Category: Uncategorized

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but my daughter number two has found herself in the interesting position of being a nominee for the University of South Dakota homecoming queen in her senior year.

I’m told that she is representing the Strollers group in the competition, despite a history of the Strollers group putting out some dubious USD graduates at best. (I’m talking to you Justin Rollins, and Governor Daugaard!)

  
Anyway, if you happen to be enrolled at USD, whether it is for undergraduate or graduate level courses, you have the ability to cast a ballot. And I would just put in my plug tonight for the faithful readers of SDWC to cast at least one of your ballots for Meredith.

She’s already part of the court just by virtue of the organization having selected her, so she’s already a winner. But I would be a bad dad if I didn’t give it at least a mention and a word of encouragement prior to the coronation tomorrow night!

Wow. I mean, wow. From the Argus Leader:

Democratic Party chair Ann Tornberg repeatedly encouraged attendees to circulate a ballot measure petition aimed at creating an independent redistricting committee. She called the existing districts “entirely partisan and gerrymandered.” Rep. Peggy Gibson, D-Huron, told attendees about how she circulated the petition to other drivers who were stopped for hours near the site of a fatal car crash. “If I can do it there, you can do it anywhere,” Gibson said.

and…

The candidate challenging Thune in 2016 will be…

Just kidding. No news on that front. With just over 13 months before the 2016 election, the party has yet to select a candidate to run against U.S. Sen. John Thune. Party leadership didn’t acknowledge the hole on the ballot heading into next year, but they indicated individuals interested in exploring a run could go to next months’ training event.

Read it all here.

“Rep. Peggy Gibson, D-Huron, told attendees about how she circulated the petition to other drivers who were stopped for hours near the site of a fatal car crash.” And, she admitted it.

Wow.

If the rest of Dems follow Peggy’s crass opportunism, I think accident scenes and funeral homes are going to start putting a ban on petitioners.

Apparently I went to bed last night, and woke up in crazy town. Because, here’s one of the headlines this morning:

Part of the story reads, “People watching this new scandal/suicide/shotgun murder unfold are skeptical that we are getting the complete story, and perhaps not the ACURATE story.”

As we’re treated to a barely literate, incoherent and misspelled sentence explaining all of this, it’s illustrative of the defective and overwhelming leaps in logic that one has to take to believe any of the utter BS spouted by Howie, It’s little more than an exercise in throwing fecal matter against the wall to try to make anything stick against the opponent who delivered a 47 point loss to him in a 4-way race.

What did happen? A family tragedy occurred involving someone who worked for an educational co-op in Platte. This educational co-op, of which there are many across the state, administered a federal grant for an Indian education program, and subbed portions of that out here and there. The State of SD, who had the ability to direct funds, and ensure the program was working, at some point recently didn’t feel that they were getting enough bang for their buck, etcetera, so they yanked the funding.

A short time later, a man who worked at the educational co-op committed suicide, and took his family with him in a horrible tragedy.  What does that have to do with Howie’s claim that it’s all linked to his former political opponent, Senator Rounds? Absolutely and utterly nothing. It’s paranoid and slanderous.

Not to mention it has been over 5 years since Mike Rounds has been governor. 

If we’re to follow Howie’s logical progression, there’s more of a connection between Mike Rounds and executive branch state employees under him who received speeding tickets then there is between Rounds and an employee of the educational cooperative which received a federal grant directed by the Dept of Ed.

Mike Rounds didn’t hire him. Mike Rounds couldn’t fire him.  The only thing the Dept of Ed could do was to watch results progress over time. And at one point, they decided they didn’t like them.

Does the headline blare “Mike Rounds responsible for x% of speeding tickets during his tenure?” No. Because everyone instantly recognizes it as silly. But blare a headline like Howie does with an even more tenuous connection, and it takes on an air of salacious scandal. If the state reviews the results of a federal grant program, and finds it isn’t happy with the effectiveness of the program, and has questions about how it’s being run by the entity running it; I think one would argue that they’re actually doing their job by reviewing it. That’s what they’re supposed to do.

And if they yank the program because they’re not happy with how it’s being done – “Not doing the job I like, find someone else to do it.” – again, that’s what they’re supposed to do.

If an employee of the grant contractor has some sort of breakdown, that has nothing to do with state government. At all. And for Gordon Howie to use the murder of children as the basis for a political attack against an old political foe?

That’s about as slimy as you can get. And it’s little wonder why he can’t poll beyond 3%.

