Secretary of State Steve Barnett urges voters to allow for adequate mail processing time for absentee ballots.
In other words, don’t dally, or you won’t be counted in the tally!
Thune, Hassan Introduce Bill to Improve Railroad Infrastructure
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today introduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act, legislation to improve the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program by providing dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs, streamlining the application process, and extending loan terms for certain assets.
“RRIF was created to provide stable financing to small railroads for infrastructure investment, however, shortlines are often unable to afford the time and expense associated with the current RRIF application process, discouraging them from using the program,” said Thune. “This legislation makes necessary updates to RRIF, so that shortlines are better able to use the program as originally intended.”
“As communities consider steps to promote economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this bipartisan legislation looks ahead to strengthen funding opportunities for passenger rail,” said Hassan. “Passenger rail can provide a significant economic boost to Granite State communities, and as Congress considers future transportation and infrastructure packages, it should prioritize passenger rail efforts.”
The Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act would:
Streamline the application process: Building on the work done by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in creating the RRIF Express pilot program, the bill establishes an expedited credit review process for loans meeting certain financial and operational criteria. The bill also reduces applicant uncertainty by requiring DOT to provide applicants with regular updates on the status of their application.
Improve program flexibility: The bill makes several changes to improve program flexibility, including longer loan terms for certain rail infrastructure projects and increased flexibility for DOT to evaluate collateral and creditworthiness.
Provide dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs: Similar to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan program, the legislation authorizes funding to cover financing costs associated with providing RRIF loans. Half of the funding is dedicated solely to shortline railroads, while the remainder is reserved for passenger rail projects.
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Jonathan Ellis at the Argus Leader is making note of some interesting statistics on Twitter today. And Maybe I’m reading something into it he isn’t intending, but.. I have to say that it sounds an awful lot like Governor Kristi Noem was absolutely correct in her measured approach to the Coronavirus:
This suggests to me that voluntary social distancing behaviors have been successful. And it means I’m optimistic we can live with this thing until reliable medical treatments come online without blowing the economy to smithereens.
— Jonathan Ellis (@argusjellis) May 18, 2020
A LETTER TO (THE LATE) WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY SEEKING CLARIFICATION
Thomas E. Simmons
Dear Mr. Buckley:
Is my best friend a RHINO if she obeys traffic laws?
It’s sometimes difficult for me to discern the correct conservative stance. Republicans value law and order and national security. These values keep us safe. With safety and security comes freedom. We value personal liberties. Freedom is an end in itself. So is human life, which is why we are pro-life.
I know that in 1959 (in Up from Liberalism), you wrote, “I will not cede more power to the state.” I understand this to be an absolute. Any state encroachment on personal liberty should be resisted. There’s no such thing as reasonable firearms regulation. Freedom comes first. That’s why you also said, “I will not willingly cede more power to anyone, not to the state, not to General Motors.”
I’ve read your more recent tracts too. I know that you defended Regan from conservatives who called him a sell-out. “Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.” That’s what you said. But when you were younger, you were purer about things and those are the books of yours that I prefer. Reagan was no Goldwater; you’ve got to admit that.
Still, I understand that we do tolerate governmental intrusions into our lives to punish those who intentionally harm others or their property. Kidnappers, murderers, vandals, and abortionists should be criminally prosecuted. But accidental or incidental harms are just the cost of doing business. That’s why the war on drugs was just another page from the liberal play book. Sure, some people are harmed by drug dealers, but not intentionally. Drug dealers are just trying to make a few bucks.
Today, liberals want to resist reopening the economy in the interests of safety – sure, that sounds like a conservative value – but it’s really just a pretext for disempowering small business owners (who typically vote Republican). Liberals say they want to be cautious in their approach to COVID-19 – which also sounds like what a conservative would say, but they don’t mean it. Or is it that those crafty liberals have co-opted some of our conservative values? And if they have, should we be unsafe and reckless?
I don’t’ know, but I do know that progressives calling for a balanced approach – reopening with restrictions like masks, plexiglass, curbside shopping, social distancing – are false prophets. Although wearing a mask might dignify the rights of others by respecting their personal freedoms and mitigate risks from a potentially deadly virus (i.e., preserve lives), it’s also an inconvenience and therefore unacceptable on any terms. I’m not intentionally infecting others by not washing my hands, right?
What I can’t wrap my head around is whether my friend who obeys traffic laws is a RHINO. By doing so, doesn’t she cede power to the state to regulate the way people drive? By keeping her speedometer right at 80mph on I-90, doesn’t she demonstrate that she’s not only a passive bystander to the fascism of the deep state, but also a willing participant? I mean, she might as well be wearing a mask!
