

• Cheyenne River Sioux: official vehicles only; South Dakota Exempt plates with “CRT” prefix.
• Crow Creek Sioux
• Flandreau Santee Sioux: official vehicles only; South Dakota Exempt plates with “FST” prefix.
• Lower Brule Sioux

But nothing says that tribes would have to have a mandatory financial responsibility requirement parallel to the state’s for vehicles.   Would the State demand a second license plate for tribally registered vehicles when operating off reservation boundaries, complete with the proof of financial responsibility?

I’d point out that this could be an inter-governmental vehicle registration mess. The type that the state has litigated before.

At the end of the day, what does this bill do? Basically, it’s more bureaucracy that accomplishes nothing more than makes our insurance rates go up, and just sets up for a potential mess in the future.  No thanks.  The secondary enforcement system that we have now is as far as we want to go.

Yes, irresponsible slobs make me mad too. But is it worth costing us more money in the long run through increased insurance costs and extensive, expensive litigation?  I’m not seeing the pressing public issue in this time when every dime counts. Fine them and subject them to further scrutiny, as we do right now when they get caught. Don’t make it cost us any more.

But otherwise, for that whole “Mandating responsibility” thing?

Good luck with that one.

Gov. Mike Rounds has asked Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., to hold off on introducing a bill creating a wilderness area on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland east of Rapid City.

Rounds said wilderness designation for the 40,000 to 50,000 acres of the Red Shirt, Indian Creek and Chalk Hills areas in Johnson’s proposal could lead to a disaster such as that being experienced in the Black Elk Wilderness in the central Black Hills.

and…

Rounds said management restrictions resulting from wilderness designation have worsened the mountain pine beetle infestation threatening private and state land, in the Black Hills, as well as Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

“To suggest that a wilderness designation protects land is clearly not the case in places like the Black Elk Wilderness Area where we have a huge natural disaster occurring right now,” Rounds said Tuesday.

and…

Johnson’s office issued a statement Tuesday saying he appreciates Rounds’ views, but “he believes in the value of designating certain lands as wilderness for the enrichment and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

Read it here.

Should Johnson’s next campaign slogan be “Tim Johnson – ignoring what South Dakota wants, because he feels like it?”

The NRCC is hosting a text2chat program for tomorrow’s SOTU address for folks watching nationwide so that people can have a 2 way discussion about the policies being presented that will affect their lives. This technology has never been used before on this scale and what I think is particularly exciting about it is the fact that we are creating a dialogue with concerned Americans—not just a monologue as we’ve seen with the Democrats.

To participate, anyone with a mobile phone with internet capability can text “UNION” to 777218 to receive the link to the mobile chat room. In order to join in the chat, users simply text in what they want to share with others in the chat room. This technology allows anyone, anywhere, to engage with others about the policies that will affect their lives.

Following the State of the Union and the text2chat program, the NRCC will be hosting a streaming video Q&A session at www.nrcc.org/stateoftheunion, where users can submit questions online to be answered by Republican Members of Congress.

Join it tomorrow starting at 8pm CST.

Remember:

Text “UNION” to 777218 to receive the link to the mobile chat room
(as POTUS reads from the TOTUS)

Afterwards….. Streaming video Q&A session at www.nrcc.org/stateoftheunion

Love it.

(BTW, did you see the dakotawarcollege.com film clip in there?)

South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson is preparing legislation to amend state campaign finance laws to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to spend money on behalf of political candidates.

and…

Nelson said he has drafted an amendment to state campaign finance laws to comply with the new court edict. The deadline for state government agencies to introduce new legislation has passed, so Nelson is likely to ask that a minor bill on campaign laws be amended to include the new provisions.

Read it here.

When Democratic nominees for governor in Virginia and New Jersey and for Senate in Massachusetts sought to tie their GOP opponents to the still-unpopular former president, the strategy didn’t resonate. Voters were more focused on the current administration or local political issues — and the onetime Democratic magic formula seemed yesterday’s news.

“Voters are pretty tired of the blame game,” said longtime Democratic strategist Steve Hildebrand, a top aide on Obama’s presidential campaign. “What a stupid strategy that was.”

Read it here.

The Rapid City Journal has a section on page A2 every day that is supposed to give its readers an opportunity to express their personal opinions. The only problem with that is the readers are allowed to remain ANONYMOUS. It’s like giving someone a shotgun and allowing them to hide in the bushes while they take potshots at innocent people.

Sadly, many of these anonymous writers are also bigots. From the shadows of their anonymous lair, they are free to hide and spew their racial slurs without fear. The page on which these comments appear is called “Page Too or Your Two Cents. In two sentences.”

and…

Admittedly, we have a long way to go and it is not because of the efforts of the Native Americans of this state that we have not witnessed much more success. It is extremely difficult to make any progress in our race relations when we have a daily newspaper, the Rapid City Journal, allowing its readers to anonymously pour fuel upon the issue. Race relations are a serious problem in Rapid City, nay, in South Dakota and to make light of it by making it worth only the “Two Cents” afforded it by the Rapid City Journal and its anonymous writers, sets us back the 20 years it took to improve race relations in South Dakota. Governor Mickelson would be rolling over in his grave.

Read it on the front page of their website here.

Blogs tend to be more freewheeling, with some allowing anonymous comments, and others that don’t.  I allow them here just because I always have, and as with anything on the internet, you’re never as anonymous as you think.

I’ve never hesitated to hand things over to Law Enforcement before when people have crossed the line into threatening public officials, etc.  But when monkeys decide to get on the comment sections and throw fecal matter, I generally stay out of it unless it’s really egregious, because I could spend my entire day doing so.

Blogs err for allowing it in many cases because of the nature of the medium; where it’s interactive, and site authors either allow it or are forced to demand registration, or even more time consuming, approve all comments individually.  But what we have in this situation is one newspaper going after another for actually taking the affirmative act of collecting and publishing the anonymous one-off comments written by “internet trolls” that blogs tend to be frowned upon for.

What do you think?

Is the print news media too mature a medium for it to promote it?

Blake Curd Raises $181,381 in 4th Quarter
Curd Out-Raises Herseth Sandlin’s Previous Quarter Total

SIOUX FALLS – Blake Curd, candidate for the South Dakota At-Large congressional seat in 2010, announced today that his campaign raised $181,381 in the period ending December 31, 2009. This report, from the campaign’s beginning in early October to the end of the year, is the first financial report Curd will file with the Federal Elections Commission.

Curd, a Sioux Falls doctor and veteran of the US Air Force, raised $54,184 more than current Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, first elected nearly six years ago, did in the 3rd quarter of 2009. Herseth Sandlin raised $127,197 in that period.

Notably, 92% of Curd’s campaign contributions came from individuals, while Herseth Sandlin reports only 53% of her contributions from her most recent report were from individuals. 47% of contributions to Herseth Sandlin in the 3rd quarter of 2009 were from special interest committees and PACs.

“These fundraising numbers are an indicator of the support our campaign is receiving from individuals and families throughout South Dakota. They want real representation, real listening and real solutions, not political pandering and posturing,” said Curd. “They are ready for a new member of Congress to represent them.”

FEC Report Summary is attached.

Curd YE Report

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Rounds said Friday he won’t tolerate a budget that spends more of the state’s reserves than the $32 million he is proposing to use.

“I cannot allow them to spend more money,” Rounds said.

and…

“There is always the possibility of a veto,” Rounds said.

The governor said it will be difficult for legislators to find additional cuts. Many legislative leaders have called for additional cuts to avoid drawing on reserve funds this year.

“We spent about four months trying to find a way to get to zero (deficit) while at the same time maintaining services that are critical,” Rounds said. “We’ll look forward to working with them to find those services they believe that they can cut.”

Instead, Rounds said if legislators want to increase spending they should increase revenue to pay for it.

“If you increase funding for K-12, you have to also recognize that comes with an increase in property taxes as well,” he said.

The governor also reiterated his opposition to across-the-board spending cuts.

Read it here.

The GOP legislators had already come out with a different agenda where they’ve plainly stated that they want to come out of this session with zero in reserve spending, a 32 Million gap between them and and the Governor.  Adding to the kerfuffle over the budget, in an about face from December his own Lieutenant Governor  is abandoning him to support the GOP Legislative Caucus proposals after 7 previous budgets.

With four Gubernatorial Candidates appearing daily under the budget spotlight in Pierre, and each trying to position themselves as the most fiscally conservative, the posturing has only just begun.

Stay tuned.

In what will certainly be a high profile race just due to who’s in it, campaign filings are starting to trickle in for the District 24 House race. I’m waiting for another to be put on-line, but Tad Perry has his in already.

“The Perry Committee” notes SD Foundation Director Bob Sutton as the chair of the group. Also attached to the campaign is Perry’s former majordomo at the Board of Regents, Janelle Toman serving as treasurer.

Read the entire report here.

Neil Fulton, chief of staff for Gov. Mike Rounds since November 2007, confirmed Friday he plans to step down from the post this spring and return to the legal profession.

Fulton, 38, has accepted the position of chief federal public defender for South Dakota and North Dakota.

“It’s a great thing,” he said.

and…

News of Fulton’s plans was first reported by blogger Pat Powers, quoting unidentified anonymous sources on Thursday, on his “Dakota War College” site on the Internet.

Read it here.

Facing a deadline next month to raise the debt ceiling or risk defaulting on obligations to government bond holders, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is proposing to create a commission that would come up with an unappetizing menu of spending cuts and tax increases for Congress to consider.

and…

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., likes the idea of a commission, provided Congress would have some flexibility to tinker with the recommendations.

“I think that we have to have some plan and that we have to act by a date certain or this thing is going to blow up on us and we’re going to have to make draconian cuts and really unpopular tax decisions,” she said.

South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune said he might vote for a panel but thinks it would be “punting” congressional responsibility.

“The commission the American people put in place is the United States Congress. We have the power of the purse. We ought to be able to make the hard decisions,” he said. “They’re trying to take the politics out of this whole deficit reduction idea, but at the end of the day, isn’t that what people expect us to do?”

Read it here.

There are those who want to form a special blue-ribbon committee on the budget….  In other words, they want to create more government to manage the problems caused by a federal system of government that’s too big.

A prominent Republican senator said Thursday that President Obama is seeking to spark “class warfare” with increasingly populist rhetoric and a series of regulatory measures aimed at Wall Street.

“I think they think if they can create enough animosity toward Wall Street and corporate America, they get into this traditional sort of Democrat rhetoric and tap into the populist anger out there,” Sen. John Thune, South Dakota Republican, told The Daily Caller. “For Democrats to be successful they’ve got to create a sense of class warfare and an us versus them mindset.”

and…

Thune said that the White House is “misinterpreting” grassroots anger, which he said has been provoked by “Washington’s wasteful spending and borrowing.”

The Obama administration, Thune said, has “embarked on a path of massive increase in the size of the federal government, massive spending increases, new taxes, all the things that I think right now make Americans very uncomfortable in the middle of a recession.”

The White House did not respond to Thune’s comments when offered the opportunity on Thursday evening.

Read it here.

.

From Sibby on-line, in a post titled Reforms Republicans must adopt:

“And South Dakota’s state motto is “Umder God teh peole rule“. This means atheists, like Cory Hildelberger, need to have their wings clipped and their secular progressive agenda completely rejected. And that includes much of the leadership in the South Dakota GOP. Let us not forget about the MAINstream coalition. Time to let them be upset and leave. Instead the SDGOP needs to embrace the independents that adhere to libertarian policies…which gives us true choices. “

Read it here. And quit talking with your mouth full.

