At a recent Congressional primary debate between Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and Neal Tapio, Krebs apparently doubled down on her comments in support of the brewing trade war between President Trump and China, and that she “appreciate what President Trump is trying to do”

From TheSiouxEmpire.com:

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Question: What do you think of the Trump Tariffs and the trade war (my term) with China.
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Krebs: I appreciate what President Trump is trying to do.

Trump is trying to deal with China and open new markets.

China continually steals our intellectual properties and provides no recourse to fix it.

The story about seeing a truck with a fake version of the Triple M logo, instead says triple N.

She is the only one with an agricultural background and has spent time in China opening up markets for South Dakota agricultural products.

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Tapio: $300 billion trade deficit in the United States. A $500 billion dollar trade imbalance.

Agrees that China steals our I.P.s

China is a currency manipulator plus we have with them a great product to product imbalance.

Trump is treating this issue correctly but taking it head-on.

It’s a terrible situation right now economically, but it has to be done.

Trump is doing Bi-lateral negotiation. And that is also partly why he is pushing renegotiation NAFTA and China.

and…

BONUS

I waited patiently and tried to get a better answer on the Trump Tariff issue; I just asked what she thought about tariffs in general?

Krebs gave me a real quick sound bite answer about supporting President Trump in his efforts, an obvious repeat talking point.

She came off to me from this sounding over-produced, and a tad slimy. Not willing to engage or answer questions with any honest thought. I know she isn’t trying to sound dishonest, just trying to keep to the safe script. So I recommend taking this how you may.

I should also point out that her speaking and presentation during the forum was excellent.

Read it all here.

The bonus part of the reporter’s story is also a bit attention grabbing in it’s stunning criticism of Krebs as “not willing to engage or answer questions with any honest thought.”   That’s not good.

Farm Bill Advances in U.S. House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today released the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee voted to advance the Farm Bill, setting the legislation up for a vote on the House floor:

“The Farm Bill is a necessary safety net, not only for our farmers and ranchers, but for our food supply,” said Noem. “With strong crop insurance and livestock disaster programs along with food stamp reforms, this legislation builds on the success of the historic tax cuts offered to farmers, ranchers, and consumers. I am proud of the months-long effort that has produced this legislation, and I look forward to helping usher this bill through the House in the weeks to come.”

Noem served on the 2014 Farm Bill Conference Committee, which acted as the bill’s final negotiating team. With fewer and fewer members representing rural districts, the legislation initially failed on the House floor. Noem, however, led efforts to resurrect the bill, taking on her own party to push the bill over the finish line.

The legislation:

• Incorporates Noem’s reforms to strengthen commodity programs. During the 2014 Farm Bill implementation, USDA elected to prioritize county yield data from its National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which has proven unreliable in many cases. Today’s House proposal, using Noem’s language, would direct USDA to prioritize crop insurance data instead, which is a more dependable source.
• Maintains a strong crop insurance program.
• Increases CRP acreage to 29 million acres, while capping rental rates according to Noem proposal. Additionally, enrollment rates will be based on a state’s historical data, which Noem has previously pressured USDA to do.
• Updates the wetland determination process so the USDA must prove the producer doesn’t qualify for an exemption before being ruled outside of conservation compliance, according to language Noem worked on.
• Maintains meaningful Livestock Disaster Programs, which Noem fought to prioritize during the 2014 Farm Bill debate.
• Maintains and strengthens dairy policy. The first 5 million pounds of milk production on a dairy farm is eligible for higher coverage levels at lower premiums.
• Maintains the Beginning Farmer incentive program.
• Enhances incentives for rural broadband development.
• Simplifies the environmental review process requirements for forestry management, which Noem has strongly advocated for – particularly as it relates to fighting the pine beetle and other insect infestations in the Black Hills.
• Establishes work and training requirements for SNAP benefits.Building on the economic successes of tax reform, the legislation would require that able-bodied, non-elderly individuals without young children work or participate in work training for 20 hours per week. No individual would lose benefits unless they decline to work or accept free training to learn a skill.

Thune Statement on House Farm Bill Advancing to House Floor

“Farmers throughout the country are counting on us to deliver on what has historically been a bipartisan farm bill, and I’m confident we’ll be able to accomplish our goal.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime Senate Agriculture Committee member who has been involved in writing three farm bills during his time in Congress, issued the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee voted to send its farm bill to the full House of Representatives for consideration. The Senate is expected to release its version in the next few weeks. The current farm bill expires on September 30, 2018. 

“Today’s vote is an important step in getting a farm bill on the president’s desk before the current bill expires,” said Thune. “Farmers throughout the country are counting on us to deliver on what has historically been a bipartisan farm bill, and I’m confident we’ll be able to accomplish our goal.

