Author: @SoDakCampaigns

We have to Stand-up to the bullies!
by State Rep. Trish Ladner

As a society, we have ragged war against a world-wide pandemic and have come out the victors! In South Dakota we are fortunate. We had Governor Kristi Noem in charge. She came to us as a community of South Dakotans and told us we would not be sheltering in place or shutting down our economy. She knew we’d be responsible adults and make allowances for our fellow citizens, ensuring that we would do all we could to safeguard each other and work to keep our small businesses and towns open, healthy, safe, and well.

Other states were not as fortunate as we were. They were mandated and bullied by their governors and later the White House, via executive orders to remain in lockdown and to comply with mask and vaccine mandates without question. As a result, many have experienced depression, isolation, anxiety, financial devastation, and a decline in academics just to name a few. As a society, we have witnessed the escalation of violent cancel culture groups whose goal is to create paralyzing fear amongst the people, in order to control, divide, and silence us. A tactic that has been used throughout history even in the days of the Roman Empire.

Living in South Dakota, we sometimes lose sight of what other Americans are going through and the real challenges they are facing every day. This past week when my husband and I ran into a young couple who were visiting the Black Hills in the hopes of relocating here. They told us that in their metropolitan community, they live in fear every day. If you don’t have a Black Lives Matter sticker on your car, it is assumed that you are not supportive of the movement and you will be targeted. Their employers are now tracking whether or not they have received the vaccine. If not, they will not be allowed to work! They stated that, all they want is to do is to move to a red state and feel safe again. Are they intimidated? Yes! Are they living in fear? Absolutely! This no way for an American to live.

Do you remember as a child, that one guy who was the bully on the playground? Sometimes you just had to take a stand, challenging the dreaded bully in order to stop him and feel safe again. Well, our values as a nation and a society are being bullied and challenged from every side, including the right for us to have a simple conversation with each other. Heaven forbid we agree to disagree. Social media has played a huge role in these changes to our culture because we now have access to the world with the stroke of one key. As an unfortunate consequence, we have cultivated a bunch of keyboard cowboys who can sit home in their basement, posting “opinions” as facts, passing along whatever rhetoric that they want to. We no longer know what to believe, what is fact or what is fiction.

But don’t forget when challenged, the bullies always cower and run away. Together our voice is strong! As a people united, we are resilient. Never, never, forget that we have looked a world-wide pandemic straight in the eyes and have emerged victorious! It’s time to stand up to the bullies around us and help to facilitate change from within. Run for the school board, write your state and federal legislators, or attend your chamber, city council and commissioners’ meeting and give your input. Last, but not least, turn off the noise from social media and TV outlets and pick up a good book or read your favorite column and enjoy a newfound peace.

Governor Noem Responds to Decision on Mount Rushmore Fireworks

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem issued the following statement in response to the District Court decision on her lawsuit against the Biden Administration over their cancellation of the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration:

“The Biden Administration cancelled South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration on completely arbitrary grounds. I am disappointed that the court gave cover to this unlawful action with today’s decision. But rest assured, this fight is not over. My legal team will appeal this incorrect decision so that we can return the Fireworks Celebration to Mount Rushmore and celebrate our nation’s birthday at America’s Shrine to Democracy for next year and in the future.”

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South Dakota’s senior US Senator is posting on facebook the importance of being healthy and learning new skills, as he practices hockey with former Washington Capitals player Alan May:

The Primary John Thune group is at it again, and they’re sending out a call to action to go after US Senator John Thune and Congressman Dusty Johnson. Because they’re going to go after them in the worst way:

🪖Call To Action!

Let’s go on the offensive. Time to be Bold.

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If you are a digital warrior fact gatherer &/or great at putting together memes & clips sign up below.

This group thinks they’re going on the offensive & being bold by putting together memes?

That’s definitely going after their opponents in the worst way.

An American Transportation Revolution
By Sen. John Thune

From the beginning, the story of the U.S. auto industry has been one of ingenuity, of taking risks and of pushing forward. At the dawn of the twentieth century, most Americans could hardly comprehend the idea of the automobile. Yet twenty years later they had become nearly ubiquitous in American life, thanks to the insistence of entrepreneurs like Henry Ford on making the automobile affordable for the majority of Americans.

Automobiles allowed Americans to capitalize on the economic dynamism of the Roaring Twenties, and they helped Americans move and adapt during the Great Depression. They contributed greatly to the American industrial base and the know-how needed to fight and win the Second World War, and they helped propel the United States to its current status as a preeminent global economic and military power.

Visionary investments like the Interstate Highway System made cars a staple in American economic and cultural life. And cars certainly made it a lot easier to get to and from rural America. In a place like rural South Dakota, with limited public transportation, the automobile – often a pickup or an SUV – is typically the only way we get around.

