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One question that inevitably comes up in campaigns from candidates is “If you’re a candidate, should you aggressively pursue money from lobbyists?”

Well, that’s a darned good question. Most lobbyists worth their salt know who the players are out there, and where they stand on issues. Or at least where they say they’ll stand. Some organizations give a little to many candidates, and might get involved if there’s a race they’re particularly concerned about.

But, some candidates don’t consider it a bad thing to throw a line in the water, and see what bites. Such as this letter from Democrat State Representative Karen Soli, who send a letter to her ubiquitous lobbyist “Friends.”

In her first race in 2012, Soli didn’t exactly make a big impact from PAC’s, raising only $763. But fast forward to 2014, after she’d served a term of office, and she had a bit more success:

ksoli_2014general by Pat Powers on Scribd

In 2014, Soli managed to raise $5200 in Political Action Committee funds (both in-State and Out of State), providing her with a far bigger bankroll than she’d had in her previous race, and almost double than she’d been able to raise on her own.

And, she did win by 500 votes, so it’s likely that big influx of cash made a significant difference.

I’m not exactly sold on candidates using the always awful “Dear Friends” generic letter for something like this. I think it would be more important to personalize and point out how your views align with the organization. Or better yet, speak to the organization you want to raise hundreds or thousands from, and let them make the call for support.

What do you think?

Initiated Measure 22, Slick Rick Weiland’s measure to have taxpayers pay for political campaigns, has an official opposition group, “Defeat 22,” which at the onset is comprised of groups such as Americans for Prosperity, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the South Dakota Retailers Association who have banded together to fight this awful legislation to divert taxpayer funds.

And they have a radio ad already prepped and ready to go. 

Update! I have a note from coalition leader Ben Lee of Americans for Prosperity that the Radio ad started running across the state on Friday, July 8th.

Give it a listen, and tell us what you think:

Want to join the fight against 22? Sign up to defeat it Defeat22.com.

An Audit of IHS is Necessary to Improve Health Care of Tribal Members
By Senator Mike Rounds

Over the past year, my office has been looking into the financial, structural and administrative problems at Indian Health Service (IHS) so that we can better understand how to reform the agency and provide better health care for tribal members. As our tribal members know all too well, the IHS has been failing to live up to its trust responsibility to provide health care to Native Americans. Its shortcomings have been documented in a number of Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports, yet there has never been a systemic review of IHS to address the health care crisis currently going on in the Great Plains Area, which includes South Dakota. Furthermore, IHS fails to adequately consult with the tribes when making decisions about their health care.

I recently requested an audit by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the financial aspects of hospital and health care, medical services and overall financial management at IHS. Based on my office’s discussions with tribal leaders, we believe an audit is the appropriate first step toward identifying areas of concern and finding solutions to fix the ongoing problems at the agency.

The audit is supported by both tribal members and officials within HHS. The Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association recently passed a resolution calling upon Congress to demand an audit of IHS. Additionally, during the Senate Indian Affairs Committee field hearing in Rapid City on June 17, 2016, that I participated in, HHS Acting Deputy Secretary Mary Wakefield said that HHS “would welcome” an audit of IHS.

As I wrote in my request, despite the agency’s well-documented history of failing to meet trust obligations by not providing quality health care, there has never been a systemic review of IHS to address and ultimately reform these issues in attempt to improve health outcomes for tribal members. Furthermore, there has been a continuing lack of consultation with the tribes. I believe an audit – similar to what was recently conducted at the Veterans Health Administration, which identified shortfalls and recommended solutions – is a potential model for addressing these critical financial and quality issues within IHS.

The problems at IHS are serious. The Great Plains Area IHS has the second highest mortality rate among all IHS regions. We also have the highest diabetes death rate, more than triple the average among IHS facilities. Our life expectancy rate is the lowest of all IHS regions, at 68.1 years. The U.S. average life expectancy is nearly a decade longer at 77.7 years. It is clear the IHS is failing our tribal members, who are suffering and in some cases dying due to this inadequate and disgraceful care. We are hopeful that the audit will show us specific areas we can focus on to begin making significant changes.

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South Dakota’s Wildland Fire Crew
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

It has been a dry year in parts of South Dakota. Sixty percent of the land in South Dakota is abnormally dry and counties west of the river and in the northeast are experiencing moderate to extreme drought. Drought is most severe in the Lawrence County area where the fire at Crow Peak burned more than 2,700 acres over the course of two weeks.

As I write this, the Crow Peak fire has just reached 100 percent containment. Under the lead of an Incident Management Team from Colorado, no structures were lost and no one was seriously injured or killed. The team had help from local, volunteer and municipal fire departments from across the state that put in many hours and sacrificed their Fourth of July weekend to assist the Incident Management team.