I’ve tried convincing her, but so far, no luck. Can you help?
Yours in safety,
Thomas E. Simmons
Vermillion, SD
All of the views and opinions Professor Simmons expresses here on are his as an individual and do not reflect the views of the Board of Regents, the University of South Dakota, its School of Law, their employees, faculty or administrators. The foregoing editorial represents only his views as a private citizen.
From today’s mail comes outside help for three of the candidates running in District 17 via the Prairie Country PAC out of Aberdeen:
Nothing against the people the postcard is featuring, but you’d better be pretty good at Microsoft Word if you’re going to use it in graphic design. Whoever designed this card wasn’t, and ended up with a bit of a mess. Aside from the fact it’s not very visually pleasing, they screwed up Nancy Rasmussen’s internet link, leaving it unclear what a reader should put in. Capitalization and punctuation are all over the place. And don’t get me started on spacing & margins.
If their goal was to move the candidates forward as a slate, I’m not sure it accomplishes that, as their names are some of the smallest text on the front. I mean, what are you trying to sell? UNDER GOD and LIBERTY or the candidates?
Your thoughts?
Just saw this pop up on facebook, and had to go to the Internet to look this designation up:
So, after taking a barrage of criticism over House Bill 1235, this past session’s measure to let the unvaccinated run free in schools and which wanted to make requiring vaccinations a class one misdemeanor for employers, Lee Qualm is thanking several medical …professionals for their support on the measure.
I’ll probably make some people upset by my saying so, but, is he seriously cheering on anti-vaxxer letters to the editor in support of his awful bill from LMT’s… as in Licensed Massage Therapists?
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think they do a nice job working the kinks out of something you might have strained. But as far as advice on preventable childhood diseases, epidemiology, viral infection, etc. from Licensed Massage Therapists?
I think that’s more than a little bit out of their area of expertise.
Update… okay, I read this a bit closer, and they discussed our freedom of “baring arms.” I don’t think that helps their case, unless they’re advocating for a land of sleeveless people.
Isaac Latterell must be feeling rather friendless after filing his campaign finance report. Because the “Friends of Isaac Latterell” political campaign committee reported unitemized fundraising of only $100.
Friends of Isaac Latterell … by Pat Powers on Scribd
$100? That’s pretty dismal. Latterell does report a loan of $5000… and that’s it. It looks as if his campaign might have been ill from coronavirus these past weeks.
Isaac does report expenditures of $3044.42 against his $100 fundraising and $5000 loan. Out of that comes $360 in consulting… (He paid someone for this?)
Latterell did come into the race with $3545, and after expenditures, has an ending balance of $5601. I think I’d be holding on to that to repay the loan.
On the other hand, Herman Otten fared far better.
Herman Otten 2020 Pre-Prima… by Pat Powers on Scribd
Otten raised $1995 of unitemized donations, $4500 from individuals, around $4600 from PACs, and another $4850 from past and present colleagues. Added to his beginning balance of $14,984.44, Otten has sufficient cash to run any race he wants to. Otten spent $15,193, leaving himself over $15k to go into the final 2 weeks of the election.
I think we see where this one is going.
Campaign finance reports are in for the primary, and by the looks if it, image challenged District 35 challenger Kevin Quick doesn’t just have trouble with the long arm of the law; he can’t overcome incumbent lawmaker, Jessica Castleberry either.
Kevin Quick 2020 Pre Primary by Pat Powers on Scribd
Quick collected $285 in unitemized donations to go along with $1340 from those who would admit they know him.
His largest donation was $2000 from Shining Light PAC ran by Rapid City consultant Jordan Mason. This would be the same PAC that was involved in some controversy in the Rapid City School Bond election earlier this year. Of course, the left hand giveth, as the right hand taketh away, as Quick spent $1200 in “consulting.”
Against income of $3,625, Quick is claiming expenditures of $1250, leaving himself $2375 for the last two weeks of the election.
Well, good luck with that.
Castleberry for Senate 2020… by Pat Powers on Scribd
Incumbent State Senator Jessica Castleberry raised less than $100 from unitemized contributions, and only $1500 from itemized donations, but did very well from South Dakota Associations. Realtors, Chiropractors, Retailers, SDAHO, Doctors, and others pitched in to bring her PAC total to $6600, plus several donations from past and future colleagues for another $1750.
Ultimately, against an income of $19,820, Castleberry spent $19,780.09, with more income likely coming in the weeks to come.
$1250 versus $19,780 is quite a bit of disparity in the type of elections the campaigns are running. Given the fact Quick has a lot of image problems to overcome… I’d anticipate that he failed in that task.
Alex Jensen, candidate for Sioux Falls City Council has this new TV commercial up on facebook.. Check it out here.