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I’m sitting at my desk at my day job, hammering through Hurricane Irma claim submissions, knowing that while there was terrible damage that took place over the weekend, our nation over the past few weeks has reminded us that when time are tough, no matter how divided the media tries to portray our nation, Americans pull together to help one another.

And at no time is it more apparent than on the anniversary of the attack against our nation by radical muslim terrorists on 9/11.

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Just like the anniversary of the attack, it’s the occasion of my son’s ‘sweet 16’ birthday, where it’s more apparent he’s becoming an adult. He’s driving to all of his activities now (with only one minor accident to his credit), and announced the other day that he ‘has a girlfriend,’ prompting a talk he’d probably rather not have had with his parents.

The best lessons about our nation in troubled times are that we help each other. We heal together. And Life goes on.

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So, where were you on 9/11?

As I repeat the tale again for a new audience, on that fateful day, I was in the hospital witnessing one of my life’s greatest joys, the birth of my eldest son.  I love my girls, but after 4 of them, a son was pretty exciting.

My kids were at school or at daycare, and my father – who was out of town – was expected home that day from visiting a brother and sister in New Jersey. He was to going to be on a flight in the morning out of the Newark, N.J. airport, into Minneapolis. My mother, who had doted on her granddaughters, had passed away the previous November, and this was to be the first child born into the family that she would not see.

As my wife lay there having contractions, I walked out into the hallway where I noticed some floor nurses paying unusual attention to the television. They seemed awestruck, and as I walked over they noted that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. It seemed a horrific accident until shortly after when another jet crashed into the other tower.

It was unheard of in most of our lifetimes, and every medical professional on the hospital floor was abuzz with what was going on. On television, it quickly escalated when reports were coming in from all over of other possible planes being hijacked, and there wasn’t a soul who wasn’t glued to the television.

The military was on high alert, and planes were being grounded and there wasn’t a second of television that was not fully enveloped with the news. I had some troubled thoughts since my father was also to be flying that day, but my primary concern was for my wife.

I would bounce from attending to my wife, and checking updates of the events. I had noted to her a little of what was going on, but wisely she refused to allow the television to be turned on in her hospital suite, and said she didn’t want to know, because she had other business to attend to. And she was moving into more serious labor.

About that time, it was announced that yet another plane had been flown into a section of the Pentagon. Clearly, our nation was under attack, and there was worry written on everyone’s face.  The OB doctors came into the birthing suite and attended to my wife as professionally as could be, despite the distraction of the historic events of the moment. And all staff was in place as my wife gave birth.

After relatively short session of pushing, the baby was born. As my wife had previously given birth to four girls, a cheer went up from the staff as the Doctor announced that my wife had given birth to a boy. She held her first son in her arms for a moment, and the doctors took care of the rest of the business involved in childbirth.

It was a boy! While I love my daughters unquestioningly, and they give me great pride, I’d always longed for a son.

My son was as healthy as could be, and his mother was also doing exceptionally well. As things settled down, and as my exhausted wife began to recover, we turned on the television and discovered that the World Trade Center Towers had fallen. And we also heard the news of a plane out of the Newark Airport that was hijacked had crashed in Pennsylvania.

About that time, I had a call on my cell phone from my father who was noting the absolute pandemonium at the Newark Airport, and his good fortune to get a rental car to travel back to his sisters’. He was safe, and pleased at the news of the birth of his first grandson.

As I got off the phone and the television news recounted and repeated the tragic events of the morning, a lullaby played over the speakers in the hospital. A lullaby. At St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, after the birth of a child it has been their tradition for a number of years to play a lullaby to announce the joyful event.

It was a bit surreal. Amidst all of the pain and carnage of the day, a lullaby announcing the birth of a child.

For a while, I sat with my wife, and then I’d go back and check on my son. I’d do this for a while, alternating between my two family members. After an hour or so, there was another lullaby played over the hospital. And I believe I heard another one a couple of hours after that.

