Former Republican Legislator and Senate Appropriations Chair Jerry Apa has some harsh words for Republican Legislators, calling them greedy, lacking leadership, etc., and so on in a letter to the Editor in the Argus Leader:
The leadership, or lack thereof, of the House and Senate chambers of the state legislature has to be one of the most arrogant, tone deaf, greedy not needy groups to populate Pierre in a long time. Beginning with the majority leader in the Senate trying to subvert the initiative process to disregarding the voter’s directive on the minimum wage, the Republicans have said damn the voters full speed ahead.
Don’t forget the attempt to raise the legislative salary by 40 percent, while ignoring the plight of the average South Dakota teacher. This misbegotten bill was sponsored by the same senator who can’t eat lunch in an hour and expects the taxpayer to pay for a $23 catered lunch.
and..
The Republican super majority has shown that a majority corrupts and an absolute majority absolutely corrupts. The Republicans need to rebrand their party as the Taxandspendican Party.
“Taxandspendican Party?” Well, that’s kind of harsh. Especially since if memory serves, Jerry wasn’t immune to the temptations of proposing tax measures himself. From time to time. To time.
Apa has turned into a bitter old man. He had all the opportunities in the world to do something in Pierre and he squandered them through his own lack of leadership. Perhaps the best word to describe him now is “anachronism”.
Not what I expect from Apa. While I THINK I get his main point (taxing and spending more than he thinks appropriate), the rest is disjointed, is mostly innuendo, and what appears to a be a personal attack on someone he doesn’t like personally. Comes across as petty and small.
Again, not the Apa I had come to respect and appreciate.
Jerry Apa hit the nail on the head on this! Good for him! Bad for us if we let this continue!
Hi Stace…
Ouch.
Lots of anger amongst Republicans who witnessed the liberals run the board on every issue. Tax and spenders are not Republican no matter what letter they steal to get elected.
Apa and Nelson just want to throw their hands in the air and quit or call names. That is not a good way to win anything.
i guess the voters will just clean house and vote all the ‘liberals’ out next time won’t they.
If the voters were informed of the votes of these establishment moderates? I am sure they would. It is one of the reason they hate the report cards outing their voting records.
you are so proud being a liberal. Why dont you run as a what you are? A tax, spend, govt loving Democrat?
I’m starting to think we are seeing a westriver vs eastriver rift in the GOP. Maybe a RC/SF verses the rest of the state. And then a few outspoken folks in various districts but many of the radicals are from westriver.
It’s always been WR vs ER – or at least as far as I can remember!
it depends on the issue. but we all come together when gordon howie asks for our statewide vote. we all say ‘no.’
I’m don’t see WR vs ER, we always see minority conservatives against moderates and Democrats.
Sounds like Apa has started losing it. He was always a frustrated type when he actually had some power. Now that no one cares, he’s even more frustrated.
It looks like he shoots first and aims later, since it wasn’t even the majority leader that sponsored the bill he’s clamoring about.
Jerry has never been known for letting facts get in the way of a bad rant.
Jerry,
Do you oppose our sales tax? Should we place static taxes on every item and vote on them every year? What’s your plan to fix our roads? Kick the can maybe? How about cut highway taxes so we drive more?
Have teachers’ salaries been raised since 99? How about legislator pay? How about we eliminate legislator pay so only rich people can go to pierre?
You’re awfully good at criticism but yet you offer no alternatives!