Category: Uncategorized

Dusty Johnson, Republican candidate for Congress, is out with a new video detailing his position on NAFTA and President Trump. From Facebook:

From the Argus Leader:

Nationally, Democrats are feeling good about their chances this year. They’re in a fighting mood. As I write, they’re gleefully preparing to shut down the federal government. Many observers say the stars are aligning for a “wave election” in which they take control of the House and Senate.

and…

There are now fewer than 160,000 registered Democrats in the state – a deficit of roughly 85,000 voters to the Republican Party. To put that into historical perspective, in 2008, Democrats were 37,000 voters behind. In 10 years, the gulf between the two parties more than doubled. And the decline hasn’t abated since Trump won. They’ve lost roughly 10,000 voters since then.

In fact, there hasn’t been this few registered Democrats since 1972. Then, when the state had a population of about 200,000 fewer people, Democrats made up 40.5 percent of all registered voters. Today, they make up just 30 percent.

Read it here.

Dems can run (candidates) but their voters keep hiding.

Did the person with the green sign have pants on?

I just had a reader tip me off on this..

Noting the article directly below this, where I point out that outgoing US Attorney Randy Seiler filed paperwork to run for Attorney General nearly 2 weeks ago, I was asked “How is Randy Seiler going to run for AG when he’s just been hired to be the Hughes County States Attorney?”

Wait, what?

Seiler, 71, retired Dec. 31 after 22 years as a federal prosecutor, the past nearly three years working as the U.S. attorney for South Dakota.

Looks like Democrats have a unicorn in their midst.

Very quietly, on January 8th, outgoing Obama US Attorney appointee Randy Seiler registered a campaign committee at the Secretary of State to run for the office of Attorney General.

It’s unusual, as Democrats have not run anyone for this office not named Ron Volesky since 1998 – 20 Years ago! Volesky ran since in 2002, 2006 & 2010 to little/no fanfare and ever more dismal results (43%, 33%, and 33%).

While Deputy for many years, Seiler had a short tenure as US Attorney, taking over as Brendan Johnson went into private practice. Seiler’s most noticeable initiative for the office was a mid-2016 addition of a civil rights attorney for the US Attorney’s office partially for a certain issue we’re still hearing about:

Until this year, however, Seiler’s office hasn’t had an lawyer dedicated primarily to civil rights.

That’s changed with Alison Ramsdell’s appointment as the head of the newly-created Civil Rights section. The Flandreau native will lead the office’s efforts to educate the public on civil rights matters and pursue legal action against those who break the law.

And..

The position was added from above, when Attorney General Loretta Lynch released funding for 34 new civil rights prosecutors within the 93 U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. Seiler’s office applied for the funding and was awarded it, which made it possible to refocus Ramsdell’s work.

And..

Other efforts include sending follow-up letters from Ramsdell to schools on the federal government’s guidance on transgender rights and setting up an information booth at an LGBT rights gathering in Terrace Park this summer.

Read it all here.

Given how unpopular and contentious the Obama Administration’s orders to schools were in South Dakota, with Seiler being the person enforcing President Obama’s will on how bathrooms/locker rooms were to be handled – beefing up his office to do so might mean we’re going to find the issue coming back this fall as a point of debate in the race for Attorney General.

At the same time that Democrats were giddy over the prospect of having one candidate running in District 12, Republicans were putting the finishing touches on having three candidates ready to roll for the seats up for election in District 12:

Senate Majority Leader Blake Curd, Rep. Arch Beal and former Rep. Manny Steele said they would again seek the legislative seats representing the southwestern part of Sioux Falls.

And…

Steele said he wasn’t considering another run for state House, but Beal and a former district representative convinced him to throw his hat in the ring.

“They twisted both arms and they didn’t have to twist them that hard,” Steele said.”That’s always been my passion, to work for District 12.”

Read the entire article here.

On the way home from visiting the legislature for two days, and I happened to stop in an antique shop I’ve been meaning to visit, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made lately:

I found this absolutely beautiful large political pin from the 1948 Republican national convention.

Looking pretty good for a 70-year-old, wouldn’t you say?

NEW ANALYSIS SHOWS SOUTH DAKOTA PASSENGERS WILL PAY UP TO $3.2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL AIRPORT FEES UNDER NEW CONGRESSIONAL PROPOSAL

Despite Access to Millions of Dollars, Some in Congress Pushing Massive Tax Hike On South Dakota Fliers

PIERRE, SD – Stop Air Tax Now, a project of Airlines for America, today released an analysis detailing the higher fees that South Dakota fliers will pay if Congress approves a proposal to raise a fee passengers pay when flying out of commercial airports. The fee hike could be approved as early as January 19th.

The proposal would increase the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), a tax added to the cost of plane tickets that is transferred directly to airports, by $4, to $8.50, on the first leg of each flight. The study shows that travelers flying out of South Dakota will annually pay up to $3.19 million more in PFCs under the new proposal.