Oddly enough, my wife took this picture a few days ago, and it seems eerily prescient.

How are the Vikings and my two year old alike? Well, I’ll leave it to your imagination.

Renner Legislator Calls for Legislative Pay Cuts

For immediate release
Contact: Shantel Krebs

Renner, SD January 22, 2010.  Representative Shantel Krebs (R) District 10 announced today a bill to temporarily reduce legislative pay and travel reimbursement.  Her bill calls for a 30% reduction in pay for all legislators along with no reimbursement for out of state travel.

The measure calls for the reductions to be implemented for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 with pay and travel restored to current levels in fiscal year 2013.  Rep. Krebs estimates the pay cuts would save taxpayers $190,000 per year and reduced travel totals $250,000 per year in expense savings.

“We’ve been telling our constituents that everything is on the table when it comes to making up the $36 million shortfall we face this year and next.  If we expect other departments, services and programs to accept cuts, we must also look at our own expenses and find ways to save”, said Rep. Krebs.  “Some elected officials in our own state and across the country are getting raises while most Americans are having a tough time making ends meet.  That’s not acceptable.”

Rep. Krebs believes out of state travel to seminars that help legislators become better lawmakers is a valuable resource, but in lean times it’s a luxury that can temporarily be done without.  “Webinar and teleconference technology allow us to get the same benefits of attending these meetings from our own homes and offices in South Dakota without the half-million dollar price tag”, said Rep. Krebs.  Just like families and businesses are doing to meet their budgets, we must lead by example.”

#30#

What do you think?

PRESS RELEASE -  CONTACT: Lucas Lentsch
Friday, January 22, 2010

Heidepriem Advances a Phony Budget “Plan”

PIERRE – The first two weeks of the 2010 legislative session saw plenty of talk about the state budget.  But while Republicans are offering concrete budget plans, Senator Scott Heidepriem and the Democrats are promoting a phony budget plan that is nothing but tired political rhetoric.

“It’s a phony plan based on political talking points,” said South Dakota GOP Executive Director Lucas Lentsch.  “It sounds less like a ‘plan’ and more like Senator Heidepriem’s stump speech for his campaign for governor.  Senator Heidepriem needs to rely less on his high-paid political advisors, and more on people who understand the state budget.”

“Only ten months ago, Scott Heidepriem voted against the state budget because we didn’t spend enough,” recalled Lentsch.  “Heidepriem also criticized the Republicans for rejecting his plans to blow our state reserve funds on more spending.  If we had listened to Heidepriem then, we would have far less reserves now.”

-30-

If you’re one of the Argus Leader readers who saw the obituary this morning for Bert Tollefson, you had to be impressed by the 80-year-old man’s lifetime accomplishments. Bert, born in Brookings and raised in Watertown, was a true blue South Dakotan and a fiercely loyal Republican. Let’s just review some career highlights BEFORE Bert started running as a frequent candidate for Congress:

• State Director for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
• Top aide to Governor Sig Anderson
• CEO of the South Dakota Highway Commission
• Chief aide to South Dakota Congressman E.Y. Berry
• Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson
• National manager for the Blue Cross, Blue Shield Federal Employee Health Benefits program
• President of the American Corn Millers Federation and Export Institute
• Assistant Administrator for legislative and public affairs for the US Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State

Bert later moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., and worked as a Realtor to support his political habit of running for office in Arizona and back home in South Dakota. He didn’t win the elections, but his victories were in never a loss get him down. He had more energy than his primary opponents put together, even when he ran in the 2002 primary for House with Bill Janklow. Bert, in that race, displayed his 1950s-style of politically speaking: Smile broadly, sit and stand ramrod straight, make eye contact with the entire audience, breath and speak from the diaphragm and make sure the people in the back row can’t nod off. Be declarative, use humor and don’t let people think that you take yourself too seriously. Despite the vote counts, Bert Tollefson was a model candidate. He was also a walking, talking encyclopedia of South Dakota political history, complete with unique stories about personalities and events stretching back to his youth. You never doubted for a second that he didn’t absolutely love running for office and didn’t love all others who stuck out their necks and put their names on the ballot.

More than his list of accomplishments, what was most remarkable about Bert Tollefson was his unbendable, uber-positive, joyful spirit. Bert took that with him when he died Tuesday.

Bert’s body is coming home to Watertown Saturday for burial, right after the funeral service in Sioux Falls at 1 p.m. in First Lutheran Church. Visitation is tonight 4:30-6 p.m. at Miller Funeral Home. Our condolences and appreciation go to his wife Jeanne and Bert’s family.

You can read Bert’s Obituary here in the Argus Leader.

If those of us who drift in and out of the back rooms of politics could do 1/2 of what Bert had done in his lifetime, we would be accomplished indeed.  Godspeed to Bert, and our condolences to his family.

Air America ceased airing new programs Thursday afternoon and said it will soon file to be liquidated under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It began broadcasting reruns of programs and would end those as well Monday night.

“The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America’s business. This past year has seen a `perfect storm’ in the media industry generally,” the company said in a statement on its Web site.

The New York-based network said its “painstaking search for new investors” came close to succeeding even this week, “but ultimately fell short.”

and…

Air America said 10 consecutive quarters of declining ad revenue and the difficulty of making money on the Internet contributed to its troubles.

Read it here.

Well, here’s the big scoop. What happened to Denise? Actually, wonderful things.

I had the opportunity to chat with Denise this evening as I was on my way back to Brookings from another successful Meet and Greet that my guy – GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Scott Munsterman – had in Watertown this evening.

(Yes, I am exposed to the public from time to time, and we enjoyed the hospitality of the wonderful people at “Past Times.”  But this isn’t about me or Scott – this is about Denise.)

What I’m hearing is that Denise has been up to her elbows after having her baby this past year, as her world has changed greatly as it’s known to do after becoming a parent. And it’s not just that.  On a lark, she applied for a communications position which she had no personal expectation of getting. And of course, as a result this new mom found herself being offered a position with Golden West in their communications department (which she took).

And topping it all off, I’m pleased to note that Denise now finds herself expecting child #2.  She’s not keeping up on her blogging? How dare she!

But alas…  all good things must come to an end. And that meant something had to give.  Meaning that her blog and her freelance reporting had to fade off into the sunset.  Anyway, we had a great conversation tonight, and if she has any regret, it’s that she’s finding herself getting behind on returning notes (that includes one to you Lee) and other correspondence.

Yes, Denise confirmed that she’s 2 columns away from being done with that part of her life-  for at least the moment. And, one of the better South Dakota political websites  - the HogHouse Blog – while remaining on-line for posterity, will find itself going dormant.

If we can give one of our favorite co-blogosphere compatriots a proper send-off as they look onwards and upwards, it would be that life happens, and sometimes it takes us in new and wonderful directions, and I wish her success and happiness – especially when it comes to her growing family.

Congratulations and best wishes to Denise as she pursues new opportunities.

(If you’d like to drop her a note, denise@hoghouseblog.com still works just fine)

Our nation suffered a financial crisis over the past two years that nearly brought the entire world’s financial system to its knees.  While the sickness is in remission, we have done nothing to cure the disease.  We have only been treating symptoms.

Before we can find a cure, we have to diagnose the sickness.  The sickness has fundamental roots because of the “lifestyle” of the financial industry.  But to large degree, the lifestyle was encouraged by the Doctor (government).

First “encouragement”:  Clinton era Community Reinvestment Act required banks to make loans to people and businesses that were not credit worthy.

Second “encouragment”:  In 1999, Clinton and the Republican Congress gave powers that was destined to make the patient sicker.

Third “encouragement”:  Clinton-era expansion of authority of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that distorted the home mortgage business and led to hyper-inflation of home prices and financed home-owners with substandard credit.

And, then when they should have known better, the “Doctor” committed malpractice:  Failure of Bush and Congress to address these problems as they first came to light.  Despite the ease to blame Barney Frank and Chris Dodd for their obstinance to consider reforms, I equally blame Bush for failing to lead and force Congress to deal with the issue.  They all chose to put their head in the sand.

Doctor Obama has made two recent announcements that impact the health of the patient. 

1)  Last week, “President Barack Obama unveiled his proposed $90 billion bank tax Thursday with some of his toughest rhetoric yet toward Wall Street, saying: “We want our money back, and we’re going to get it.”"  (WSJ:  1-14-10) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281204575002502656839716.html 

The problem with this rhetoric is the banks have paid back TARP money with interest.  The losses of TARP are associated with the Auto Bailout and mortgage modification program.  This solution is perverse.  We bailed out the idiots who made bad mortgage loans and then will tax them to get the money back. 

If you want proof about how moronic the mortgage modificaiton program is, try to get someone in the Obama administration to defend it.  Rightly, they just hope we don’t raise the issue.  They know it was just a gift to banks and cover up the problem.

How about we quit telling them to make bad loans, bail them out when they go bad, and then tax them to pay for the bailout?

2)  Today, “President Barack Obama proposed new limits on the size and activities of the nation’s largest banks, pushing a more muscular approach toward regulation that yanked down bank stocks and raised the stakes in his campaign to show he’s tough on Wall Street.” (WSJ- 1-21-10)  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703699204575016983630045768.html 

Unfortunately, the announcement slammed the stock market which dropped over 200 points after the announcement.  What is wrong with the President’s initiative?  Look to the administration itself:

Administration officials said they weren’t trying to resurrect the Depression-era law–known as Glass Steagall–that strictly divided commercial banks from the business of underwriting securities. Nor would their proposals force existing financial firms to downsize, officials said. (WSJ:  1-21-10)

The above is like Obama is wishy washy.  Their goal is to reach the same effect of this legislation.  Why not do it directly and resurrect it?  Why this convoluted solution that has known adverse consequences and who knows how many unknown consequences?  See #2 below.

Then you have the context of Obama’s two announcements have a real tone of being punitive to banks.  Granted, banks did act very imprudently the last few years but they did so with the encouragement of the government (direct and indirect as I described at the beginning). 

I know it sounds good politically.  I kinda like it myself because I’m furious about what almost occurred 16 months ago.  And, after the shellacking Obama/Coakley took on Tuesday, I understand the impulse to change the narrative. 

But, we are in a recession and need banks to lend money to businesses and consumers if we are ever going to have a recovery.  To use banks as punching bags is not effective to get them to participate in the recovery nor is announcing punitive taxes.  It is Econ 101 that if you tax something you will get less of it.  We need more bank lending.  Not less.

The essence of Obama’s proposal is fundamentally flawed (despite sounding populist and ragging on banks) for these reasons:

1)  Ending proprietary trading is medicine inherently bad for liquidity in the industry.  It attacks the disease (risk in the banking system) but will kill the ability of generating capital in the economy.  

2)  It attacks size of banks rather than their business models.  The financial institutions that brought us to our knees weren’t the biggest banks (with exception of maybe Citibank) but smaller institutions inter-linked by multiple financial instruments.  The “too big to fail” is a problem but size of the institution isn’t the only factor which creates an institution “too big to fail.”  Smaller banks with investment banking and other risky subsidiaries won’t be affected.  Only the largest banks. 

The solution is actually quite simple.

First, repeal Gramm-Leach.  McCain has advocated this for at least a year.  This attacks the business model.  We can give banks a year to liquidate through selling certain business activities or spinning them off.  This will have the follwoing benefits:

1)  Shrink the sizes of banks,

2)  Concentrate their business attention of making personal and business loans and not other financial endeavors.  Leave investment banking to investment bankers.  Leave hedge fund activities to hedge funds. 