The thing that struck me about that day, with my son being born between the time the Pentagon was hit, and the twin towers came down was this: Hope is eternal.

And it’s an appropriate thought on this day when we remember when so many people died. It’s appropriate on a day when soldiers are fighting and dying for the right of a country to be free. It’s appropriate to remember on a day when we are only starting to count our dead countrymen struck down from a tragic natural disaster. (At the time this was written, the hurricane had just hit New Orleans – pp)

No matter how bad things seem, they will be better. The lullabies playing a duet with the television newscasts taught me that. So has my son.  Hope is eternal. Please remember that and offer your thoughts, prayers, and moral support today for the casualties of 9/11 and our soldiers.

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On the occasion of 9/11, remember that far more unites us as a country than divides us. And it shouldn’t take the cowardly actions enemies to the basic concept of what America stands for to remind us of that fact.  We demonstrate it daily.

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

As one of the few independent organizations who review the votes cast by legislators, recently the American Conservative Union released a list of those in South Dakota legislators that it considers “the most conservative” in the state.

And to little surprise, Republican Legislators such as Jenna Netherton, Phil Jensen, and Larry Rhoden were noted as having among the most conservative voting records in South Dakota.

Interestingly, Senator Larry Rhoden who was given their highest award for his votes in the House, was ranked at casting conservative votes 90% of the time (95% lifetime), and was ranked higher than his 2014 US Senate opponent, Stace Nelson, who could only achieve an 82% (82% lifetime) ranking, despite Nelson’s attempted spin that “Rhoden was a 21-year liberal Democrat” in the contest.

Where did the Democrats fare in relation to Republicans?

In the Senate, the lowest ranking Republicans were still a world more conservative than their Democrat counterparts. In the House, there was a little more of a mixing, since Julie Bartling tends to be one of the more conservative Democrats in the legislature.

You can download or read the entire report at length here (in pdf format).

What do you think? Is it just confirming information you already know, or does it provide a boost to legislators that there is independent corroboration that they’re actually a conservative, contrary to what their political opponents may be claiming for their own election purposes?

I had noticed it earlier this week that the Marty Jackley for Governor campaign had sent out an e-mail blast announcing that they were going to be hosting a pheasant hunt fundraiser that they sent to a broad audience:

However, a couple of days later (yesterday to be exact), I was forwarded a copy of the full invitation package with more details on the campaign event, which I can share with you:

Above we see that it’s a $1000 a head or $2500 for event sponsorship. And Marty uses the occasion to make a campaign pitch for what he plans to do in terms of tourism/sportsman initiatives if he’s elected:

And the obligatory campaign reply card:

And the campaign season keeps rolling on.

My Principles for Pro-Growth Tax Reform
By Sen. John Thune

My biggest priority for the remainder of the year will be sending the president a comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform package that helps middle-class South Dakotans who are struggling to make ends meet. According to a recent study, 50 percent of American voters consider themselves to be living paycheck to paycheck, and about one-third of them say they’re just $400 away from a financial crisis. To put it into perspective, it means these folks are one broken refrigerator or unexpected car repair away from a financial emergency. While it might seem small, $400 can go a long way for families in South Dakota.

Living in a constant state of financial fear and uncertainty, like so many cash-strapped families do these days, isn’t how most people purposefully choose to live. The status quo simply isn’t working for many of them, and it’s putting the American Dream further out of reach. Many of these folks are fighting hard to get a leg up, but they feel burdened by a system and an economy that for years has kept wages down and opportunities few and far between. It doesn’t have to be this way, though, which is why I believe Congress has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help strengthen our economy by reforming our outdated tax code.

I have a set of five key principles that I believe must govern how any meaningful tax reform bill is drafted and passed. The first is a no-brainer. Any bill we pass has to result in increased wages, jobs, and economic growth for South Dakotans. It must help people increase their take-home pay and pursue opportunities that will put their family in a better position to succeed, period.