Today the automobile industry stands on the brink of a new technological revolution, which promises to dramatically transform mobility once again.

Over the past three decades, the internet has transformed our economy and our way of life. And the next generation of the internet – 5G, which is currently being deployed across the nation – will enable a host of new innovations, including a revolution in vehicle technology: automated vehicles, or AVs.

AVs will change the way we move in numerous ways, making the transportation system safer, more efficient, and more accessible. Individuals whose mobility is currently limited – for example, Americans with disabilities – could gain new independence with the deployment of automated vehicles, allowing them to work or visit friends and family safely and easily. Or imagine a farmer in rural South Dakota who can no longer drive to get to town for appointments, prescriptions, or groceries. Access to an AV would provide an opportunity for folks to stay living on their farms as they age, or allow new freedom to those living with a disability.

For automated vehicle technology to advance, it is imperative that the regulatory framework catch up with private-sector innovation. That’s why I’ve spent nearly five years working in a bipartisan manner on a legislative framework to govern the testing and deployment of AVs

In the Senate, I recently introduced an amendment that I had hoped to be able to offer with bipartisan support. It would have paved the way for expanded testing and deployment of automated vehicles in the United States, under the oversight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. My amendment, which is supported by the National Federation of the Blind, among other organizations,  would have ensured that automated vehicles would not touch pavement without the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s certification that they are at least as safe as a conventional vehicle.

Unfortunately, bipartisan agreement on my proposal collapsed when special interests expressed their opposition. And I’m deeply disappointed that once again Democrats yielded to pressure from special interests against the best interests of our economy and the American people.

Advancing AV technology is not just a vehicle safety issue. It’s also an issue of U.S. leadership and global competitiveness.

More than a century ago, when the automobile was invented, there were plenty of skeptics. But America’s automobile pioneers didn’t let that stop them. They seized the moment and pressed forward and ushered in a transportation revolution. We can do that again today. Or we can cede this moment to nations like China and let the American automobile industry fall permanently behind. I hope we’ll choose to seize this moment and pass the legislation we need to usher in another American transportation revolution.

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(From my mailbox – PP)

Don’t Be Fooled: Hedge Funds Aren’t the Bad Guys
by Jeana Goosman, Goosman Law Office

When we think of what moves South Dakota’s economy, we think of the usual drivers of productivity, such as mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and even tourism. The people who work in those industries are proud to do so, providing for their families and their state. Even though these industries are at top of mind, they aren’t the only pistons in South Dakota’s economic engine.

Hedge funds, a misunderstood but highly active aspect of the financial services economy, work to secure financial stability for millions of Americans and deliver for South Dakota.

Many people don’t realize that university endowments, non-profits, and pensions invest in hedge funds to grow their market portfolios. It happens across the country and it happens here in South Dakota. As these hedge fund–managed portfolios grow, the gains are passed on to underlying investors. In many cases, that means retirees, charities, and aspiring college students. Organizations representing these investors rely heavily on hedge funds to secure their financial stability, so that they may provide for those that depend on them. If our elected officials in Washington D.C. fail to understand this and pass too many restrictions on hedge funds, it’s the underlying investors that will suffer the consequences.

Education is a must for our children and young adults in South Dakota. As the cost of higher education becomes more and more expensive nationwide, hedge funds are actively securing the financial stability of university endowments, which results in more scholarships granted to aspiring South Dakota college students. Across the Mount Rushmore state, colleges invest in hedge funds for their students. The University of South Dakota Foundation, representing one of the largest universities in the state, invests $41 Million; Augustana College invests $7 million and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Foundation invests $2 million. It’s simple: without hedge funds, both the financial stability of these academic institutions and the academic future of many of their students would be in jeopardy.

Charities and non-profits do a tremendous amount of good for South Dakota. Communities both large and small rely on them for wide variety of services and acts of good will. I saw this firsthand during my time as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. Hedge funds take investments made by charities and non-profits and grow them over time, passing the benefits to our communities through the organizations that serve them.

In addition to providing for colleges and charities, hedge funds also secure the retirement future of thousands of South Dakotans. The South Dakota Retirement System invests $81 Million in hedge funds on behalf of 89,685 plan participants. This money grows through the smart, sophisticated investment strategies hedge funds utilize. As pensions grow, their beneficiaries can take solace in the fact that their financial wellbeing is in good hands. After all the past year has brought, peace of mind has become extraordinarily valuable. Fortunately, through growing investments made by pensions, hedge funds are delivering peace of mind to South Dakota retirees.

The message from all those invested in hedge funds is clear: this critical component of the economy exists on Wall Street, but delivers for Main Street Americans. Politicians and regulators need to internalize this message and remember it throughout the current legislative session. Punitive measures designed to punish hedge funds will only hurt retirees, charities, and hardworking people across South Dakota.