3)  Add competition in banking, non-traditional debt markets and equity markets.  Right now, we basically have a financial industry that is an oligarchy and not truly competitive.  When I graduated from college, I had 100’s if not thousands of competing investment banks of substantial size where I could go work.  Today, there is a handful and they are all owned by Bank Holding Companies.  If it weren’t for the creativity provided by hedge funds, the US would have the most moribund financial markets in the world.

Second, tighten what qualifies as a Bank Holding Company.  It is nuts that GE, Goldman Sachs, and auto companies have access to Federal Reserve inter-bank deposits and FDIC guarantees.  This will add market discipline to prevent excessively risky activities.  The Federal Reserve is to be a resource for bank liquidity.  FDIC is to guarantee deposits and give banks access to stable capital.  Not provide cheap capital to non-banks (financial or operating companies like GE).

The good news today:  the Doctor is finally trying to address the disease.  (He should have addressed this a year ago.)

The bad news:  Doctor Obama might kill the patient in the process.

ADDENDUM:  Geithner “has concerns that limits on proprietary trading do not necessarily get at the root of the problems and excesses that fueled the recent financial meltdown.”  http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN2123718120100122

I don’t like to reference Geithner but he is stating the obvious.  But Obama either has to have his Treasury Secretary supporting something like this or he needs to go.  The consequences and significance of this is too big to have this divide.

What my spy was telling me was that there’s a very strong rumor out there that “Governor Rounds’ Chief of Staff Neil Fulton is resigning after session to accept…..“  And then it went out.   Darn you western SD Cell phone coverage!

Luckily, my spy came back out of the valleys of cell phone coverage to tell me that supposedly, Fulton will be taking over the position of federal public defender for North Dakota and South Dakota, which had been held by Jeffrey Viken until he was named to the federal bench.

It was noted that the hiring makes sense, given Fulton’s positive reputation in legal circles, and his previous association with Congresswoman Herseth, despite serving as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. Consider this as Fulton’s stepping stone to the federal judiciary.

And, I’ve managed to confirm this through other sources, so consider this story good.

And stay tuned.

And then the real insanity started when Obama decided to abuse the flexibility in the law to blow what is in excess of $100 Billion of the automakers and their finance arms.  Then, Obama created the Home Loan Modification Program which is nothing more than a gift to the banks holding these under-water mortgages and led to a rapid recovery of bank profits at the expense of taxpayers which has resulted in Wall Street giving big bonuses. 

John Thune has been on the forefront of trying to stop this insanity.  Some highlights from a recent letter from Senator Thune.  I couldn’t have said it better.  

http://dailycaller.com/2010/01/21/tarp-has-run-its-course/

(President Obama wants) to use most of that money to help pay for $150 billion in new stimulus spending programs. Rather than looking for new places to use taxpayer dollars, it is time for Washington to stop its spend-now, ask-questions-later attitude and put our country back on the road to fiscal responsibility and government restraint.  . . .

Now TARP funds may become just another slush fund for Democrats to spend on pet projects that might be good for them politically, but do nothing for our national economy. Far from spending our way out of this recession, this flawed approach would just dig us into a deeper hole. . . .

So we will try again. This week Senate Democrats will vote to again expand the nation’s debt limit by at least $635 billion $1.9 trillion, and I have introduced an amendment that would end TARP immediately and lower the debt limit by an amount equal to whatever funds we get back from the program. Taking steps now to reduce the uncertainty created by a ballooning national debt will have a far greater impact on righting our economy and allowing private businesses to create jobs than will any new spending by the government.

TARP was never meant to be the president’s piggy bank for costly new stimulus spending, and the wisest thing we could do with the remaining TARP money is to end the program so these funds won’t be wasted. I hope Senate Democrats will take this opportunity to join their Republican colleagues in supporting my amendment to finally end the TARP experiment. In doing so, we can take one small—but significant—step on the path toward fiscal responsibility.

This crap is an abuse of the National Trust.  Obama & Co. have to be stopped.  Since Herseth and Johnson voted against the creation of TARP, it seems reasonable they will join Senator Thune in abolishing this abomination. 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down major provisions of campaign finance reform, though it remained to be seen if its decision represents a revolution in money and politics.

The court upheld disclosure requirements for corporations but also struck down the distinction between individual expenditures and corporate ones.

That should allow corporations to spend freely in support or opposition to candidates.

Read it here.

We might even anticipate a potential change in law during session this year to being state law – which has long outlawed corporate contributions – to come in line with the Supreme Court’s decision.

Stay tuned.

For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 21, 2010
For More Information: Jim Hagen

Knudson Welcomes Daugaard’s Support for Republican Budget Proposal

State Senator Dave Knudson, Republican candidate for governor, issued the following statement today on Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard’s decision to abandon his support for Governor Rounds’ 2011 budget proposal, and throw his support to Republican legislators’ budget cutting plan:

“I want to be one of the first legislators to welcome Dennis Daugaard’s support of the Republican legislators’ plan to balance our state budget by cutting $36 million in spending without dipping into our reserve funds. I believe that his change of heart is proof that we are on the right track. Even though Dennis earlier praised the governor’s proposed budget by calling it, “…a fiscally responsible plan to meet the needs of the people of our state,” as Republicans, we know that our approach to the budget deficit must be guided by our core values of limited government, fiscal restraint, and respect for the taxpayer. We welcome Dennis to the fold.

South Dakota needs strong conservative fiscal leadership. When times are tough, government must cut spending and live within its means. As governor, I will provide that strong conservative leadership that South Dakota needs now. ”

-END–

Also attached to the Knudson Campaign’s release was a copy of the original statement issued by the Daugaard campaign in December:

12/08/2009

DAUGAARD: “THE STATE IS TIGHTENING ITS BELT”

Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard, candidate for Governor, issued the following statement regarding Governor Mike Rounds’ budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011:

“When finances are tough, South Dakota’s families and businesses tighten their belts. Under Governor Rounds’ proposal, the State is tightening its belt too. Governor Rounds’ proposed budget is a fiscally responsible plan to meet the needs of the people of our state. I applaud the Governor for not proposing to raise taxes.

“The national recession has caused state revenues to fall significantly, yet this plan meets our budget challenges without raising taxes or cutting K-12 education. Governor Rounds has also held the line on new spending, as general fund expenditures will have grown less than 1% over two years. In fact, except for federally mandated increases in state Medicaid funding, this budget will actually decrease total general fund spending. The plan also cuts over 100 FTEs and continues to trim back bureaucracy.

“The key to solving South Dakota’s budget problem is to create jobs and jumpstart our economy. That’s why I’m pleased that Governor Rounds’ plan does not include any tax increases. South Dakota has the #1 business-friendly climate in the nation, and we need to maintain that advantage.

“I’m also pleased that Governor Rounds has included a proposal for a Physics PhD to support the development of the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake. Now more than ever, South Dakota has to continue to aggressively pursue opportunities for long-term growth.

“The Governor’s budget proposal is a starting point, and many legislators will have proposals to change this plan. It is critical that, through the legislative process, everyone work together to pass a prudent, fiscally responsible budget.”

CONTACT: Tony Venhuizen

There’s no theater like political theater.

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has finally come forward to admit that he is the father of a child born to a videographer he hired before his second White House bid. “It was wrong for me to ever deny she was my daughter,” he said Thursday.

Edwards released a statement to The Associated Press after long denying that he’d fathered a child during an affair with Rielle Hunter. The admission comes shortly before a book on the scandal is due out from a former campaign aide who was expected to describe how Edwards worked to hide his paternity.

“I am Quinn’s father,” the former senator declared in his statement, as the second birthday of Frances Quinn Hunter approaches.

Read it all here.

5 years. Who would have thought it would go on that long?

Follow DOE on Twitter Looking for quick updates during the legislative session? The Department of Education is on Twitter and will provide timely posts regarding education-related bills.

To follow us:
1) Go to www.twitter.com
2) Click “Sign Up Now” to create an account.
3) Once you are logged into your account, click on
“Find People” and type “sddoe” in the Search box.
4) Hit the “Follow sddoe” option under the “Actions”
icon.

Sounds great, huh?

The only problem? A huge number of people who got this note encouraging them to follow the DOE on twitter are in South Dakota Schools, the majority of which are on the state server system.

And that would be the state server system which blocks all social networking websites.

Herseth Sandlin Ignores Massachusetts Lessons, Balks at Transparency Once Again

South Dakota Democrat Blocks Measure to Shine Some Light on Backroom Healthcare Dealing

Washington- In the wake of their humiliating loss in the Massachusetts Senate Special Election, Democrats are scrambling to save their floundering healthcare legislation. As Nancy Pelosi and the rest of her loyal allies hide behind closed doors, devising a scheme to get their bill forced through Congress before their caucus collapses, Americans are still demanding transparency. But thanks to Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, they’re still not going to get it. After refusing to sign her name onto a bipartisan Sunshine Resolution, Herseth Sandlin voted today to block consideration of a measure that would require her party’s shady negotiations to be brought into the light of day.

Even after the Massachusetts thumping, Democrat leaders want to force through their healthcare debacle:

U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday Democrats will push ahead with a sweeping healthcare overhaul despite a Republican win in a special Senate election in Massachusetts.

“We will move forward with those considerations in mind — but we will move forward,” Pelosi told the U.S. Conference of Mayors.” (Susan Heavey, “House Will Move Ahead with Health Care: Pelosi,” Reuters, 1/20/10)

But the results in the country’s bluest state make it clear that the public has different ideas:

“Scott Brown’s opposition to congressional health care legislation was the most important issue that fueled his U.S. Senate victory in Massachusetts, according to exit poll data collected following the Tuesday special election.

“Fifty-two percent of Bay State voters who were surveyed as the polls closed said they opposed the federal health care reform measure and 42 percent said they cast their ballot to help stop President Obama from passing his chief domestic initiative.” (David Catanese, “Exit Poll: Health Care Mattered,” Politico, 1/20/10)

“Last night, Massachusetts voters sent a clear signal that Democrats like Stephanie Herseth Sandlin are writing their own political obituaries by forcing their bloated healthcare legislation through Congress,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Families in South Dakota and Massachusetts alike are rightfully angry and frustrated over the Democrats’ backroom dealings, but Herseth Sandlin continues to endorse these shady negotiations. If Herseth Sandlin didn’t get the message last night, she’ll hear it loud and clear in November.”

###

What I want to know before we pass legislation on passing a bicycle – is why we aren’t passing legislation about ingesting it first?

(Ba da bum).

January 19, 2010 – Pierre, SD – Upon the election of Scott Brown to the United States Senate in Massachusetts, Chris Nelson, candidate for the United States House of Representatives released the following statement:

“The unexpected happened in Massachusetts today. In electing Republican Scott Brown to fill the Senate seat previously held by Ted Kennedy, the people of Massachusetts have said they believe the current Congress is taking this country the wrong direction. This vote is the tip of the iceberg of the political change happening in America in 2010. Voters are taking back their Congress.

While the Massachusetts electorate is certainly different than South Dakota, it shows that voters on both ends of the political spectrum have deep concerns about where our country is headed. This win shows people’s priorities are for smaller government, less spending and real answers to the economic challenges we are currently facing. As I talk to voters across this state I am hearing that same message. I believe 2010 is the year South Dakota will send a new Republican Representative to Washington who is principled and courageous enough to work towards reducing the size of the federal government and balancing the federal budget. I am prepared to be that Representative.”

and, from Blake Curd for Congress

Blake Curd Statement on Scott Brown Win in Massachusetts

SIOUX FALLS – U.S. House Candidate, doctor and U.S. Air Force veteran Blake Curd issued the following statement on Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts:

“I join with many South Dakotans tonight in celebrating the victory of Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown. This is an important win for America and for South Dakota, for Brown will be the 41st Republican Senator, and so throws a wrench into the Pelosi-Reid-Obama plans for the worst health care bill in American history.