Second, and perhaps just as obvious, tax reform must provide tax relief to South Dakotans. It would be hard to find a South Dakotan who believes they aren’t paying enough in taxes, and Washington already takes too much of what they earn. Congress needs to learn how to spend money more efficiently and let folks keep more of their hard-earned paycheck.

Third and fourth, we have to create a system that encourages well-paying American jobs to stay in this country, and it has to increase America’s competitiveness in the global economy. A noncompetitive tax code not only discourages foreign companies from doing business in the United States, but it also can encourage some American businesses to move to a country with a more competitive system. We’ve got to correct this, and it’s certainly within reach.

Fifth and finally, tax reform must simplify the tax code, which is far too large and complex. Whether you’re an individual or a small business owner, everyone can benefit from a simplified system that lowers rates and doesn’t stand in the way of a South Dakotan’s ability to succeed.

Guided by these five basic, common-sense principles, which I’m hopeful will enjoy bipartisan support, I will work with my colleagues in Congress to deliver on our promise of creating a system that boosts wages, jobs, and economic growth. It would put middle-class families back in the driver’s seat of the American economy. They’ve waited long enough.

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Trade Agreements Vital to South Dakota’s Economy
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Free and fair trade plays an important role in the American economy. It not only leads to more jobs and higher wages, it allows American producers to promote and sell their goods across the globe by leveling the playing field with other competitors. Our farm economy, in particular, benefits from trade agreements. As our number one industry in South Dakota, I continue to promote and prioritize trade agreements that benefit our farmers and ranchers.

I continue to hear from South Dakota producers and ag groups who are concerned about the future of trade agreements. At Dakotafest, the State Fair and other events across the state last month, producers repeatedly told me that opening up new markets for American exports will greatly benefit their operations. Foreign markets absorb approximately 20 percent of all U.S. agricultural production today, which significantly contributes to the overall health of the farm economy.  The economic benefits of agricultural exports also extend to businesses in rural communities, while overseas farm sales help to buoy a wide array of industries linked to agriculture, including transportation, processing and farm input suppliers.

In recent months, President Trump has indicated his desire to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and modify – if not completely withdraw from – our trade agreement with South Korea. Both of these agreements benefit South Dakota producers because we have no tariffs or limits on the quantity or value of products that can be imported and exported with countries such as Mexico and Canada. In 2016, American farmers sent $20.5 billion worth of exports to Canada and $17.8 billion worth of exports to Mexico, which is the largest market for U.S. corn and soymeal, the second largest market for U.S. soybeans and the third largest market for U.S. beef. Additionally, South Korea is one of our top export markets, with $6.2 billion in ag exports last year alone.

We all want the best deal we can get, and I support the president’s goal to make the best possible trade deals that will improve America’s ability to export products. However, simply withdrawing from long-standing trade agreements without a similar structure in place would cause significant harm to South Dakota’s producers, and I would strongly oppose such action.

Earlier this year, I sent a letter to the new U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, to encourage him to maintain strong relationships with our allies in NAFTA and work to open up new markets around the world for American ag products. I also met with him prior to his confirmation to discuss increasing trade opportunities for U.S. producers. I was pleased to hear that he agrees with me on the importance of trade for our ag economy, and in fact, this spring, the Trump administration announced an agreement had been reached to allow for U.S. exports of beef, poultry and natural gas into China. South Dakota ranchers are now able to sell high-quality beef in this new and lucrative market. I continue to encourage the administration to increase trade access to markets in other parts of Asia and the Pacific Rim region as well.

As we continue to discuss new opportunities for trade, I will work with the administration to promote and prioritize South Dakota’s agricultural industry. Opening up new markets for trade will bring a much-needed boost to South Dakota’s farm economy and lead to higher-paying jobs across the state.