“South Dakota does not need a tax hike,” said Dave Roetman, Minnehaha County GOP Chair. “Placing this extra burden on our commercial flyers will hamper our economic activity and make flying even more expensive for our citizens.”

The tax increase, proposed under the guise of modernization and expansion requirements, comes as airports in South Dakota took in $17.3 million in operating revenue last year and $13.84 million in grants. Additionally, South Dakota airport facilities have access to $6 billion dollars in federal funding from the FAA’s trust fund.

The tax increase would add up to $2 million annually to the coffers of Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD), the most of any airport in the state. FSD already has $13.54 million in unrestricted cash and investments and collected $2.75 million in grants last year.

Rapid City Regional Airport would also see up to $1.04 million annually from the increased tax despite receiving $1.07 million last year.

Passengers flying from smaller airports like Pierre Regional Airport would pay the highest amount in PFCs because most trips from smaller airports require a connecting flight. Under the fee increase, passengers flying out of smaller airports will pay $13 in PFCs on each flight – $8.50 on the initial leg of the trip and $4.50 for the second flight.

The existing Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) Program allows the collection of PFC fees up to $4.50 for every enplaned passenger at commercial airports controlled by public agencies. PFCs are capped at $4.50 per flight segment with a maximum of two PFCs charged on a one-way trip or four PFCs on a round trip, for a maximum of $18 total. The proposed $4 increase on the first leg of a flight will increase the round-trip maximum to $26.

More detailed information on specific states and airports can be found at http://www.stopairtaxnow.com/pfc-impact-revenue-state.

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Jolene Loetscher and the far-left’s non-inclusive march

– Dave Roetman, Minnehaha County GOP

On Saturday morning, many will gather in Sioux Falls for what is billed as a “Women’s March.” But don’t be fooled! This march doesn’t represent diversity of opinions of all women. Instead, it is a rally for far-left organizations like pro-abortion groups such as NARAL, Planned Parenthood and the South Dakota Democratic Party.

The event will also feature a keynote speech by liberal democrat mayoral candidate Jolene Loetscher

These are the same organizations who fought against recent tax breaks for working class families and stabilizing the Affordable Care Act.

“The Minnehaha County Republican Party supports and respects the rights of women,” said Karon Gubbrud, “The idea that this event represents the beliefs of all women is laughable.”

In 2017, conservative groups such as the Alpha Center wanted to participate in the event, but were denied access by the organizing committee.

“It is apparent that the organizers and Jolene aren’t willing to welcome a diversity of opinions,” said Dave Roetman, Minnehaha County GOP chair. “The rights of women shouldn’t be the partisan issue Democrats have made it become. It’s really disappointing.”

On Saturday as liberals rally to attack elected officials and advance their pro-abortion agenda, the Minnehaha Republican Party encourages all to pray for unity as well as our elected officials, those serving in the military, first responders, and the less fortunate.

yell

[yel]

verb (used without object)

1 to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout: He always yells when he is angry.

2 to scream with pain, fright, etc.

In a news article last week, Dana Fergussen, political reporter for the Argus Leader, characterized my attendance at an Interfaith event at the capital as out of control. Specifically, she described my speaking style with the word “yelling.” This is a gross misrepresentation, and possibly even a libelous characterization of my attendance. Accompanying photos were chosen by Argus Leader staff to portray me as a raging madman. The result of this characterization has led to vitriolic national attention, as the Gannet news system picked up her story nationally.

The Argus story now is the foundational source document in the national left wing echo chamber that amplifies the idea I was wildly out of control.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/trump-backing-lawmaker-freaks-out-after-seeing-muslims-at-interfaith-event-at-south-dakota-capitol/

I have been around the political bushes for over twenty years. I know how this works. it is nearly impossible to have an honest dialogue on difficult subjects.

Despite the name calling and vitriol, I am determined to have a conversation with the people of South Dakota using reason and common sense.

I began preparing to discuss Islamic terrorism in public over 3 years ago. Long before I ran for the Senate, I met with the major media outlets around the state to express my concerns with the subject and to alert them to the dangers of talking about this subject in public.

I have followed strict guidelines in order to protect myself from being misrepresented in public. I made the decision that all of my communications needed to be recorded and extremely sensitive discussions must be exchanged via prepared statements. I communicate via text with many journalists so as to have a written record of everything I say. I provide background to many journalists on everything I plan to do, and have done so over the course of several years. I warned many of them the subject matter is so volatile that once a political journalist fails to accurately tell the story, they might become part of the story. No journalist should be a part of the story this delicate and dangerous.

As to the events on Interfaith Day. There are no less than 5 people that video taped the event. These will come out at the right time.

To all of the other media in the state, I sincerely appreciate the accuracy of other reporters who covered the event. Their coverage was very fair. More importantly, it was accurate.