“Scott Brown’s victory means even more, a Republican winning in blue Massachusetts is a rebuke of the direction of Washington’s Democrat leadership. I find the same sentiments exist in South Dakota as I talk to the people in my travels across our state. We insist that our elected officials listen us – not hide and not duck and not merely wait for the vote-count and cast a carefully considered politically expedient vote. South Dakotans demand more, and that has been a great factor in my decision to seek the South Dakota people’s seat in Congress.

###

From Politico:

“There’s going to be a tendency on the part of our people to be in denial about all this,” Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who is up for reelection this year, told ABC News, but “if you lose Massachusetts and that’s not a wake-up call, there’s no hope of waking up.”

Like other moderates, Bayh thinks the party has tilted too far left.

“It’s why moderates and independents even in a state as Democratic as Massachusetts just aren’t buying our message,” he said. “They just don’t believe the answers we are currently proposing are solving their problems. That’s something that has to be corrected.”

Read it here .

The owner of Teddy’s Deli in Keystone hopes to open a second sandwich shop in downtown Rapid City.

Gideon Oakes has signed a letter of intent to lease space in the Presidents Plaza mixed-use development planned for the corner of Sixth and St. Joseph streets in Rapid City.

Announcing the project in December, the developer said he hopes to break ground this spring but first needed a certain number of leasing commitments in order to secure financing.

Oakes is a Keystone native who opened Teddy’s there three weeks after graduating from Utah State University in May 2009. He said he realizes opening a second shop after the first has been open only a year is an aggressive expansion.

Read it here.

Congratulations Gideon – And thanks for helping to keep the American dream alive.

Can Republicans get giddy yet?

(Update – with 69% in, the percentages are the same, and the AP is calling it for Scott Brown)

3:01

Stephanie: Thanks for joining us. Let me start with a question Chris Nelson asked when he was on live chat a couple of weeks back. How many candidate forums or debates will you agree to in this campaign? K.W.

3:06

Every election I look forward to a vigorous debate about the issues and to engaging voters across the state about my work on their behalf in Congress. That includes televised debates that reach statewide audiences. Dakotafest and the State Fair usually sponsor joint appearance forums that are broadcast to radio audiences as well. Once the primary election is over and we are in the general election, voters across the state will have numerous opportunities to evaluate my candidacy and that of my opponent, just as they have had in every general election since I’ve been a candidate for public office.

“How many candidate forums or debates will you agree to in this campaign?” That sounded like an easy question. Or not.

When it comes to Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin, getting a straight answer on debates, and open public forums isn’t something that comes willingly. Or at all.

I think we can assume that she’s going to don that feathery suit once again, and duck most debates this election season.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) said Tuesday that a loss in Massachusetts would “diminish significantly” the prospects for a health care reform bill this year.

In a live chat on the Rapid City Journal’s political blog, Herseth Sandlin was asked: “If Democrats lose the Senate seat in Massachusetts, how likely will it be that a plan will be signed into law that will reduce the cost of health care for the vast majority of South Dakotans?”

Her response: “In my opinion, the chances would diminish significantly for achieving health care reform this year because of the Senate’s inability to get anything done without 60 votes.”

Herseth Sandlin, a co-chair of the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, voted against the House health care bill, but she spent weeks negotiating with party leaders before eventually bowing out.

Read it here at Politico

Howie, R-Rapid City, lambasted the budget proposals by Gov. Mike Rounds, Republican leadership and Democratic leadership as all leading to more spending and more taxes.

“I disagree with the Republican leadership and the Democrat leadership,” Howie said. “Government growth should be zero. Any new spending should be matched by spending cuts.”

Gubernatorial candidate Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, outlines his call for budget cuts Tuesday. Howie also called for freezing taxes at their current levels.

and…

Howie said he does not plan to introduce a bill implementing his plan this session but intends to oppose measures such as a proposed increase in the gas tax.

Read it here.

Are we starting a game of policy one-upsmanship from the Gubernatorial candidates in the Senate?

Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard said Monday that he supports Republican lawmakers who are calling for deeper budget cuts than those proposed by Gov. Mike Rounds.

Daugaard, who is seeking the Republican nomination to replace Rounds, said bigger cuts now would help preserve reserve funds and make it easier to balance the budget that goes into effect in 2011. That budget has a projected deficit of more than $100 million – an amount equal to 10 percent of the state’s general fund revenues.

“Any dollar that we can save in additional cuts now really represents $2 in savings,” Daugaard said.

Read it here.

Does this mean that the Governor has given his blessing to the Lt. Governor to part with him on issues, and that Governor Rounds will now be assuming a “lame duck” status on major legislative issues, instead allowing his Lt. to take the lead (and the subsequent publicity) to bolster Daugaard’s run for Governor?

Or is this an independent decision based on the Lt. Gov’s views of the budget deficit. And if that’s the case, should there have been similar dissension last year?

Discuss.

Blake Curd Encourages South Dakotans To Ask Rep. Herseth Sandlin Questions Tomorrow

SIOUX FALLS – U.S. House Candidate, doctor and U.S. Air Force veteran Blake Curd today reminded concerned South Dakota citizens that tomorrow might be their only chance to ask Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin about how she plans to vote on the final version of the health care bill. Rep. Herseth Sandlin has agreed to take questions from the public during a online chat session with the Rapid City Journal tomorrow at 12:00PM MST.

“This might be the only opportunity South Dakotans have to dialogue with Rep. Herseth Sandlin before the final vote on the health care bill. I encourage concerned citizens to log in online tomorrow and let our Representative know how they feel. Sadly, other live forums or townhall meetings are highly unlikely,” said Curd, a State Representative representing Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties.

“Democratic leaders promised this would be the most open and transparent legislative process in history. Unfortunately it has been far from that. Our own Representative has kept the public in the dark about her position on the health care reform until the last minute before the vote. South Dakotans deserve better than that,” said Curd.

###

Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, the authors wrote, “considered Hillary an icy prima donna; her husband (who after exiting the White House often called Daschle, imploring him for help in burnishing his legacy) a narcissist on an epic scale; the dynamic between the couple, bizarre; their treatment of their friends, unforgivably manipulative and disloyal.

“For Daschle,” Halperin and Heilemann wrote, “Clinton fatigue wasn’t simply a political analysis. It was personal.”

Daschle, who withdrew as Obama’s Health and Human Services secretary over tax problems, says that’s an inaccurate depiction of his relationship with the Clintons, but he would not comment further on the relationship.

Heilemann and Halperin wrote that Hillary Clinton viewed Daschle as “ineffectual and weak, a bush-leaguer in a big league job, and his loss (in South Dakota in 2004) had only confirmed her earlier verdict.”

Read it here.

The re-election of Sen. Johnson in 2008 left Stephanie facing a set of difficult choices for 2010. She could run for re-election for a fourth full term, or challenge John Thune for the Senate seat, or run for governor, or retire. She’s showing no signs of retiring but could face a difficult re-election fight this fall. If she does win in November, the earliest next opportunity to run for the Senate would be in 2014.

and…

Can Stephanie keep serving in the U.S. House that long? She’s now in her seventh year and will be battling to win re-election this fall against either Secretary of State Chris Nelson or state Rep. Blake Curd, the two men competing for the Republican nomination. Both Chris and Blake are showing themselves to be capable and strong candidates, especially Curd who seems to be gaining momentum by the week.

and….

All of this is what has led to the latest talk in political circles that the smartest thing for her at this point might be to walk away and take a break.

Read it all here.

Seven candidates have already stepped forward to run for South Dakota Governor in 2010, and two Republicans are mounting their campaigns against Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

John Thune is facing his first re-election campaign as a Senator. During his last campaign, he knocked off one of the most powerful Democrats in the country.  But no Democrat is stepping forward in 2010 to take on South Dakota’s Republican Senator in his re-election campaign.

“I jokingly call it political suicide. We think he’s that well liked in South Dakota,” South Dakota Republican Executive Director Lucas Lentsch said.

Read it here.

The rumor on the street is that there is a woman by the name of Gemma Lockhart who has sent out a letter regarding a potential Democratic run against Republican US Senator John Thune.

But don’t look for any enthusiasm that the SDDP might finally have dug up a sacrificial lamb.

The rumor I’m hearing is that either directly, or through surrogates, neither Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin nor Gubernatorial Candidate Scott Heidepriem are worried about there being a Democratic Senatorial candidate. In fact, the rumor is that they would prefer that there not be one.

Why? They’re worried that the National Republican Senatorial Committee will come in and gear up a massive Republican GOTV (Get out the Vote) effort in South Dakota as they had in the past. And with the national turmoil over the economy, jobs, health care, cap and tax, states rights, government takeover of businesses and just plain encroaching socialism – they know that 2010 stands to be a very Republican oriented election.

And the better Republicans are organized means the worse for these two hopefuls.

Stay tuned.

Republican Legislators Outline Budget Strategy

PIERRE – House and Senate Republican legislators announced their plan for addressing South Dakota’s budget deficit problems in a press conference at the State Capitol this morning.  The legislators outlined a strategy that would reduce the $32 million deficit in the budget proposed by Governor Rounds, and also addressed the $110 million deficit that will face the 2011 Legislature.

Republican legislators believe that taking a two year approach to solving this budget crisis is needed, and are committed to adopting a budget this year for fiscal year 2011 that contains no deficit spending.  They believe that the bulk of the deficit reduction will come from specific programmatic cuts.  These budget cuts can be made in areas which will not significantly impact the essential services delivered to our citizens.

“Certainly, this year’s budget deficit is a serious problem,” said Bob Faehn, House Majority Leader. “However, if we do not address the fundamental way we fund government, future years will be much worse.”

“As the majority party in the Legislature, it is our job to govern,” added Dave Knudson, Senate Majority Leader.  “We will continue to be guided by the Republican core values of self-reliance, limited government, common sense, and respect for the burden placed on taxpayers as we search for long-term solutions to our problems.”

For more information on the Republican legislators’ budget plan, refer to the attachment:

Attachment – 2010 Republican Legislative Platform.

-30-

---

2010 REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

The House and Senate Republican legislators are committed to taking positive action on a number of important problems facing South Dakota.

First and foremost, we feel a deep need to begin addressing in a meaningful way South Dakota’s deficit problems.  Governor Rounds has proposed a budget which, based on current revenue estimates, includes a $32 million deficit.  We know, based on the Governor’s current estimates, the deficit that the 2011 Legislature will face will be in excess of $110 million, more than our total reserves today.  Republican legislators believe that we need to take a two year approach to solving this budget crisis and are committed to adopting a budget this year for fiscal year 2011 that contains no deficit spending.  By eliminating the fiscal year 2011 deficit, we will be reducing the size of the deficit which the 2011 Legislature will face by approximately one-third.  Based on the progress in reducing that fiscal year 2012 deficit which will in fact be made this year, coupled with hoped for, but still uncertain economic growth, we believe the size of the inherent structural deficit that the 2011 Legislature will face is a problem which can be solved.

Achieving a budget with a zero deficit in the current legislative session will be a difficult and demanding challenge.  The Legislature and the Appropriations Committee are just beginning their intensive review of South Dakota’s budget and the priorities established within the various departments of state government by that budget.  We believe that the bulk of the deficit reduction will come from specific programmatic cuts.  We believe these budget cuts can be made in areas which will not significantly impact the essential services delivered to our citizens.