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A Beacon for Freedom and Opportunity
By Rep. Kristi Noem

 

Almost one in four Americans weren’t yet born when the towers fell and the Pentagon was struck on September 11, 2001. For them, the threat of terrorism has always been present, security always enhanced, and shoes always removed at airport security checkpoints. Sometimes I forget that Booker, born less than a year after the attack, is one of these people. He learns about it in history class, but the pages of a textbook can never quite convey what it was like to live through that day.

I remember exactly where I was. Like so many other mornings, it started off as such a normal Tuesday. Get the girls up and off to school, jump in the pickup, and flip on the radio. But then the reports started coming in…

A plane strikes the World Trade Center in New York City. A second tower is hit. The Pentagon too. And then, that chilling moment when New York City’s streets fill with dust, the images of which can never be forgotten; the first tower had collapsed. Minutes later, we learn another plane crashed in Pennsylvania. The second tower falls. And America unites in grief, determination, and prayer.

Many of us might even still remember President Bush’s words just hours after: “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America… [W]e’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.”

Sixteen years later, radical Islamic terrorists continue to make threats on this beacon of freedom – even waging an attack on our embassy in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012. ISIL, the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and others have sought to expand their physical boundaries and the reach of their violent ideology. These groups are convicted to destroy, not only towers and embassies, but our people and values. They will not succeed. “[America] will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail” – a promise made by President Bush days after the attack and safeguarded by our men and women in uniform every single day.

“The attacks of September 11 were intended to break our spirit. Instead, we have emerged stronger and more united,” New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in December 2001.

It’s undeniable that individual Americans will always have ideological differences, but for those of us who lived through that day, the memory of September 11 binds us together. Particularly in this day and age, that’s a message the next generation could benefit from hearing.

When I talk to Booker about September 11, I want him to understand that we mark this day, not only because of the terror carried out, but because of America’s resiliency in the face of terror. We were and continue to be the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. No one – not the terrorists who piloted those planes, not those who attacked our embassy in Benghazi, not those waging war in the Middle East today – will keep that light from shining.

Recovering Debts Owed To South Dakotans
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

When a debt is owed to you, sometimes it can be difficult to collect. Whether it’s a grocery store that receives a bad check, a carpenter seeking payment on a bill or a person who loans a friend $50, it’s not enjoyable or easy to recover what you are owed.

Sometimes state government finds itself in the same position. Restitution payments and court-ordered child placement costs, fines for hunting violations, unpaid business taxes, reimbursements for damage to state property, or fees owed to a university can also be hard to collect. These unpaid obligations also place a greater financial burden on other taxpayers.

Until a couple of years ago, each state entity tried to collect these debts on their own. The Unified Judicial System, Secretary of State’s Office, Board of Regents, Department of Revenue, and Game, Fish and Parks each had their own debt collection systems in place. That approach was inefficient and did not achieve the desired results.

South Dakota now has a much more effective way to recover money owed – the Obligation Recovery Center. This new centralized system doesn’t just recover dollars owed to the state; it also helps crime victims and single parents who are owed money by convicted felons.

In 2015, the Legislature established the Obligation Recover Center to improve the state’s debt-collection efforts. Now, in the instances where agency efforts to collect debts prove unsuccessful, those debts can be referred to the center, which can impose penalties for non-payment.

For debts exceeding $50, hunting and fishing licenses can be suspended. For debts exceeding $1,000, the state can place blocks on driver licenses and motor vehicle registrations. And for those who still do not work toward reducing their debts, their cases are referred to third-party debt collection agencies.

The Obligation Recovery Center is certainly a more active approach toward debt-collection. Still, it is important to understand that a debtor does not have to repay a debt in full to regain lost privileges. A debtor must simply agree to a payment plan to avoid these penalties.

The results of the new system have been promising. In its year of operation, the Obligation Recovery Center has recovered more than $3.3 million. In addition, payment plans have been established that will collect another $7.6 million.

Around 63,000 cases have been referred to the center and only 24 individuals have appealed their cases to an administrative hearing, which is an indication that the process is largely working as it should.