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Jeana Goosmann is the CEO and Managing Partner of Goosmann Law Firm.  She regularly appears on media as the voice of legal.  Jeana represents multinational corporations, elected officials, billionaires on Forbes list, and entrepreneurs.

 

So my Facebook feed has been filled lately with images of the School Board race out in the State’s second largest community. And I just can’t help it, but there’s things that I see in this race that just kind of bug me from a campaign point of view.

First off, candidate Natalie Slack. Did no one bother to tell her that she really, really needed to take an honest look at her social media before she ran?  The only thing that’s to her advantage is that there’s plenty that’s too profane for her opponents to use in print. Case in point:

And if she’s not leaning towards the profane, she’s doing her best on-line to tell Rapid City Voters that she is a lot more liberal than they are in fairly conservative Rapid City.

I think I’d archived the post I originally did several years back on the topic telling candidates to “police your social media” before you announce as a candidate, but for crying out loud, it seems like she’s done the opposite. It’s as if she’s actively taken a stand to defund the policing of her social media.

I can’t help but think there are a number of parents who just aren’t cool with a school board member declaring what she did about removing a rib and the acts 2019 could commit after that. And never mind wanting “someone who has done drugs and been in therapy” for President.

To sum it up, I think it could have a negative effect on her campaign.

On the more conservative side of the aisle, there’s some weird things going on with candidate logos.

Why did Deb Baker ruin the instant readability of her logo by doing that weird “half-B” thing with the first letter of her last name? Honestly, it was pretty good until someone made that mistake.  I can’t repeat it often enough – In political campaigns, don’t mess with changing letters into weird design elements. It makes them hard to read as you’re driving by.

In campaigns, you’re trying to drill down a message in a matter of days or weeks. Don’t make that task more difficult by making it tougher to read when you drive by the darn sign.

Then we have what’s going on for RC School Board candidate Breanna Funke:

What’s with that weird glyph in the middle of everything? It reminded me of the logo for recording something on my iPhone in iPhone message, but that’s not it. Maybe it’s just bugging me because I don’t see the purpose.

In chasing it down, it’s otherwise known as “Sound Of Waves Line Logo Template Illustration Design” from CanStockPhoto.

So, it’s a stock photo of sound waves someone bought off a website? Now it makes even less sense. To my knowledge, she isn’t a well known sound engineer or DJ. Which begs the question, why?

It looks like it’s some random graphic that was dropped in there because the designer simply wanted to make it look like they gave more than 5 minutes to the design. I’m not sure how it contributes to the design, except to take up space that where they could have made the name bigger.

I’m not sure how they could have made it worse. Oh wait – Here’s the yard sign:

By adding a slogan to the mish-mash, they managed to make the name smaller by taking up 1/4 of the sign with the graphic they bought off the stock graphic website. And then jammed it all together so no one can read it as they drive by.

Who does this? Because as one of your more expensive items in a campaign, it’s not something that you want to goof up.

The other candidates have logos/signs which could be better, but these stood out. So take a look, and try not to make the same mistakes yourself.

Stay tuned.

Governors to DOJ: Continue Investigation into Anti-Competitive Practices in the Meatpacking Industry

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and five other governors wrote to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), asking them to continue their investigation into anti-competitive practices in the meatpacking industry. The DOJ had originally sent investigative demands to the nation’s four largest meatpackers in May 2020.

“Perhaps no person embodies the independent and untamable spirit of the United States better than the cattle producer,” wrote Governor Noem and the other governors. “But this way of life is under threat. Decades of consolidation in meatpacking has significantly limited the options that producers have to market their cattle and has created a situation where one segment of the beef industry has near total control over the entire market.”

The governors highlighted the threat to consumers as prices of meat at the grocery store continue to rise, all while beef producers are struggling to make ends meet.

“The consistently high prices realized on the boxed beef side are not being reflected on the producer side, forcing consumers to pay a premium for beef while threatening many of our producers with the loss of their business,” wrote the governors.

Governor Noem was joined in signing the letter by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. You can read the governors’ letter here.

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Thune: America Must Continue to Lead the World in Automated Vehicle Technology

“For automated vehicle technology to advance, it is imperative that the regulatory framework catch up with private-sector innovation… Unfortunately, bipartisan agreement on my amendment collapsed when special interests expressed their opposition, despite major efforts to accommodate their concerns.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video. 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed his work to develop a bipartisan legislative framework to govern the testing and deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) and his amendment to the Endless Frontier Act, which would’ve helped keep the United States ahead of China in the AV revolution. Thune expressed his disappointment that Democrats blocked his amendment due to pressure from outside interest groups, which is ultimately not in the best interest of our economy or the American people. AVs have the power to transform the way we move in numerous ways, making the transportation system safer, more efficient, and more accessible.