We do not propose any new taxes to support this year’s general fund budget.  In addition to not supporting new taxes, the legislative Republicans do not support the proposed shift of more than $4 million of state K-12 education responsibilities on to local property taxpayers.  We intend to make the annual adjustment to lower school general fund property tax levies.  By making this annual adjustment since 1995, the Legislature has reduced school general fund property tax rates by almost 60% for homeowners and agricultural producers and almost 50% for commercial property owners.  We have also reduced the local property taxpayers’ share of school funding from 50% to 43.5%.

Our deficit problems have been created not by irresponsible spending over the past seven years but by a dramatic downturn in our state and nation’s economy.  For the only time in memory, South Dakota’s revenues actually decreased in fiscal year 2009.

While we recognize that budget concerns represent the primary focus of this session, we also have other concerns:

1.                  We are ever mindful that our future economic growth depends on genuine new economic development not from government handouts.  We will continue to support economic development in South Dakota in order to maximize the speed and size of our state’s economic recovery.  We note that South Dakota has the lowest per capita state taxes in the nation.  We are proud of our enormously productive workforce.  We pledge to continue to preserve South Dakota’s pro business attitude at both a state and local level and will continue to pass legislation designed to preserve and improve South Dakota’s no. 1 rated business climate.  We see no reason why South Dakota should not be the first state in the nation to bounce back from the current recession.

2.                  We are deeply concerned about the adverse effects on South Dakota of a number of pending bills in Congress.  We believe that the federal healthcare reform legislation as currently passed in different versions by the U.S. House and Senate will represent a step backwards for South Dakota and our citizens.  We will face increased burdens with very little healthcare reform or cost containment.  We are also concerned about the adverse impacts on South Dakota of the federal Cap and Trade legislation which will dramatically increase our energy costs in South Dakota thereby adversely impacting our agricultural producers, manufacturers and homeowners.  Cap and Trade represents a significant challenge to our state’s economic development and recovery.  Nothing typifies the difference between South Dakota and Washington, D.C. more than our respective approaches to budgetary problems.  While the federal government’s deficit spending and national debt reach all time highs, we are living within our means in South Dakota.  Finally, we are concerned about the impact of proposed federal card check legislation which would deny South Dakota’s citizens the right to cast a secret ballot in union elections.

3.                   As the majority party in the Legislature, it is our job to govern.  We must be the party of reason and responsibility and will strive to do our job with results as the primary objective.  As we go through this difficult legislative session, we will continue to be guided by the Republican core values of self-reliance, limited government, common sense, and respect for the burden placed on taxpayers as we search for long-term solutions to our problems.

Some centrist Democrats who voted against the House healthcare reform legislation say they may vote yes on the final bill if it closely mirrors the Senate-passed measure.

This is good news for House leaders, who are concerned that some liberals may defect on the final health bill that comes out of conference.

and…

That final product is being stitched together at the White House with significant input from President Barack Obama, who many Democrats criticized for not doing enough earlier to lay down clear markers and for sending what many interpreted to be muddled signals about whether he favored the Senate’s approach over the House’s.

Democrats who were initially undecided on the House healthcare bill before ultimately voting no include Reps. Harry Teague (N.M.), Michael McMahon (N.Y.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.), Eric Massa (N.Y.) and Larry Kissell (N.C.).

Negotiators reached a significant breakthrough on Thursday morning on one of the more contentious issues. They agreed to include the Senate’s excise tax on so-called Cadillac health insurance plans, but with higher taxation thresholds that liberals and labor leaders demanded in order to lessen the impact that the tax would have on union workers.

Read it here.

–Report Demonstrates Need for Thune’s Government Ownership Exit Plan–

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John Thune today highlighted a report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) by the Congressional Oversight Panel that criticizes the program for overreaching and questions how the government program will divest itself of private businesses in the future. Over the last year, Senator Thune has worked to end TARP and create an exit strategy for the unprecedented level of government ownership in private business.

“This report details how American taxpayers own billions of dollars worth of private assets with the Treasury Department having no clear plan for how to sell them,” said Thune. “TARP should be ended, the assets should be sold, and the proceeds should be used to improve our dangerous fiscal situation. The Obama Administration passed on a chance to end TARP late last year, but I will continue to push for a plan to get the American taxpayer out of the current quagmire created through the Administration’s handling of TARP.”

Senator Thune led an effort to prohibit the Treasury Secretary from extending TARP beyond December 31, 2009, but that was blocked by Senate Democrats. Last summer, Senator Thune introduced the Government Ownership Exit Plan (S. 1242), which would require the federal government to divest itself of all ownership interests in private companies acquired through TARP with the proceeds going to debt reduction.

Next week, the Senate will consider a House-passed measure (H.J. Res. 45) that would raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $635 billion to $13.029 trillion. As part of the agreement to take up the debt limit increase, the Senate will vote on a Thune amendment that would immediately end TARP and reduce the debt ceiling by any funds repaid through TARP assistance.

The Congressional Oversight Panel report criticizes the Treasury Department for having no clear plan to sell TARP assets. The full text of the report can be found here.

###

Hart said the office inquired about getting the list, and an official with Game, Fish and Parks encouraged the office to seek a waiver available to nonprofit groups and other government entities. Last month, the Games, Fish and Parks Commission denied the waiver request.

“At no time did we suggest to anyone that we should get the lists for free,” Hart said.

Read that here.

Well, yes. But what about the GF&P’s official record on it?

From the minutes of the December 3-4 GF&P meeting, it seems to indicate that Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin’s denials that she had not requested the list be free ring hollow:

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin requested the 2009 resident hunting and fishing license holders list for official use only, non-political, to invite license holder to pertinent meetings, and legislative updates and the fee to be waived. Discussion included the one time use, broad purpose, has this been done before, and will it need to be provided to other politicians. Motion by McMahon with second by Olson TO TABLE THE REQUEST FROM CONGRESSWOMAN HERSETH SANDLIN. Motion carried unanimously.

Either the official recorded minutes from South Dakota Game Fish & Parks are in error, or Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin’s political staff is.

There’s two ways to do it.  First, you can make a donation to your local chapter of the American Red Cross, and designate it for Haitian disaster relief.

Or, if you’re looking for something more spontaneous, you can text “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10 donation through your cell phone, which will make a donation to the Red Cross, and this effort is backed by the US State Department.

Read more about it here.

Two days ago in a post on global warming directed at Republicans, the liberal leftists over at Badlands Blue were holding up Rev. Pat Robertson as someone whose advice they believe people should trust:

Check out the video below featuring the odd couple of the Rev. Al Sharpton with the Rev. Pat Robertson. The ad was produced by the Alliance for Climate Protection. We’re keeping the CRS@BB working late hours to determine how the religious community weighs in on the science behind climate change legislation and the call to act responsively.

Read that here.

And what’s the headline coming from their new idol the next day?

Televangelist Pat Robertson said Wednesday that earthquake-ravaged Haiti has been “cursed” by a “pact to the devil.”

“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it,” he said on Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club.” “They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it’s a deal.”

Read that here.

Err… yeah.  BBleu might want to reconsider whose advice they tell us to follow.

(Personally, I’ve never put much stock in televangelists.)

First story:

Herseth Sandlin had requested free lists of people who bought the licenses in 2009 from the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

and..

The request from an elected official for free lists was unusual, according to GFP’s director for administration Chris Petersen. He said he knew of one past instance when a candidate for the Legislature paid full price for the list. “Definitely it’s a request that comes in a new area for us,” he said.

and..

Petersen said the congresswoman’s staff indicated the information would be used to contact residents for official use.

“Upwards of 150,000 names,” he said.

Read it here.

Story 2:

Russ Levsen from the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said today that her staff wasn’t seeking free lists of South Dakotans who purchased fishing and hunting licenses from the state Game, Fish and Parks Department in 2009.

Read it here.

So it was an unusual request in the first place, but now they deny, deny, deny.

Which version of the truth are we to believe?

One of my spies in Pierre passed on this little tidbit which hit legislator’s e-mail boxes:

Dear Senator or Representative,

On behalf of the American Academy of Dermatology Association and our members in South Dakota, please find attached a letter requesting your support for legislation to prohibit the use of indoor tanning devices for minors under 18. According to the American Cancer Society, one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime, and one American dies every 62 minutes from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. We urge you to cosponsor and support the passage of this important public health initiative by contacting Senator Stanford Adelstein, Chairman of Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Guccione Chandra, MA
Assistant Director, State Policy
American Academy of Dermatology Association

(Click to enlarge.)

Ohhhh…..so now instead of the fool’s errand that certain big government types in the legislature were going after in previous sessions, we’re now going to flat out put tanning in the same category as smoking, porn magazines, lottery tickets, and alcohol, and ban it for people who are under a certain age. DESPITE THE FACT THEY THESE VERY SAME PEOPLE CAN INSTEAD GO OUTSIDE, LAY DOWN WITH A TOWEL, AND USE THE SUN!!!

God save us from fools and do gooders.

While I realize that now under Obama, we live in a society where government is expected to do all for us – once again, this goes over the border on being asinine and ridiculous.  Do they intend to duct tape sun blocking parasols to everyone until they are 18 years of age?

My only solace is that it appers the measure is to be sponsored by Senator Stan Adelstein, who Bob Mercer once called the Republican’s Frank Kloucek when talking about his legislative successes.

Legislators need to throw this turkey of a measure in the microwave until the 41st legislative day.

Blake Curd Highlights Need for Fiscal Discipline and Transparency In Washington

PIERRE – U.S. House Candidate, doctor and U.S. Air Force veteran Blake Curd today held a press conference pledging he would not send unsolicited, campaign-style mail pieces to South Dakotans at taxpayer expense if elected to Congress. Curd also took to task Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s recent unsolicited mailings and her office’s attempts to obtain Game, Fish & Parks mailing lists at a greatly reduced cost.

“With budget deficits as far as the eye can see in Washington DC, and as we struggle to get a handle on the budget here in Pierre, we are in desperate need of fiscal discipline.  But if fiscal discipline is more than just a talking point then that means elected officials need to walk the walk instead of just talk the talk.  That is why, if elected to the US House, I promise the taxpayers of South Dakota I will not send unsolicited campaign-style mail pieces such as this to South Dakota constituents,” said Curd, who is a State Representative from Sioux Falls.

“Representative Herseth Sandlin has spent $111,230 on such mailers.  This is nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars.  In the age of email, Facebook, Twitter, tele-townhalls and even old fashioned face-to-face townhalls, there are plenty of ways to keep in touch with constituents.  As your representative I will use these forms of lower cost communication, and save our tax dollars for much more important things like building roads or connecting our rural clinics via telemedicine,” said Curd.

“It seems to be standard operating procedure in Washington DC to try and get something for nothing.  Rep. Herseth Sandlin attempted to obtain the Game, Fish and Parks mailing list for essentially free.  If you or I were to buy the mailing list we would have to pay full price.  I hope Rep. Herseth Sandlin will shed some more light on exactly what her office was planning to do with the list and why they attempted to get the list for essentially free,” said Curd.

Curd concluded by saying, “Ending unsolicited campaign-style mailings in one congressional office obviously won’t solve our deficit problem, it won’t even come close.  But I think it’s a step in the right direction – the direction neither party has taken us in recent years.  That is why I am going to take it.”