For the single parent who is owed child support or the crime victim who is owed restitution, the new process is making a big difference. Just as importantly, it’s advancing fairness for the taxpayer.

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Smoking Isn’t Good for You but Neither Are Misguided Tax Policies
By Don Haggar

South Dakota House Speaker Mark Mickelson isn’t the first politician to say education is “the foundation upon which our citizens build their futures.” Or tout an “educated and trained workforce” as the “number one” tool for economic development. And he believes that post-secondary technical schools are an important component in building this workforce.

He’s right. Technical schools expand opportunity for thousands of students by teaching valuable skills that are essential to keeping our society running.

Unfortunately, Speaker Mickelson has come up with an ill-advised way to bring down the cost of tuition at these schools. He’s pushing a ballot initiative that would increase cigarette taxes by $1.00 per pack to fund a multipurpose slush fund for technical post-secondary technical institutes in the state.

Reducing the number of South Dakotans who partake in a habit that kills 480,000 Americans every year and, increasing the number of people who can attend technical schools and pursue opportunity seems like a win-win, right?

Not so fast.

For starters, smokers today tend to be lower income or even at or below the poverty line. Cigarette taxes unfairly squeeze many who are already struggling just to get by.

Of course, if they can’t afford the unhealthy habit, quitting is the best option.

But for a lot of smokers, it isn’t so simple. If it were, they would have already kicked the pricey vice. And here again, income level matters. Studies show that the more educated and affluent who have better access to support and cessation aids like patches and gum have a much higher quitting success rate.

Even if South Dakota smokers do quit, for this ballot measure, that would be a problem.

The proposal promises up to $20 million in financial support for technical schools. But what happens when people stop buying cigarettes and the required tax revenue dries up? It’s happened before. In New York, cigarette taxes are so high they exceed the base cost of a pack of smokes. Yet, the Empire State’s revenue from cigarette taxes fell $400 million from 2010 to 2015. In Illinois, four years after a 2012 cigarette tax increase revenues were $419 million below projections.

It’s risky and irresponsible to fund a worthwhile cause with a revenue source that’s sure to diminish over time.

And the negative consequences don’t end there. The tax also threatens small businesses, especially those that are close to state borders.

Significantly lower cigarette prices in our neighboring states will lure South Dakotans across the line to buy cigarettes—and likely fill up on gas or purchase groceries while they’re at it. When Wisconsin twice raised tobacco taxes between 2007 and 2009, border stores suffered a significant drop in tobacco sales, one claiming they were down by as much as 40 percent. Meanwhile, across the border in neighboring Illinois, where lawmakers had yet to enact higher cigarette taxes, one store owner estimated a 35 to 40 percent boost in cigarette sales.

Nationwide, this border state price disparity has given rise to substantial criminal activity. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy notes, “few politicians realize when they vote for higher excise taxes that doing so may dramatically increase cigarette-related crime such as smuggling.” And their study shows that in New York, which boasts the country’s highest cigarette taxes and the highest cigarette smuggling rate, smokers “consume more smuggled cigarettes than they do legally taxed ones.”

We can all agree that smoking isn’t good for you. But neither are the side effects of misguided tax policies. South Dakota lawmakers should find another way to fund technical education and South Dakotans should think twice before signing a petition that would put this tax hike on the ballot.

It’s starting to look like Dems aren’t satisfied with their candidate for Congress, because he’s not Democrat enough to toe the line for the liberals that have taken over the Democrat party.Maybe that’s why Billie Sutton’s people are being ambiguous about his views on the issues?

 

Congresswoman Kristi Noem is the last candidate to be featured in the series of articles by Bob Mercer on the 2018 candidates for office. And in the article, Congresswoman Noem talks about her background, and how she expects the campaign to play out:

Noem said those experiences helped form her. In 2006, she won election to the state House of Representatives, and re-election in 2008. That was significant, too, she said.