As an aside, it is my habit to offer as much detail about my positions as possible to the press. I do not, nor ever have avoided the press.

To the editors and the papers covering my stance on Islamic terrorism. You have the right to disagree with my views in your editorial pages. I respect that. It is important to accurately present my views on the news pages.

Islamic terrorism:

There is a concerted effort on the part of an international infiltration group of terrorists called the Muslim Brotherhood to push the preposterous idea that Islam has nothing to do with terror. These efforts must be crushed. To deny this  basic fact is complete foolishness. It is a slap in the face to all those people living under repressive regimes that implement a hateful and deadly belief system that kills you for leaving  Islam. More importantly, it is an insult to the American men and women in uniform, and their families, that offer their lives in defense of freedom around the world.

My position on Islamic terrorism comes from the following line of logic.

1. Fourteen Islamic countries, which practice the full implementation of Islamic Law, known as sharia law, kill you for leaving Islam.

2. Estimates based on Pew Research data, show up to 350 million people, who call themselves Muslim, believe you should be killed for leaving Islam.

3. Up to 50 Somali Muslims from Minnesota attempted to join ISIS, an organization founded on the full implementation of Islamic Law.

4. These Somali Muslims were not refugees. They were children of refugees.

5. The vetting system doesn’t vet people already here, therefore Betty Odencamp, the highly paid director of Lutheran Social Services, is wrong when she says refugees have been vetted, and therefore our communities are safe. Facts do not back her up.

6. There are over 20 known Islamic terror organizations who believe in the full implementation of Islamic Law. Just a short list includes: Al Queda, ISIS, Boko Horom, Al Shabab, Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Taliban, IMM. They believe in the full implementation of Islamic Law.

7. The war on terror is a fight against Islamic terrorist organizations, as well as against and between people and countries that believe in the full implementation of Islamic Law.

8. The cost of this war has exceeded $6.5 trillion and has had a devastating effect on our service men and women and their families.

9. To deny Islam has something to do with terror is dangerous and ignorant. Any person or organization that denies this fact demonstrates their ignorance or has an agenda- an evil agenda to spread the ideology of hate and death around the world.

10. Our country has an obligation to keep out hate and the political ideology of death. President Trump has shown the courage to identify  the true source of global terror.

11. With such a large number of people and countries believing in a hateful and deadly political ideology, there are grave concerns about how to keep those people out of an open and free society. There is no way of knowing who believes in that deadly ideology, and who rejects it.

12. Our First Amendment to the Constitution, which protects our very freedom to believe or not to believe, is being challenged by a religion practiced by countries and people who believe you should be killed for leaving it.

13. The question for our generation. Does our Constitution offer protections and rights to a person who believes in the full implementation of Islamic Law, as practiced by 14 Islamic countries and up to 350 self-described Muslims, who believe in the deadly political ideology that believes you should be killed for leaving Islam?

14. To simply raise these points, and to ask these questions, I have been labeled a racist, extremist, xenophobe, and Islamophobe by members of the Interfaith coalition.

There are many Muslims that reject this hatred and deadly ideology. They are too scared for their lives to say it.

America is an ideal subscribing to the COMPLETE and TOTAL freedom of an individual. If you don’t have the freedom to leave a religion, you don’t have the freedom of religion.

I have a challenge to all members of the media who believe in searching for the truth.

Ask the following questions.

At the Interfaith event, an Imam said there was “no compulsion in religion.”

Why do so many Islamic countries, so many Islamic terrorist organizations, and so many people who call themselves Muslim, believe you should be killed for leaving Islam?

What is the foundation of that hatred and death?

Do they condemn any country that subscribes to that deadly ideology and do they think America should keep every person who believes in that deadly belief system out of our country, our state and our communities?

Am I an Islamophobe for asking those questions?

If so, where is the love in Interfaith dialogue?

Also…

Ask the following people, who were at the Interfaith event, whether I was “yelling,” or actually respectful.

Senator Stan Adelstein

Bishop Zellmer

Betty Odencamp

Other journalists covering the event

Finally, one last question. Ask Stan Adelstein if he has told anyone, prior to, and including the day of the event, if he holds me in contempt, or worse, that I am a racist, Islamophobe and xenophobe.

Then ask him about our 30 minute conversation at the event. Ask him if I yelled, screamed or, or in any way came across as disrespectful in our 30 minute conversation in which he finished up by telling me, “maybe I was misinformed about your beliefs.”

Remember, there were a lot of people filming the event. His answers will be very telling, and the story of the day might turn out to be much different than reported.

One final thought to the press.

In a free country, the ability to speak the truth must always be protected, no matter how unpopular that speech might be.

It’s the reason patriotic Americans volunteer to fight!

Neal Tapio

District 5 State Senator

Watertown, SD