###

US Senator John Thune finds himself in the spotlight on the front page of one of the Internet’s premier launching points, Yahoo.com, courtesy of a big article in Politico:

With resurgent Republicans growing increasingly confident that President Barack Obama may yet be a political mortal in 2012, a new name is emerging as a potential presidential contender: South Dakota Sen. John Thune.

For those in the GOP who aren’t giddy about a second Mitt Romney run and aren’t sold on the viability of Tim Pawlenty, Thune represents a mainstream conservative alternative.

Tall, handsome, not yet 50 and with the sort of sunny demeanor that winning national Republicans usually possess, the former high school hoops star looks the part.

He’s also something of a national party favorite for slaying a political giant — then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.

That race gave Thune a firsthand appreciation for the dangers of being perceived as straying too far from one’s heartland roots, so, as he faces reelection, he’s spending more time in his native Murdo, S.D., than in Manchester or Des Moines.

and…

“I think John has got unlimited potential,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a leading advocate for making the GOP more inclusive. “He presents well, he’s well-liked, he’s smart — I could see where he could be a national figure.”

Graham’s South Carolina colleague, Sen. Jim DeMint, is an unapologetic conservative who believes the party needs to stay true to its principles, yet he also has nothing but praise for Thune, his 2004 classmate.

“He’s a great new leader for our party,” said DeMint, calling the South Dakotan a “common-sense conservative.”

and…

Raised in a small, central South Dakota town — population about 700 — Thune’s got a traditional story. His father fought in World War II before coming home to teach, coach and raise a family. Both his parents, now in their 90s, still live in the same house in Murdo in which the senator and his siblings were raised.

Thune, his aides noted, returns to the state nearly every weekend.

“He lives in a regular house in a regular neighborhood in Sioux Falls, S.D.,” said Thune’s campaign manager, Justin Brasell, pre-emptively addressing one of the issues that dogged Daschle in 2004 — his million-dollar Foxhall Road home in Washington.

Read it all here.

The House wants to increase Members’ office budgets next fiscal year by almost 15 percent, partly because 2010 is an election year and lawmakers anticipate a surge in franked mail.

In a recently released budget request, the House Chief Administrative Officer asked appropriators to raise the Members’ Representational Allowances — which fund everything needed to run offices, including salaries, travel and supplies — by $90 million, citing increases “due to the election year cycle.”

“In an election year the expenditures increase and then decrease in a non-election year,” the request reads.

Increases for most expenses are usually modest from year to year, accounting mostly for inflation and cost-of-living adjustments. But during election years, some accounts get a big bump.

The fiscal 2010 request includes an extra $16 million for franked mail — an 80 percent increase from fiscal 2009. The stated reason: Members send more mail to their constituents during an election year.

Read it here.

No unregistered family day care home may not provide care for more than twelve children at any one time including children under six living in the home. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

A Class 1 misdemeanor levies penalties of one year imprisonment in a county jail or two thousand dollars fine, or both.

So let me get this straight. If a day care provider takes an emergency drop in which puts them over the limit for a short period of time including their own kids or other children related to them, they risk a year in county jail?

I can see all sorts of problems with this. For example, a person provides day care, and cares for 10 kids, several of which are after school drop offs. About that time, the five and six year old children of my sister living next door come over and play with the day care kids while sister runs to the store.

And now the provider is placed at the same level of criminality as someone driving drunk, a drug user, or a prostitute? So much for a sense of proportion.

It sounds like this one needs to be seriously reworked.

President Barack Obama says he has not succeeded in bringing the country together, acknowledging an atmosphere of divisiveness that has washed away the lofty national feeling surrounding his inauguration a year ago.

“That’s what’s been lost this year … that whole sense of changing how Washington works,” Obama said in an interview with People magazine.

Read it here.

Well, when you promise to change the way Washington does business…. And you hire lobbyists & insiders, divisiveness can happen.

When you have the federal government taking ownership stakes in private businesses and industries, divisiveness can happen.

When you propose to expand the welfare state to the tune of trillions of taxpayer dollars, divisiveness can happen.

When we see a nation of freedom and democracy devolving into socialism, divisiveness can happen.

When the American people see the dream of their children having a better life than they did circling around a porcelain bowl on a daily basis, divisiveness can happen.

South Dakota could get help in solving its budget problems if the federal government decides to give states another round of stimulus money, Gov. Mike Rounds said Tuesday in his state of the state address to kick off the Legislature’s 2010 session.

Read it here.

Because it worked so well the first time?

The White House has abandoned its controversial method of counting jobs under President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus, making it impossible to track the number of jobs saved or created with the $787 billion in recovery money.

Despite mounting a vigorous defense of its earlier count of more than 640,000 jobs credited to the stimulus, even after numerous errors were identified, the Obama administration now is making it easier to give the stimulus credit for hiring. It’s no longer about counting a job as saved or created; now it’s a matter of counting jobs funded by the stimulus.

That means that any stimulus money used to cover payroll will be included in the jobs credited to the program, including pay raises for existing employees and pay for people who never were in jeopardy of losing their positions.

Read it here.

Just received this from the Blake Curd campaign:

U.S. House Candidate Blake Curd To Hold Press Conference

PIERRE – U.S. House Candidate, doctor and U.S. Air Force veteran Blake Curd will hold a press conference tomorrow at 10:15AM at the State GOP Headquarters in Pierre. Curd will discuss Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s recent unsolicited, campaign-style mailers, her office’s attempt to obtain Game, Fish & Parks mailing lists as well as his own plans for fiscal discipline starting within his own office if elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

and…

Since this story broke last week, I’ve offered Herseth Sandlin’s staff three chances to comment. They’ve declined each time.

Read it here.

It looks like the Herseth Sandlin camp is avoiding comment on her mailing practices like she avoids debates and town hall meetings.

Early and often.

Joining Tad Perry and Mark Venner in the District 24 GOP primary for the House will be Jim Sheehan of Pierre, a Hughes County Farmer.

If you recall, Jim is the gentleman who spearheaded the “Dakota Pony Congress” event early this past month.

Word is that past elected GOP officials such as Clint Roberts and Jeff Monroe are supporting him in his effort.

Stay tuned for more.

Legislation that would broaden anti-discrimination provisions in state employment law to include sexual orientation and gender identity may be introduced in the 2010 legislature, said Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry, D-Watertown. Turbak Berry requested the new research from UCLA’s Williams Institute, a think tank that focuses on sexual orientation law and public policy, to have factual information on hand, “especially since discussion sometimes becomes more emotional than fact-based when the topic involves sexual orientation or gender.”

But not so fast…

Turbak Berry plans to support any bill that would protect more citizens –- including LGBT people –- from workplace discrimination but said she wouldn’t necessarily be the prime Senate sponsor of it.

“Whoever leads the way, I am hopeful the legislature will join the many private employers in South Dakota who already recognize how destructive employment discrimination is –- not only to individual citizens and families, but also to business and productivity.”

Read it here.

So Senator Turbak Berry says that any legislation of this nature has her full support. But she won’t be the one to introduce it.   So, is this the part where she says that she’s behind the bill..  by about 100 feet?

You’ve got to love the liberal left in South Dakota. They have the courage of their convictions…. as long as is isn’t known as “their” bill in an election year.

The Treasury estimated net losses on its $700 billion bailout program at $68.5 billion for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.

Now let’s attribute the losses where they belong:

Bush, McCain, and Thune supported the passage of TARP as designed by Paulson/Geithner.  I’ll call this TARP I. 

AIG-  $30.4 Billion, Automakers-  $5 Billion, offset by $19.4 Billion in Profits:  Net Loss:  $16 Billion.

Obama amended TARP to provide for more money to Automakers and rewrite home mortgages.

Automakers-  $25.5 Billion, Home Mortgages-  $27.1 Billion, TARP 1- $16 Billion (Obama supported the passage of TARP 1 as a Senator):  Total Loss $68.5 Billion

Johnson & Herseth didn’t support TARP 1 so they aren’t responsible for that $16 Billion in net losses.  However, they opposed Thune’s efforts to prevent the use of TARP for other purposes and supported both the second bailout of the automakers and the home mortgage modification program making them responsible for losses of $52.5 billion. 

It is estimated that the TARP 1 generated about $10 Billion in profits since Sept. 30 when many of the big banks repaid TARP funds.  However, little if any further profits are expected and there may be additional loss.  In short, the losses attributed to Bush, McCain, Thune and will be approximately $10 Billion less when the dust finally settles on TARP (assuming Obama doesn’t use the money for other items). 

Obama, Johnson and Herseth have significant additional exposure than the currently booked additional $25.5 Billion loss on the investment to the Automakers.  I think in total between GM, Chrysler, Chrysler Financial, and GMAC, the taxpayer at the direction of Obama/Geithner have another $60+ Billion of exposure.  Ouch!

Johnson and Herseth get to own the worst of both worlds.  They didn’t support potentially preventing a financial meltdown but they did support the two biggest rat holes.  But don’t be too hard on them.  It is said to not attribute something as malicious if it can be attributed to stupidity. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60A4XU20100111

One of the top portrait artists in the region is going to be available for political candidates, and will have an ad running here just in time for this campaign season. As soon as I’ve got the ad, I’ll let you know where you can get all your campaign photography done.

Stay tuned.

State GOP Calls On Herseth Sandlin To Release More Information On Campaign-Style Mail Piece

PIERRE – South Dakota Republican Party Executive Director Lucas Lentsch today called on Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to release more information to South Dakota taxpayers on how a mailing list was obtained for an unsolicited, taxpayer-funded, campaign-style mail piece that blanketed the state recently.

“In light of recent news surrounding Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s tactics to obtain the Game, Fish and Parks mailing list for free, what other state agencies and organizations have been asked for special favors of free, privileged access to lists others must pay for?  Our Congresswoman should release information on how her office obtained the names and addresses associated with this unsolicited, full-color campaign-style mail piece sent out to South Dakotans on veterans issues,” said Lentsch.

“It is disappointing to me that our Congresswoman would use taxpayer funds to send out a blatantly obvious campaign-style mail piece exploiting our veterans,” said Lentsch.  “It’s time we stop politicizing our veterans and military families.  If this was just a communications piece intended to be directed to veterans and military families, then why did so many people outside of this select group receive the unsolicited literature?  How many were sent out and at what cost?  South Dakota taxpayers deserve some answers.”

I heard a rumor this weekend that can’t be true. Can it?

Frank Kloucek is apparently making the rounds talking specifically about wind energy and other things. And in a conversation with one person, this lawmaker who finds himself term limited out (again) was allegedly talking about making a decision regarding ‘what office’ he intended to run for this next election, as in legislature or statewide office.

Given his focus on the topic of wind energy, this person got the distinct impression that in discussing his election plans, Frank was referring to a run for the Public Utilities Commission seat currently held by Republican Dusty Johnson.

(The graphic above imagines Dusty’s reaction to hearing that Frank could be his opponent.)

Already, Democrats are making a big push to fill their constitutional slate of candidates. Will this be the year that Frank tries to make the jump to the big leagues? I’ll give it to Frank that he is an indefatigable campaigner. But by the same token, there will be eye rolling induced by thoughts of his candidacy on both sides of the aisle. Frank is frank.

Yes, I know I get down on Frank, who is certainly nice enough. But there are reasons that he has a certain image in the legislature, as well as his name being the kiss of death on legislation.

For example, out of 85 Senate measures he was the prime sponsor of, only 4 made it out of committee to the floor (4.7%). Of those, 2003’s SB 113 was voted down 24-10, one was defeated on a close vote 18-17, and another was almost unanimously was tabled on the Senate Floor (18-17). And 2005’s SB102 found itself killed in the House. In other words, he has a zero percent (0%) effectiveness rating. He hasn’t passed one piece of legislation in his most recent stint in the State Senate.

