I just caught Twitter, and noticed State Representative Lee Schoenbeck reminding us that the Dem’s new US Senate Candidate is for a state income tax.  And when I read that, the dim lightbulb over my head brightened by several orders of magnitude, as I recalled “Hey! What about Paula Hawks? She’s a big state income tax fan too!”

From Jay Williams…

Monday’s debate also touched on a number of other topics.

• Gilson, Moser and Hunhoff said they opposed implementing a state income tax and raising the gas tax. Williams said he favors raising the gas tax and remains open to the possibility of a state income tax.

Read that here.

And we can add his “Tax is not a dirty word” video, which I’m sure will be infamous for the entirety of his campaign..

“Instead of looking for spending cuts, we must look for ways to increase tax revenue. Look at yourself, if you have property, ask for property taxes to be raised. If you have income, lobby for a state income tax. If you buy lots of things, go for a sales tax.”

Read that here.

And let’s not forget about Paula Hawks‘ own advocacy for a new tax on the backs of South Dakotans:

Questioner: are you in favor of an income tax?  Hawks: “Um, yeah. If done properly… I think an income tax is fairly based.”

Questioner: Do you see a downside to an income tax? Hawks: “It’s extremely unpopular. The unfortunate part of that is it’s unpopular because of a lack of understanding how that would affect people differently than taxes now.”

Read that here.

I can’t remember when we’ve ever before had two pro-state income tax Democrats topping the ticket for their Party. The Kool-aid drinking South Dakota Democrats must be proud with state income tax advocates Jay Williams & Paula Hawks at the top of the ticket.

Despite the fact they’re both going to lose miserably because of it.

Ann Tornberg was surprisingly candid in this morning’s paper regarding Jay Williams’ candidacy for the US Senate.  Williams had been cited for months among insiders as telling Democrats that if no one else would do it, he would. And in this morning’s Argus, Tornberg confirmed as much.

Williams’ announcement puts to rest speculation that Thune would go unopposed in his third Senate run. In 2010, the Democrats failed to field a challenger.

Ann Tornberg, chairwoman of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said that was a mistake, and finding a candidate was a priority. She said Williams, the only South Dakota Democrat interested in committing to challenging Thune, made known his plans last summer but chose to hold off on announcing until the election season neared.

“No one else emerged and Jay always had that in the back of his mind. It was really based on the need for the Democrats to run a candidate in 2016,” she said. “I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t have heard about it if someone else was interested.”

Read that all here.

There is also evidence to support the supposition that they were looking for someone else up until the last minute, if you examine Williams web site registration, as well as his petitions. Petitions for the candidate only started circulating in the past week or so, and his website was registered in the same timeframe..

Note that it was not even registered for use until 2-10-2016, about the same time Tornberg was said to be carrying petitions. This is a big red flag that Democrats continued to try to scrape someone else up down to the last minute, and Williams is the candidate of last resort.

Even someone who is willing to take one for the team as Williams is has to get signatures to be placed on the ballot. Dems decided to pull the trigger with what they had. It will be interesting to see how national pundits call this one, but I think we can safely speculate that this seat will remain “Deep Red and in Republican hands.”

With the clock having run out for Democrats, they decided to play the hand they were dealt. Unfortunately, they’re challenging a straight flush with a hand that contains a couple of low cards, a joker, and the instructions for the deck that someone forgot to throw away. 

South Dakota State Representative Scott Craig is changing his vote on HB1182, the Governor’s plan to increase South Dakota Teacher’s salaries and decrease property taxes.

Rapid City, SD- South Dakota State Representative Scott Craig from District 33 will change his vote on HB1182. Craig says, “The 23 nay votes Thursday on the House Floor were by House Members working out a plan to increase teacher salaries without raising a tax. Unfortunately, for most teachers across the state the vote conveyed a lack of support and appreciation, and they are disheartened. I am looking forward to a seeing a second plan filed in the legislature and I believe both plans should be debated in the Legislative body, and the greater of the two plans should prevail. I’m voting to keep this plan moving forward and I’ll consider earnestly any other plan filed in the Legislature.”

Wow.  I’ve been chiding South Dakota Democrats for being on life support for a while now, and in looking at their latest FEC report, they’re starting their death rattle.

Sddp_JAN FEC Report

In the federal account for the state Democrat Party, they took in $24,270.18, and spent $20,895.95, leaving $14,736.77 cash on hand. But, that’s only part of the story. What we need to look at is what they took in and where.

The party took in an extremely anemic $2725 in itemized donations, and $5231 in unitemized funds, totalling $7956. Those itemized donations should be the party’s bread and butter, as these are the large donations that keep the lights on, and give them money to operate. Money they didn’t have.

Moving on from there, Tim Johnson’s South Dakota First PAC kicked in $5000, and the national Democrats sent them $11,289.18, to total $16,289,18 – over twice as much as they took in from all donations, and almost six times as much as individual donations.

Burning $20,895.95 in expenditures, this means that South Dakota Dems are almost completely dependent on the National Democrats and Tim Johnson for keeping the lights on in January.  Because they couldn’t have done it on their own.

With two lackluster federal candidates, and only a smattering of legislative races, it’s hard to concieve how the SDDP is going to have the money to pay their staff, much less be competitive in elections in 2016.

#BREAKING: @AP to project @johnthune winner in South Dakota Senate race.

— Tony Reiss (@realTonyReiss) February 19, 2016

SDGOP Statement on Candidacy of Jay Williams

PIERRE – South Dakota GOP Chairwoman Pam Roberts issued the following statement following the announcement of Jay Williams running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in South Dakota.