“For the last 13 months, I’ve been introducing numerous farm bill-related proposals that I hope are included in the Senate bill when it’s introduced in the near future. I’m glad the House has incorporated several of my proposals, including boosting the acreage cap for the Conservation Reserve Program and making it more of a working lands program. We’ve got more work ahead of us, and I’m eager to continue moving the ball down the field.”

The House farm bill increases the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage cap to 29 million acres, which is just 1 million acres shy of Thune’s proposal in his Conservation Program Improvement Act (S. 909). By increasing haying and grazing opportunities, the House farm bill would help make CRP more of a working lands program, a proposal that is also included in S. 909.

For crop acreage base acres that haven’t been planted to commodity crops for several years, the bill would convert them to unassigned base acres and make them ineligible for commodity payments, which is included in Thune’s Commodity Program Improvement Act (S. 1259).

Finally, the bill expands categorical exclusions, which would increase forest management and treatment landscapes, a proposal that is consistent with Thune’s Forest Management Improvement Act of 2017 (S. 1731).

To learn more about Thune’s 2018 farm bill proposals, please visit the farm bill section on www.thune.senate.gov.

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Well, here’s an outlier of a statement. Shantel Krebs is on KCCR Radio today claiming that Chinese Tariffs on pork could lead to expanding Ag Markets. Seriously. That’s the headline:

Krebs Says Chinese Pork Tariffs Could Lead To Expanding Ag Markets

Pork producers have been hit with a twenty-five percent import tariff by China, and soybean producers could soon be in the same spot.

and…

South Dakota Republican Congressional Candidate Shantel Krebs says the process could lead to expanded ag markets…

“I can understand President Trump trying to get a better deal for Americans and of course for our farmers and ranchers. You know, right now, we’re getting ready to go in the fields, we might be facing a drought although it doesn’t feel like it right now, commodities prices are low, so I think the farmers and ranchers have every right to be concerned – so am I. But what I am hopeful for is that president Trump is going to be expanding our market options meaning opening up new markets for our exports.”

Read and listen to it here.

What? “…the process could lead to expanded ag markets…?” The farm economy is in danger of being hit hard this year, but a trade war could make it all better?    Um…. ok?

Or not ok, according to those who don’t share Krebs’ enthusiasm with a trade war leading to the land of milk and honey for the Ag economy, and are more concerned with it’s potential effect on Agriculture now. Such as US Senator John Thune:

The move was met with near-universal surprise from GOP lawmakers who were taken aback by the suddenness of the White House’s decision. Most GOP senators view the move as a tax hike on American families and expect it to specifically harm agriculture.

“It kind of came as a surprise to most of us,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the third-ranking Senate Republican. “There is no standard operating practice with this administration. Every day is a new adventure for us.”

“There’s always retaliation, and typically a lot of these countries single out agriculture when they do that,” Thune said. “We’re very concerned.”

Read that here.

And US Senator Mike Rounds:

Sen. Mike Rounds (R) issued a statement Thursday, stating that while he supports President Trump’s efforts to negotiate better trade deals, he is concerned about retaliation from other countries.

On Wednesday, China announced a proposal to add a 25 percent tariff on several U.S. goods, including soybeans and corn. China is one of the primary markets for many of these goods, particularly soybeans.

and…

““I understand there is some time before these tariffs are imposed to allow for negotiations; however China’s tariff proposal is already having a real market effect,” Rounds said, via a press release.

Read that here.

Or Congresswoman Kristi Noem:

In a letter to President Trump Friday, Rep. Kristi Noem led 46 members of the U.S. House in outlining key priorities for agriculture when it comes to trade with China.

“We must continue to build on the success that’s come from historic tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks under the Trump administration,” said Noem. “China’s irresponsible countermeasures threaten to undermine our achievements for South Dakota agriculture. I stand firmly with President Trump in his effort to hold China accountable for its dishonest trade practices, but I urge the administration to do so in a way that avoids harmful Chinese countermeasures against American agriculture. This will help us put agriculture back on the road to prosperity.”

The letter comes after China announced significantly higher tariffs, impacting all five of South Dakota’s top five agriculture products: beef, corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs. The nation’s eleventh largest ag exporting state, South Dakota exported $3.7 billion in agricultural goods in 2015.

Read that here.

Or Governor Daugaard:

Tony Venhuizen, Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s chief of staff, confirmed the governor has been talking to the Trump administration about the risks of a trade war for months.

“The governor is very concerned that South Dakota’s ag sector could suffer from more protectionist trade policies,” Venhuizen said in an email.

Read it all here.

I’m thinking that statement is going to come back to haunt her at some point.

Update – Americans for Prosperity aren’t thrilled about the Trade war either:

From Facebook, a post went up in the past hour where the Neal Tapio facebook page just took a bit of a swipe against his opponents, where the campaign is making claims of statements from the opposing campaigns that seem more sarcastic than factual:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- April 18, 2018

Campbell County State’s Attorney Mark Kroontje Endorses John Fitzgerald for South Dakota Attorney General.