If he takes on the challenge against Commissioner Dusty Johnson, I’d offer “good luck” to him, because he’s going to have a hill to climb. And his toughest obstacle might be his own legislative record.

Had a friend snap this with his camera phone. It’s part of a fundraising letter that he got at home today for District 24 GOP Candidate Tad Perry.  What I was told was that it was fairly generic – addressed to “Dear Friend.”

Anyone with a flatbed scanner get this letter? Otherwise I have to wait until next week to get it featured on the website.

]]> http://dakotawarcollege.com/archives/11501/feed 31 http://dakotawarcollege.com/archives/11497 http://dakotawarcollege.com/archives/11497#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:01:06 +0000 PP at the SDWC http://dakotawarcollege.com/?p=11497 If you recall State Representative Tim Rounds’ measure to reduce the drinking age that he was proposing this past year, it wasn’t one I was big on. Primarily because of his motivations for it.

State Representative Tim Rounds opined that he’s considering introducing a measure which would offer “alcohol amnesty areas for 19 and 20 year olds” in taverns, so they might consume alcohol, because they’re doing it otherwise.

and…

Q: How would it save lives?

A: Right now they’re not supervised. They’re in frat houses and taking it out on rivers and dams and beaches. They’re driving. They’re binge drinking….

Read that here.

According to todays Capitol Journal, it sounds like Representative Rounds’ “Animal House” measure will actually be introduced as a bill.

God help us all.  And as I read in that publication, it predictably sounds like a mess:

Rounds, R-Pierre, has said current drinking laws are too harsh on people ages 18 to 20.

and…

Right now it’s a class 2 misdemeanor for someone under 21 to have a blood alcohol content of .02 percent. Rounds is proposing making it a felony DUI.

Someone help me here…  wouldn’t taking something from a class 2 misdemeanor to a felony be making a drinking law more harsh? And there was the other part that also seems schizophrenic when taken in light of prior statements that he’s trying to stop binge drinking…

“I’m not going to propose that 19-year-olds can have the same rights as 21-year-olds right now,” Rounds said. “But I would allow a 19-year-old to consume a malt beverage in a private establishment. It’s not going to allow them to buy a six-pack at the convenience store and it’s not going to allow them to buy a glass of wine at a restaurant. It’s only going to allow them to go to a special establishment that’s properly licensed.”

and…

“Let’s say we do create this establishment I’m talking about. I don’t want it to be a place where someone can stop by on the way home from work and have a beer,” he said. “I want to make it understood that you’re not going to drive after you go into that business.”

So they can’t responsibly have beer or wine with a meal. And they can’t buy some to take home. But, you can go to these special establishments that you aren’t going to be driving home from.  You know, they had special establishments like that when I was in college. They served beer. Lots and lots of beer. We called them drunken meat markets. As opposed to preventing binge drinking, if I recall those bars, their atmosphere tended to encourage it.

This bill sounds like just a ridiculous mess.

If we’re going to give 18-20 year olds the right to consume alcohol – one which I support, since if they can die for our country, they should be able to have a beer if they choose – then we should change our laws to treat all adults equally. If people don’t want that, then they should take away their rights to vote, and not have them in our military.

Making alcohol legal for them, and at the same time making 19-20 year old people convicted felons for having one beer in two hours time and driving (which every chart I’ve ever read is considered unimpaired), would accomplish little more than clogging the judicial system.   Limiting them to segregated speakeasys as opposed to allowing them to act like adults (and in places where better behavior might be modeled) is just treating them as second class citizens.

This downer cow of a measure needs to be drug out of the legislative pasture and thrown on the rendering truck.

_________________

State GOP Calls for Inquiry into Herseth Sandlin Office

PIERRE – State Party Chairman Bob Gray today called for an inquiry into why Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and her office were attempting to obtain Game, Fish and Parks mailing lists for free when others paid for the lists.  Gray also asked if Herseth Sandlin, or anyone in her office, used their office to influence the outcome of the GF&P decision.

“South Dakota taxpayers deserve an explanation from Stephanie Herseth Sandlin why she believes she deserves special treatment.  Our state budget is stretched thin enough as it is and now our U.S. Representative is trying to get out of paying the state for mailing addresses that you and I would have to pay to obtain.   It seems the Washington, DC ‘something for nothing’ mindset has taken over our Congresswoman,” said Gray.

“An investigation should be conducted into why exactly the office of Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was attempting to obtain Game, Fish and Parks mailing lists for free and if her office attempted to influence the decision,” said Gray.

Herseth Sandlin also recently sent out an unsolicited mail piece to South Dakotans at taxpayer expense.

See the article below for more on this issue:

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/39873/

-30-

Equality SD seems to have specifically timed this one.

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin wanted to obtain lists of South Dakotans who purchased hunting and fishing licenses in 2009 from the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

She’s not going to get those names and addresses, however, unless she pays for them.

Her request for free lists was denied Wednesday by the Game, Fish and Parks Commission after a one-month delay while further information was sought from her office.

The roll call vote was 6-1 to deny the request Wednesday. Only chairman Spencer Hawley of Brookings voted against the denial.

State regulations set the regular fee at $100 per 1,000 names. The regulations allow groups to apply for an exception and pay a modified fee of $100 for an entire list.

and…

The request from an elected official for free lists was unusual, according to the GF&P’s director for administration, Chris Petersen. He said he knew of one past instance when a candidate for the Legislature paid full price for the list.

Kessler asked where the line will be drawn. GF&P Secretary Jeff Vonk said the intended use will determine whether there’s a charge.

Read it all here.

Nice. She wanted to get a list for a taxpayer-funded campaign mailing.  Or at the least, it sure looks like she was intending to use her influence as a member of Congress to get something for nothing.

I just put up this ad from our newest advertiser, Curd for Congress – Please take the time to check it out, and to find out more.

And don’t forget to patronize our other advertisers, such as South Dakota’s own John Thune for US Senate, and the law firm of Seward and Odenbach.

Plus, it’s my understanding we’ll have another advertiser hopping oin board during session.

Your advertising helps keep us going, and providing the best in South Dakota’s political coverage.

So if you’re interested, drop me a note.

Marty Jackley – Attorney General for the State of South Dakota, will be speaking on the Constitutionality of the Nebraska Compromise, the Florida taxation scheme and other Constitutional issues regarding the Federal Government in health care reform. Attorney General Jackley has joined 13 other state attorneys general challenging the constitutionality of backroom bribes and threats in exchange for votes of U.S. Senators.  Don’t miss this historic meeting.

WHEN? Tuesday, January 19 from 12:00-1:30

WHERE? Downtown Holiday Inn – International room.

COST? $15/ticket with free buffet lunch and dessert

Please RSVP to 605-332-1962 by Thursday, January 14^th.  Limited Space so register early.

Thomas Jefferson said, “I predict happiness for the American people if they can prevent the government from confiscating the fruits of their labor under the pretense of taking care of them.”

Sponsored by www.teapartysd.com

and coming up this weekend….

What? Hear Lt. Governor and candidate for Governor Dennis Daugaard speak on the 10th amendment and the impact the Federal Government is having on states. He will also discuss the economic threat of the Medicaid expansion if the Federal Government takes over health care. There will be time for questions and answers on multiple issues of concern with the upcoming SD legislative session.

When? Saturday, January 9th, 2010 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Where? Downtown Holiday Inn, International room.
Cost? $5.00 for quasi-continental breakfast. Please RSVP at 605-332-1962

Again – both events are sponsored by  www.teapartysd.com

PRESS RELEASE

Thad Wasson Ends Congressional Campaign – Endorses Blake Curd
Wasson Says Curd Best Candidate for the Job

SIOUX FALLS – Today South Dakota Republican Congressional Candidate Thad Wasson ended his campaign and endorsed Blake Curd as the best candidate to take on Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in November. Wasson’s statement is below:

I am ending my campaign to represent South Dakota in the U. S. House of Representatives. The overriding factor in this decision is that the best candidate for this job is Dr. Blake Curd.

Dr. Curd brings a wealth of experience to this position. He has served our nation honorably in the Air Force, he has run a successful business and met a payroll and understands the danger of government debt handed down to the next generation.

This campaign has brought many new and wonderful people into our lives. I wish to thank all of them for their time spent with me and also a special thanks to my wife, Michelle. Without her grace and support I would be nothing.

God bless,

Thad Wasson

Blake Curd voiced his gratefulness for Wasson’s endorsement saying, “I respect Thad’s courage to enter into the political arena, and I am also very thankful for his support. This is a clear indicator of the momentum our campaign is producing. South Dakotans are fed up with politics as usual and are ready for leadership in Washington that understands fiscal responsibility is more than just a talking point.”

###

Back in 2006, a group named “South Dakota Association Trust” mysteriously dumped a TON of cash into the campaign to repeal Video Lottery. The problem was, they tried to play cute with the campaign finance laws. And it didn’t work out so well for them.

If you’re not familiar with the case….

In the Hughes County case, Moen was charged in 2007 with three counts of Failure to File a Campaign Finance Statement.  The charges came about after Moen and another man did not report the transfer of money from a tribal casino to a South Dakota ballot campaign that sought to repeal video lottery in 2006.  He pled guilty to one of the three counts and was required to pay fines and court costs related to the charge.

Read it here.

Well, back on December 15th, they finally got around to reporting it.  And here’s the documents from the Secretary of State’s office for you to review.

Not a shocker.

Thad is certainly a gentleman, but some of his views, such as those in favor of cap and trade, weren’t terribly conservative, and many didn’t make a lot of sense, such as returning the black hills to Native Americans.

I’m glad to see he might consider doing it in the future, but he should go into it next time with his eyes wide open.

To run a campaign, you need to be prepared to market your product (the candidate) to a statewide audience, and the groundwork just wasn’t being laid for that effort. Absent doing it the expensive way (raising your profile by going all paid media) and raising a lot of money, or having really, really deep pockets, the manpower just wasn’t being assembled to launch a successful campaign.

I’d encourage anyone and everyone to give running for office a shot – win or lose – but go into it understanding the mountain you’re going to be tasked with climbing.

Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, announced abruptly on Tuesday that he would not seek re-election this year – a clear sign of the difficulties Democrats will face in defending their large Congressional majorities in the upcoming mid-term election.

Mr. Dorgan, who is completing his third term, has been regarded for months as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents. Gov. John Hoeven, a popular Republican, has been weighing a run for Senate, and recent polls indicate he would easily defeat Mr. Dorgan, who nonetheless remains well-regarded by voters.

Mr. Hoeven has yet to announce his plans, but Mr. Dorgan’s decision not to run increases both the likelihood that the three-term governor will pursue the open Senate seat and that Democrats will lose it.

and..

Mr. Dorgan has grown increasingly pessimistic about his prospects for re-election in recent weeks as he traveled around the state and met with constituents and he did not hide his sentiment that the Congress and the Obama administration erred in putting too much emphasis on the health care overhaul and not enough on job-creating economic programs.

and…

While Mr. Dorgan’s decision to retire could be costly in the long-term, the decision does free him from some of the political constraints he was under as the Senate debated difficult issues and the leadership will be looking for his vote on tough economic and environmental legislation facing the Democratic Congress in 2010.

His home-state Democratic colleague, Senator Kent Conrad, predicted Mr. Dorgan could eventually join the Obama administration.

Read it all here.