“John Thune is a champion for South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and I expect him to successfully make the case to voters this fall as to why we need him to continue fighting for us in Washington,” said Roberts.

“Jay Williams isn’t known to many South Dakotans today but as they learn about his passionate support for increased income, property and sales taxes on the rich and poor, young and old, I believe the choice for U.S. Senate will become very clear. We don’t need to send someone to the U.S. Senate who would be another vote for the Obama-Clinton-Sanders agenda,” concluded Roberts.

Watch the brief video of Williams passionately advocating for higher taxes referenced above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=722Dr7OgArw&feature=youtu.be

 

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Well, the worst kept secret in South Dakota, that Jay Williams would be the Democrat’s candidate is over. And as Drinking Liberally Sioux Falls quipped prior to the announcement, “it could have been Ron Volesky.”

The speech contained extensive detail on his life story, and I mean extensive, as it took up most of his speech, although at times, it veered into weirdness, as his first big theme was that everyone could perform a virtual baring of their buttocks at Washington by electing him. Yes, he actually called on them to “moon Washington.”  Oy.

And the speech continued in oddity, as he spoke glowingly of how the Mayor of Bogota Columbia fired all the corrupt traffic cops, and replaced them with mimes. Yes, Mimes. The white makeup wearing silent people who annoy park patrons in movies. Williams cited the use of mimes publicly shaming traffic violators as an ideal role model for social change.

No, I’m not kidding.

From there, he went into boilerplate rhetoric that you would expect from any candidate, and would have been written by any anonymous staffer for the SDDP. Lots of “me good, John Thune bad” stuff. His delivery was ok for a canned speech, but the real test will be when he’s put in unscripted circumstances.

Interestingly, at the announcement Ann Tornberg was trying to tell people that – since last June or July – Jay and Carol Williams had told her that they’re all in and would run.   But, if that’s case, then why would someone who has spent his life in the high tech and computer sector not have a lot of his web presence and social media ready to roll?

In fact, looking at his official website’s domain registration:

Why, JayWilliams2016.com website was not registered much more than a week ago, about the time we were all hearing that he was going to be the guy.  Created Date 2-10-2016.  And if you actually look at his website, which is utterly devoid of content…

Versus the basic WordPress template they’re using….

I’d be shocked if they hadn’t put it together in the few hours before Williams’ announcement.

Regardless of when the “if no one else would do it” candidate “actually decided,” the true test of his campaign will be how his campaign rolls out, and how he defines himself in his positions on the issues.

Because there’s a huge void at this point. Despite what any of the Democrats try to tell us.

Drinking Liberally Sioux Falls weighs in with the news that Jay Williams is the Democrat candidate for US Senate, and tries to make lemonade from the lemon that Chairwoman Ann Tornberg has handed the Democrat Party:

In South Dakota, Ann Tornberg introduces her candidate for the US Senate today. Rumor has it that it will be Jay Williams from Yankton. But, before you look surprised and ask yourself who Jay Williams is, remind yourself that it could have been Ron Volesky. There is ennui, and then there is deep ennui. Jay Williams may even represent progress. At any rate he will be the only Democrat with a chance to win the US Senate seat from South Dakota this year.

I need a Drink.

Read it here.

And Drinking Liberally, remember that there is another bright side to today’s announcement, besides it not being Ron Volesky. As Patrick Lalley from the Argus observed, since it’s taking place at the VFW, Scotch can be served.

Even though neither Jay nor the South Dakota Democrat Party will confirm any of it, what we’ve been talking about for the better part of 9-10 days now is going to become official.

At the Friday Noon Democrat Forum, Ann Tornberg’s “if no one else will do it” guy, Yankton County Dem Party Chair Jay Williams is set to announce his campaign against John Thune.

The Argus Leader will be live-streaming the announcement of Jay Williams as the Dem’s US Senate contender starting about noon.

You can watch it here, live, and participate right from your desks in the worst candidate rollout in South Dakota History, courtesy of the Argus Leader, and the South Dakota Democrat Party’s brain trust.

Update – Tom Lawrence has a piece pre-written called “SD Democrats’ long, long, long shot,”  predicting that it’s worth putting Williams name up, because you never know, Thune could be the VP nominee, or fall ill. But Lawrence concedes, “The odds of any of these things occurring are long, but for South Dakota Democrats, that’s the best shot they’ve got now.”

UPDATE – it’s on KSFY as well.

 

I think Democrats are already worried that their sacrificial lamb for US Senate may say something stupid.  (Besides the already stupid things he’s said about wanting to raise people’s taxes, and that we don’t pay enough in taxes.)

Why do I say that? Because they’ve put the media on notice that their golden boy who they believe can snatch the US Senate Seat from South Dakota’s Senior Senator John Thune…. will not be taking questions at his announcement.

According to the Democrat’s mouthpiece…

A South Dakota Democrat will announce their candidacy for U.S. Senate Friday, February 19, 2016 at the Democratic Forum of Sioux Falls weekly lunch starting at 12:00 PM. The event will be hosted at the Sioux Falls VFW.

…There will be no question and answer session after the announcement. Limited interview availability will be offered after the event.

So, Jay Williams is running. But not just running for office, but he will be also running from questions.  I suspect because most of those questions will likely stem from his love of taxes.

I can almost imagine him making a brief statements to the media, before Democrat Party staffers throw a coat over his head, stuff him in the back of a Toyota Prius, and hustle him away from danger in a hybrid electric car. Of course, that danger would have consisted of unscripted questions that they haven’t fed him answers for.

Apparently, Democrat’s “if no one will do it, I will” US Senate candidate thinks he can run AND hide.  At least as long as the Democrat party can shield him from the public.