Our state fire crew, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s Division of Wildland Fire, also played a critical role in managing the Crow Peak fire. They offered air support, equipment and hand crews to assist the Black Hills National Forest and the Incident Management Team with containment.

Created by Gov. Bill Janklow in 2001 to assume the duties of wildland fire management in South Dakota, our Wildland Fire Division assists in large fire suppression efforts by sending personnel and equipment. Wildland Fire has its own fleet of fire engines with full-time and seasonal firefighters who are stationed at four locations around the Black Hills. Division employees also work with the South Dakota National Guard which lends military heavy lift helicopters, pilots and crews to fight wildfires. Wildland Fire’s efforts aren’t limited to South Dakota. They help fight fires in Canada and across the United States.

When they are not on the ground fighting fires, Wildland Fire employees are engaging in fire prevention efforts. Agency hand crews are involved in fuel reduction activities that include tree thinning and brush disposal through chipping and burning at various locations in the Black Hills. They also have a fire prevention program called “One Less Spark.”

South Dakota is fortunate to have a well-operating fire crew. Wildland Fire division director Jay Esperance and his employees work very hard to limit the damage from wildfires. We are also lucky to have so many volunteer firefighters in our state who are willing to dedicate their time to help with fire suppression efforts. They routinely put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

For our part, we must not add to their workload. Respect county burn bans when they’re in place. Where fires are permitted, never leave a fire unattended, completely extinguish fires before leaving the area and remind others to be cautious. Also, be mindful when operating equipment in dry areas.

South Dakota weather is anything but predictable. We can’t prevent lightning strikes or control how much moisture we receive. But we should do all that is within our power to prevent fires, especially this year.

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Did anyone read the interview this morning at Argus Leader.com from the organizer of the Sioux Falls Black Lives Matter vigil?  I can’t help but scratch my head at one of her statements:

Particularly, when you exist in a white body, you live in a system that has always told you that you are right. Being told you are wrong and feeling the guilt of that and not letting that guilt stop you from engaging in really important work is hard. It’s scary because we aren’t used to being wrong. It’s an important lesson to learn.

Read that here.

I guess I’m struck by how this woman lumps everyone into certain life experiences based on the color of their skin, aside from the choice of the phrase “exist in a white body.” And that somehow people of different racial backgrounds have different “systems.”

Martin Luther King marched, and died, in the 1960’s for a dream of an equal and color-blind nation. He spoke the words “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  I really don’t see how claiming that people who “exist in a white body” have one system that’s somehow “wrong,” by some unspoken and arbitrary measure honors that dream and unifies us.

MLK spoke about America as a promise, and under it’s framework, all men are created equal, and deserve equal access and opportunity under the promise. The American Dream is our only system, and it has nothing to do with race, except to remind people that it isn’t, and shouldn’t be a factor.

That’s what “the system” I was brought up in taught me. And I don’t think there’s anything that I was taught that is remotely “wrong.”

What do you think?

State of South Dakota Joins Lawsuit Against Bathroom Mandate

PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that South Dakota has joined a lawsuit filed today in Nebraska Federal District Court against the U.S, Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice over the bathroom mandate. There are a total of 23 states joining the Nebraska and Texas cases, 10 in Nebraska and 13 in Texas.

“As Attorney General it was and remains my hope that our country and state lawmakers can find a solution to the transgender bathroom concerns. However, the President’s mandate or directive that children of opposite sex must be required to share locker rooms and bathrooms under the threat of lawsuit and withholding of education funding is a solution that goes beyond his authority. I am therefore joining other Attorneys General in the Nebraska litigation to clarify that federal law cannot mandate that children of opposite sex be required to share locker rooms and bathrooms.”

States included in the Nebraska lawsuit are Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.

A similar case was filed earlier in the 5th Circuit District Court by State of Texas joined by Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

There is no cost for South Dakota to join these proceedings.

Snake-oil salesman Rick Weiland can’t catch a break as he tries to wreck democracy in South Dakota, as three major groups have banded together to oppose his taxpayer-funded campaign measure being sold as “ethics reform.”

A national conservative organization is joining forces with two statewide business associations to defeat an initiated measure on November’s ballot.

Americans for Prosperity, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the South Dakota Retailers Association will oppose Initiated Measure 22, which backers have dubbed as a set of good-government reforms aimed at preventing corruption in South Dakota government.

Ben Lee, the chairman of Defeat 22 and the state director for Americans for Prosperity, said the coalition planned to start an advertising blitz on Friday that included radio ads, mailers and door hangars to begin educating voters about the measure.

and..

Chamber president David Owen said his members worry publicly financed campaigns will divert millions of dollars from basic government services. If each of the more than 520,000 registered voters assigned their democracy credits, it would mean $52 million.

“Even if it’s $9 million, that’s money that’s not going to go to paving roads, schools and locking criminals up,” Owen said.

Read it all here.