So, #1 – he knows because of Obama’s policies, he’d get creamed.  And #2 – he knows he’d better get while the getting is good.  2 years in the Obama administration (while it lasts) is better than none as everyone waits for the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 to wrest the seat from Jimmy Carter Barack Obama.

State Legislator Sponsors Legislation to Divest South Dakota Investment Assets from Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 6, 2010

Dakota Dunes, SD – A coalition of legislators, veterans, and foreign fund investment experts has announced plans for a bill that would force state-controlled pension and trust funds to divest themselves of more than $68 million dollars worth of stock in foreign companies doing business in Iran.  Iran is on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism and has manufactured and distributed weapons used in attacks against members of the American military in Iraq.

South Dakota tax dollars invested in companies doing business in Iran flow to the state sponsor of terrorism in a number of ways including through tax dollars and oil royalties.  Prime Sponsor and District 16 Rep. Dan Lederman (R) is joined by District 14 Rep. Marc Feinstein (D), Military combat veteran Patricia Stricherz, and foreign fund investment expert Ambassador Mark Wallace in supporting Iran Divestment legislation.

Rep. Dan Lederman said, “ Iran has been supplying arms and training Iraqi insurgents that kill American troops. Investing in Iran ’s’ energy sector undermines our troops and refined petroleum sanctions meant to curtail terrorism and nuclear proliferation.” Rep. Marc Feinstein states, “South Dakotans do not want their tax and pension dollars helping Iran become energy independent and a nuclear power. There is no legitimate reason to invest South Dakota money in foreign companies doing business in the Iranian oil and gas industry.  This bill does not implicate investments in any U.S. companies.”

Iran divestment legislation has been enacted by legislative efforts and executive branches of government in twenty states.  These states include: Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, California, and New York.  There is pending federal legislation that would bar all US companies from doing business in Iran’s energy sector.  It passed by an overwhelming bi-partisan 412-12 margin in December 2009.

Combat veteran Patricia Stricherz adds, “our state is investing our retirement and trust fund dollars in a country which has supplied arms and munitions to terrorists that have attacked U.S. Soldiers.  Divesting from Iran is one way that we can support our state’s troops that are currently deployed in the Middle East. The proposed legislation will ensure that South Dakotans’ dollars do not fund Iranian-sponsored terrorism.”

Ambassador Mark Wallace contends “These measures have resulted in well over $1 billion being pulled out of foreign companies that do business in Iran. These corporations – and their investors – that deal with Iran directly support and strengthen a dangerous regime that is developing nuclear weapons, brutally repressing its own people, and sponsoring terrorism worldwide.  Considering that in 2006 U.S. state and local pension funds held combined assets of nearly $3 trillion, the economic costs for these companies to continue to do business with in Iran in the face of such losses will compel them to end their support of the Iranian regime and pull out of the country, but it starts with each state and locality doing its part.”

A resolution supporting divestment can be found at www.DivestFromIran.com.

On the Senate side, Republican Sen. John Thune is asking his GOP colleagues to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking for more transparency. So far, 22 senators have signed on.

“In the coming weeks, we ask for increased transparency in the process of merging the House-passed bill and the Senate-passed bill. Closed door negotiations and political kickbacks in exchange for votes do not meet the expectations of the American people. Numerous senators have reiterated the need for transparency,” the letter says.

The Republicans’ backroom-dealing narrative was helped along today by a letter that C-SPAN sent requesting that cameras be allowed to broadcast the negotiations. Democrats have not yet responded to the request, but have defended their work.

“There has never been a more open process for any legislation and anyone who serves here has experienced,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “As you know, tens of thousands of people participated in our town meetings, over 100 witnesses in our bipartisan hearings that were held, and the list goes on. … We now have another town venue and that is the Internet. And our legislation has had visibility for a very long time in that place.”

And while not confirming that Democrats will go the ping-pong route, she laid the groundwork for defending it.

Read it here.

And also take a moment to read Senator Thune’s full letter.

Mark Venner, who has served the last 11-plus years as a Hughes County Commissioner, wants to continue that public service as a state legislator.

Venner has announced that he will run in the June Republican primary for the two open legislative seats in District 24, which covers Hughes, Stanley and Sully. That means Venner, who is ending his third four-year term on the county commission, will give up that seat to run for the state House.

Venner, a Pierre native, says the timing for the change is right because many of the county issues he worked on, such as the construction of a new county jail, are nearing completion. Venner, a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel who ranches in northern Hughes County along Lake Oahe, says he wanted to keep being a public servant.

Venner says he is proud of his work as a county commissioner. He says working on the commission and with other entities, like the city and state, has given him an understanding of how government should work.

Venner says it is difficult to say how he would address issues until he was actually in the legislature. But he says his record as a county commissioner shows that he is willing to do what is right in areas like improving salaries for public employees.

Venner’s announcement now means that there are two Republican candidates running for the state House – former Board of Regents executive director Tad Perry declared his candidacy. The deadline to file nominating petitions is March 30.

Read it here.

1. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND): Announced that he will retire after serving 18 years in the Senate
2. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): Announced that he will be stepping away from the Senate race, which isn’t quite surprising considering he was suffering badly in the polls.
3. Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO): Announced that he will not seek re-election after it was reported that he was trailing badly in the polls. Ritter cancelled a fundraiser literally hours before it was supposed to start, and sent campaign staff home in the middle of the day.
4. Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D-MI): Supposedly the pre-eminent candidate for the Dems in Michigan, announced that he will not run for the governorship, quitting his race even before he started.

With these announcements, that brings the total to 4 Democratic senators retiring this election cycle (Dodd, Dorgan, Kaufman and Burris). In the House, I believe 5 (correct me if I’m wrong) incumbent Dems are retiring outright now, making a number of previously held Democratic seats now in play.

My question is this: I believe that these developments are significant, however, is this natural turnover, or is this the beginning of a trend, similar to things in 1994?

21 House Seats Move Toward GOP

The Rothenberg Political Report

During our quarterly overview of all of the House races across the country, we moved 21 House seats toward the Republicans. On top of that, Republicans gained Alabama’s 5th District when Cong. Parker Griffith switched to the GOP before Christmas. His seat moved from Lean Democratic to Currently Safe for the GOP.

We moved only one seat toward the Democrats (New York’s 23rd). Despite recent GOP retirements in California’s 19th District (George Radanovich) and South Carolina’s 1st District (Henry Brown), the two seats don’t make our list at this point.

And as we said in our latest overview, substantial Republican gains now look almost inevitable, with net Democratic losses likely to exceed a dozen. While Democratic control of the House is not yet at risk, losses of 15-20 seats are likely, and that target range could well grow with additional Democratic retirements and voter anger. Griffith’s switch means Republicans net 40 seats for the majority.

Read it here.

South Dakota’s just going to seem a little colder this winter. The wonderful Deputy Commissioner of School and Public Lands, Jennifer Toscana is leaving the office. As I hear it, she’s leaving the Rushmore State for another place (where the stars at night are big and bright, and) which happens to have a slightly warmer climate.

Jennifer, also state secretary of the SDGOP, will be sorely missed, but what I’m hearing is that another person who has been great at hauling water for the elephant is being given an opportunity to step up to the plate.

Replacing Jennifer will be Justin Ohleen, current political director for the South Dakota GOP. Justin, a 2004 Northern State University Graduate, had formerly been with the office of the Vice President in Washington DC from 2006 through very early this last year.

Good for Justin, as he’s a good guy, and will serve Commissioner Johnson, and the people of South Dakota well.

Congrats all around…..  (And remember you read it here first)

YOU ARE INVITED!!

This week I will be making the formal announcement that I am running for Governor of South Dakota.  We will be in Rapid City on Thursday Jan 7Th at the Ramkota at 11:45 am.

On Friday Jan 8Th we will be at the City Center Holiday Inn in Sioux Falls at 12:00 noon.  I would love to have you join us at either of these events!

Dems Hijack Legislative Process, Hold Backroom Talks on McNerney-Approved Healthcare Bill

With Democrats Hiding Behind Closed Doors, Voters Wonder: What Are They Trying to Hide?

Washington- In an attempt to bypass the legislative process and hijack the healthcare system, Jerry McNerney’s party bosses have resorted to shady backroom dealings in order to force their unpopular healthcare agenda through Congress. Rather than hammering out details between the Senate and House versions of the healthcare bill before the watchful eye of the American public, Democrats have resorted to meeting in secrecy. While Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat foot soldiers are avoiding transparency and accountability at all costs, their closed-door negotiations could allow Democrats to include radical abortion language, a public option, earmarks, and unchecked runaway spending in the bill’s final version – with no input from Republicans or their own constituents. As House Democrats continue their backroom dealings in an effort to hurry along the process, taxpayers have every right to question: What are Jerry McNerney and his party bosses hiding?

“Rather than convening a conference committee, Democrats will look to ‘pingpong’ the legislation between the two chambers — a regular practice for Democrats on major bills… Republicans have noted that Democrats have avoided conferences with regularity in order to avoid conference committees. Among the advantages for Democrats in the House is that the process usually prevents the minority from offering an alternative through a motion to recommit. Additionally, House rules that prohibit earmarks from being airdropped into conference reports would not apply.” (Emily Pierce and Steven T. Dennis, “Democrats Look to Scrap Conference to Ease Passage of Health Care Bill,” Roll Call, 1/04/2010)

No wonder Democrats are in such a hurry to push through healthcare legislation: national polling proves that the big-government healthcare agenda rubber-stamped by Jerry McNerney is a losing issue with voters.

“Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters believe passage of the plan will increase the cost of health care, and 51% think it will hurt the quality of care.

“Seventy-eight percent (78%) expect the plan to cost more than projected. As a result, voters overwhelmingly believe passage of the plan will increase the federal deficit and lead to middle class tax hikes.”

“Most voters favor the ban on abortion coverage for insurance plans that receive federal subsidies, and 47% believe each state should have the right to opt out of the federal plan if it passes. On a related topic, 34% favor a single-payer national health insurance system.” (“Health Care Reform,” Rasmussen Reports, 1/04/2010)

“Despite his party’s empty promises for transparency, Jerry McNerney and Democrat leaders have repeatedly hidden behind closed doors as they push their reckless agenda through Congress and onto the American public,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “These shady backroom dealings are yet another reason that Californians simply don’t trust Jerry McNerney’s healthcare sales pitch. By shutting out bipartisan negotiations and excluding taxpayers from the legislative process, Democrats are aiming to push through a healthcare agenda that will raise taxes, slash Medicare, and put small businesses and middle-class California families in an even bigger bind.”

From the Associated Press:

The C-SPAN television network is calling on congressional leaders to open health care talks to cameras — something President Barack Obama promised as a candidate.

and….

Obama pledged during a presidential debate in January 2008 that he would be “bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are.”

Read it all here.

The protesters pleaded guilty to illegally climbing Mount Rushmore. Other charges such as interfering with a government official were dismissed.

Six of the activists were sentenced to 50 hours of community service, plus a $450 fine each. The other five had prior trespassing convictions. Four got 10 days of suspended jail time with 100 hours of community service. The 11th protester was sentenced to serve two days in jail.

Read it here.

What’s your take? Justice, or slap on the wrist?

In my usually cynical manner, I replied “As long as Republicans vote like they’re supposed to, I won’t have anything to complain about. But that’s assuming that people who campaigned on low (or no) taxes and limited government are going to walk the walk.”

I haven’t decided what kind of session this is going to be. Is it going to be a session where because of the budgetary constraints and the quickly draining pot of Obama-cash, legislators are going to try to put us on a solid footing for the years of famine to come?  Or are they going to ignore it, and proceed as usual?

Thoughts?