From the Argus, it looks like all the Democrats left on that side of the state got together to kvetch about Republicans trouncing them badly. Because it has absolutely nothing to do with not running candidates for office. Nope. Nothing at all:

Dozens of South Dakota Democrats gathered in the dining room of a historic hotel Saturday night to rally and air grievances against the majority party.

and…

Both Lowe and party chairwoman Ann Tornberg called on the attendees to challenge Republicans and to rally behind Democrats in 2016 and 2018 elections.

and…

But with just more than 13 months until the 2016 election, the Democrats still haven’t found a candidate to challenge Thune. And none was immediately recommended Saturday.

State Rep. Paula Hawks, D-Hartford, has announced she’ll challenge U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, for her House seat in 2016.

And the Democrats recognized that state voter registration numbers don’t fall in their favor. According to the most recent numbers published by the South Dakota secretary of state’s office, registered Republican voters far outnumber Democrats.

Read it all here.

Dems are down to eight months from the primary election, and a year out from the general election. And they still lack decent candidates for the top of the ticket. (But, by gosh, they’re circulating petitions.)

They say you shall reap what you sow. And for Democrats, they’re going to reap people who can become professional petition circulators, but no one who can run for office.

Pope Francis’ Inspiring Message
September 24, 2015
By Senator Mike Rounds

Washington, D.C., recently hosted Pope Francis during his first visit to the United States. Not just Catholics, but citizens across the country have been preparing for his much-anticipated trip to our capital city. Tens of thousands flocked to the city to attend a special Mass, catch a glimpse of the pope-mobile or watch the pope’s address to Congress on the West Lawn of the Capitol. As lifelong members of the Catholic Church, it has been a truly special experience for Jean and me to participate in the week’s events. The pope’s message of optimism and compassion is one we can all relate to.

On Wednesday, we were invited to attend a special White House ceremony welcoming the pope. Later in the day, we attended a canonization Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast Washington, D.C. On Thursday, we watched from the House of Representatives chamber as Pope Francis gave an impassioned, spiritual message to a Joint Session of Congress.

The pope’s message to us was one of hope and encouragement. It was not partisan or political. He reminded us that as members of Congress, our responsibility is to help our nation thrive and grow.  As Congress continues to tackle pressing and important issues, I was energized by Pope Francis’ call for a “renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States.”  Despite the partisan politics that often makes headlines, our similarities are far greater than our differences. His message challenges all of us to reflect on how we can better serve one another.

The pope also reminded us of our responsibility to pursue the common good and to protect the most vulnerable among us—the very young, the very old, the sick and the poor.

Pope Francis has an ability to inspire and connect with people regardless of their politics or their faith. Many who came to Capitol Hill to watch his address on big-screen TVs were not Catholic, and some were not religious at all. But they all wanted to catch a glimpse of His Holiness. They wanted to hear his message of hope, optimism, compassion and love that resonates with all of us. I thank him for his encouraging words throughout his visit and for continuing to lead and inspire people throughout the globe. As the pope said to tens of thousands of onlookers who greeted him on the West Lawn of the Capitol, “God Bless America.”

###

Rapid Recovery
By Rep. Kristi Noem
September 25, 2015

It took five years to build the Hoover Dam; four years to erect the Golden Gate Bridge; 13 months to construct the Empire State Building; but in some cases, more than a decade to get a building permit approved by the federal government.  This is outrageous.

According to a 2010 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 351 energy projects were stalled nationwide that would have had a total economic value of $1 trillion and represented 1.9 million American jobs.  Even in South Dakota, the impacts are being felt.  The same study found that delays pushed $500 million of economic output and 2,600 jobs down the road in South Dakota specifically.

It’s no secret that the Keystone XL Pipeline was one of the projects the federal government has been working hard to delay.  This pipeline has been on the list for a number of years.  In fact, while the builders first submitted permit applications in September 2008, it took until 2014 for the U.S. State Department to issue its final Environmental Impact Statement, which is just one step in the federal permitting process.

This is a system that is broken – and it’s costing families and local communities jobs, economic opportunities, and money.  On September 25, I helped move forward H.R.348 – also known as the RAPID Act.  This bipartisan legislation streamlines the environmental permitting and approval process to be sure builders, developers, and others get an answer from federal bureaucrats in a timely and efficient manner.

We do this by improving coordination between federal agencies, allowing for simultaneous reviews, avoiding duplication of state and federal efforts, and putting the federal government on a timeline that better serves the people.  Moreover, to help eliminate frivolous lawsuits, we reduce the statute of limitations to challenge a final Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment from six years to six months.