Herreid, South Dakota: Campbell County State’s Attorney Mark Kroontje announced his support for Lawrence County State’s Attorney John Fitzgerald for South Dakota Attorney General.

I have known John Fitzgerald for almost as long as I have been a prosecuting attorney and that is 30 years. His extensive and direct involvement in the handling of criminal cases as State’s Attorney in Lawrence County has given him the experience which makes him the most qualified candidate for South Dakota’s next Attorney General.

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What gave me some of the best experiences as Senator Abdnor’s driver was the unexpected. One day after classes and getting back to Capitol Hill, I was informed tonight’s itinerary was the Senator was having dinner at Vice President Bush’s House with other Republican Senators. The issue or agenda I don’t recall if I ever knew it.

On the way, the Senator asked if I had eaten anything and I told him no thinking he’d either bring me a box of the dinner or have one ran out to me. Jim Abdnor didn’t like being hungry so he always made sure those around him were well-fed.

When we got to the Naval Observatory, Senator Abdnor told me to come along and not sit in the car. Not knowing what to expect I did as I was told but was sheepish as I walked by the other Senator’s cars as their drivers sat in their car. Drivers just don’t go to meetings with other Senators and certainly not with the Vice President.

When we got in the door, Senator Abdnor grabbed one of the waiters and told him I needed something to eat. This guy was good as he knew I wasn’t supposed to go into the dining room with the others yet not wanting to offend an obvious VIP (Senator Abdnor) so I was escorted into what I assume was the family eating area, a small functional kitchen with a kitchen table and four chairs. The waiter asked me to sit down, left the room and soon came with a salad.

Shortly after I received the main meal, a “side door” which I presume went into the family living quarters opened and in entered the Vice President’s wife, Barbara Bush. As surprised as I was to see her, she was even more surprised to see me as she was dressed not quite in lounge wear but certainly not what a person of her background would wear to meet a stranger or entertain guests.

After finding out who I was and how I got there, she said she was getting a snack, poured herself a glass of milk and got a couple of cookies from the pantry and proceeded to sit down with me. What struck me about the entire exchange is she not once made me feel uncomfortable for being there, made it seem natural she’d eat her snack with me, and, most importantly, she acted like my grandmother would have treated a stranger in her kitchen, with kindness and hospitality. Two other times I saw her up close. While we didn’t ever talk again, she acknowledged me both times with a big smile and a wink.

There has been much said about Mrs. Bush’s steely resolve and capacity to chop off heads of anyone threatening her family, her humor, and her public interest in literacy. What I hoped to confirm what I think we all suspected- she was also a kind and gentle grandmother.

May the soul of Barbara Bush, by the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace.

I caught this commercial last night, and I can’t help but call a little bit of BS on a claim that Liberal Democrat candidate for Sioux Falls Mayor Jolene Loetscher makes. Or maybe, it’s more appropriately termed “DS.”

At about 10 seconds in, Loetscher makes the bold claim that she’s “created two successful companies in biotechnology, and communications.” Wait a second… Biotechnology?

Yes, she and her spouse have a marketing firm. But as far as biotechnology goes.. I have to question the claim. Because it doesn’t really seem …accurate.

According to the website for Loetscher’s dog poop cleaning service, her business can provide genetic testing of dog poop to see if someone is letting their dog poop in places, and not picking it up. But according to her own website, they don’t do any actual genetic testing. They send it to a company called pooprints..

….who her company acts as a franchisee for:

Here’s the note on the PooPrints website noting they’re a franchisee:

The PooPrints people actually seem to be the ones who are an actual biotechnology company…

Whereas Jolene Loetscher’s company…. well, it looks like they pick up doggy doo, and distribute test kits which get sent into a lab for testing and matching.   It would be like the geneology testing for ancestry.com claiming they’re a biotechnology company. Which is not a claim you hear them making.

They are a distributor of tests that get sent into a biotechnology company and are provided the results.

The only difference is ancestry.com isn’t running for mayor and trying to inflate their resume.

So is Loetscher a businesswoman? Sure. Franchisee? Absolutely.

But running a biotechnology company? I’m going to call that claim a bit of puffery.

Or “puppery,” if you will.

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Thune Statement on the Passing of Former First Lady Barbara Bush

“Barbara Bush’s life was characterized by selfless dedication to the nation and to her family, multiple generations of which continue to serve the country they love.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the passing of former First Lady Barbara Bush: 

“Barbara Bush’s life was characterized by selfless dedication to the nation and to her family, multiple generations of which continue to serve the country they love,” said Thune. “Throughout 73 years of marriage, she was former President Bush’s rock. She was highly respected by all who knew her, and she will be sorely missed. Kimberley’s and my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family during this difficult time, and we hope they are comforted by the strength of Barbara’s faith.”

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