It’s unacceptable that federal agencies manipulate the system to slow down critical energy projects that could bring cost savings – and in some cases, greater security – to the American people.  The RAPID Act would help to remedy that.

###

Environmental Regs: Finding Some Consolation In State Government
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

In recent years, the EPA has proposed a number of new rules having potential to affect our daily lives. I know South Dakotans are concerned about some of these pending proposals and I share their concerns.

One prominent proposal imposes new regulations on coal-fired power plants, and will require states to rework their power grids. Another rule broadens a key definition describing bodies of water, to give the federal government authority to regulate small bodies of water on private land. A third rule would create a new standard for ozone.  Depending upon the new standard chosen, it may be difficult for any state to comply.

At this point, it is unclear to what extent these regulations will really help the environment. But here is what is clear: if these new rules are implemented, South Dakotans will be left with higher costs.

So what can be done? South Dakota’s delegation in Washington, D.C., has been working to roll back some of these proposed regulations through congressional efforts. At the state level, Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined with other states to challenge some of these proposals. We’re also doing what we can in state government to keep our own environmental regulations appropriate and reasonable.

The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is responsible for implementing and enforcing EPA regulations at the state level. The agency regulates things like air quality, drinking water and waste management. It also protects surface and ground waters of the state. It is this agency’s job to issue water permits without depleting water resources. The agency also regulates mining activities, petroleum storage tanks and your community’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

Though DENR must assume the burden of implementing EPA regulations in our state, it strives to use whatever flexibility is available to make the federal regulations fit South Dakota. One example is the department’s Feedlot Permit Program, which regulates concentrated animal feeding operations in a manner to protect the surface and ground waters in South Dakota. DENR is upholding its mission to protect public health and the environment without placing unnecessary hurdles in front of South Dakotans and those who want to do business here.

DENR has also excelled in open government efforts. Secretary Steve Pirner’s initiatives have provided more information online than ever before. For example, DENR’s One-Stop Public Notice webpage publishes all of the department’s active public notices.  Their One-Stop Interactive GIS Maps allow the public to locate and access information about dry draw location notices, spill site files, storage tank files, oil and gas well files, recycling businesses and more. DENR’s One-Stop Permitting Guide leads industries through each environmental permitting process administered by South Dakota. The department also recently launched a new website. Check it out at denr.sd.gov.

I know South Dakotans are frustrated with government’s increasing tendency to become involved with small details of our daily lives. I know business owners are trying to create jobs, farmers and ranchers are trying to stay in operation, and families are trying to make ends meet. I know it’s hard to achieve these things when a government proposes rules without regard for the cost of those rules and the burden of ever-expanding red tape.

Still, I hope South Dakotans here will find some consolation in their state government. Our state agencies are doing what we can to fight burdensome federal regulations and make our own rules as reasonable as possible.

-30-

I’ve been doing some backend stuff to try to improve the peppiness of the website without having to take an ax to the number of posts and comments.  Right now, we’re running at nearly 100,000 comments and 7300 posts, plus, and whether you like it or not, that will tend to eat up system resources.

So far I’ve optimized the sql database, and removed all the multiple revisions and iterations of each post. And I’m working on compressing images. You really don’t need a 4mb image to go with a post.  I’ve also made a point to block most traffic from other countries, as I’ve been getting indexed by search engines from Russia and China.

I don’t want to add a cache to the site, as that can cause problems, and sometimes gives hackers a way in. My host does a good job of keeping the trash out, but you can never be too diligent.

Hopefully, all this will allow for a slightly faster load time.

John Boehner’s office just confirmed that he’s going to resign as Speaker of the House.

What does that mean for the GOP, and more specifically, what does that mean for South Dakota’s Congresswoman Kristi Noem?

(Is it here where we plug Kristi for Speaker? )

From KELOland comes notice of a lawsuit that seems to be pitting the wife of a state legislator against the state her husband works part time-for:

Laura Zylstra Kaiser of Aberdeen alleges she was harassed by a Brown County deputy in 2011. Her federal lawsuit claims she was demoted after the alleged harassment.

Zylstra Kaiser says she filed unsuccessful grievances with DCI Director Bryan Gortmaker and Attorney General Marty Jackley.

Read it here.

Zylstra Kaiser is the spouse of Dan Kaiser, a legislator from Aberdeen who is also employed in Law enforcement.