Oops. Looks like Libertarians are doing more than a Lt. Governor pick in June:

I guess Libertarians happen.

Things keep going from bad to worse for Jolene Loetscher as her negative campaign against Paul TenHaken in the Sioux Falls mayor’s continues to blow up in her face.

Apparently, after several years of selective information releases from Mayor Mike Huether, some of the media does not appreciate it when a candidate for Mayor releases snippets to try to tell the story they want people to hear, versus providing the whole truth:

We’ve asked Loetscher’s permission on multiple occasions to publish the entire voicemail, and she has refused. Loetscher has agreed to release a specific clip of the 64-second-long voicemail, and she’s said on the record that she’s OK with publication of direct quotes from the message or even a full transcript.

That’s not good enough to meet Argus Leader’s standards, and it would be disingenuous for us to publish without the full audio. Context is essential in political discussions. One sentence or one phrase could be framed a dozen different ways, but the intended meaning isn’t fully discernible unless it’s in the appropriate context.

and…

But specifically for a campaign so focused on transparency, I see no reason why Loetscher won’t release this voicemail.

and…

On Monday, TenHaken and Loetscher spoke publicly about the voicemail and the so-called “negative” campaigning during a candidate forum hosted by the Downtown Rotary.

After that forum, Argus Leader asked Loetscher if she would release the full audio. She declined.

On Tuesday, after other media reports shared a clip of the voicemail, Argus Leader again asked Loetscher to release the full voicemail. She again declined.

Read it all here.

The selective releases in her campaign and lack of disclosure on Loetscher’s part is reminiscent of the type of mayoral administration Sioux Falls is just getting out from under with Mayor Mike Huether, as evidenced this past year with the explanation the Mayor’s office gave on the Premier Center siding settlement:

Mayor Mike Huether and top city officials told taxpayers that contractors responsible for warped exterior panels on the Denny Sanford Premier Center agreed to a $1 million settlement with the city.

The settlement funds, they said during a Sept. 18, 2015 press conference, would be deposited into an Events Center Construction Fund and used to pay for “future fan enhancements” and “facility improvements.”

and…

But the details of a once-secret contract negotiated by the parties show that the settlement was more complex than taxpayers were led to believe. The city did not receive $1 million in cash, and in fact, the agreement called for the city to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars that officials didn’t disclose when the settlement was announced.

The city released the contract one day after the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that it was a public document under the state’s open record laws. Argus Leader Media filed suit in 2015 to win the release of the document after the city declared it confidential.

Read that all here.

So… Mayor Mike Huether made selective announcements to the press to get the coverage he wanted, and now Jolene Loetscher seems to be doing the same as she wages a negative campaign against her opponent?

This does not bode well for what a “Mayor Jolene Loetscher’s administration” would look like.

If “Low Blow Jo” can’t be open as she makes negative accusations against her opponent in a political race, what would she do if elected? Because it looks like she would spin, spin, spin all the time.

And hasn’t Sioux Falls had enough of that by now?

In light of the negative campaign tactics of his opponent Jolene Loetscher, Paul TenHaken sent out a message to his supporters this morning making a commitment to keep it positive in the final days of the run-off election for Mayor in Sioux Falls:

New Ad Campaign Shows Noem Delivers Results for South Dakota

WATERTOWN, S.D. – Kristi Noem today released a new ad campaign, featuring two ads that showcase the results she’s delivered for South Dakota. Most notably, as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Noem led Congress in passing the last Farm Bill, which included strong crop insurance and livestock disaster programs. While working with President Trump, Noem was also a champion for pro-growth tax reform, delivering historic tax cuts that save the average South Dakota family of four more than $2,400.

“As South Dakota’s lone representative in the 435-member U.S. House, you have to fight harder than most to deliver results for the state,” said Noem. “But that never deterred me. If I had to take on my own party’s leadership to get the Farm Bill done, I didn’t hesitate. If I had to fight liberals from New York and California to deliver historic tax cuts, I wasn’t going to back down. I’m proud of what that must-do attitude has accomplished in the U.S. House. It’s the same approach I’ll take as governor to again yield big results for our state.”

When she first ran for Congress in 2010, Noem pledged to go to work and come home before the decade’s end. She’s kept her promise. Along with historic tax cuts and a five-year Farm Bill, Noem has played a role in repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate; passing the first fully-funded, long-term highway bill in a decade; reversing the Democrats’ big-government spending trend; enacting the most significant human trafficking reforms since the early-2000’s; approving meaningful education reforms that returned control to states and local school districts; repealing or pressuring the federal government to rescind dozens of job-killing regulations; protecting the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery and Hot Springs VA Hospital from closure; giving Black Hills foresters more tools to combat the pine beetle epidemic; and winning additional support for the Lewis & Clark Rural Water Project, among other things.

Lyndon Larouche Democrat Ron Wieczorek is apparently still alive and running for office, according to KELO News:

Ron Wieczorek filed petitions to run as an Independent candidate today at the Secretary of State’s Office. He gathered over four-thousand signatures and says he’s confident more than enough will be valid to put his name on the November ballot.

Wieczorek, who ran for the state’s U.S. House three times during the 90s, supports the idea of “food for peace.”

and…

He also wants to restore the American credit system, the National Bank and the space program, rebuild America’s railroads and build more water management and fusion nuclear power facilities.

Read it all here.

The 75-year-old Wieczorek also issued a statement about his candidacy via facebook, stating in part:

“I have decided to run for U.S. Congress because I cannot sit idly by while our nation is destroyed. We are sitting on a financial bubble which is about to explode again. Our once productive economy has all but been destroyed by Wall Street’s implementation of a post-industrial society and the casino economy, creating a small class of the super-rich and the rest of us. Our infrastructure is crumbling and every financial scheme to repair it presently proposed involves robbing Peter to pay Paul. Our nation’s elites continue to involve us in purposeless wars and would, presumably, annihilate the human race to save their system. Our schools long ago ceased to emphasize fundamental discovery, science, and engineering. The people of the 1930s sacrificed and boldly innovated to change a collapsing economic system at that time. They gave me a future. I am repaying that debt of sacrifice by running for Congress to give a future to my grandchildren.

“My program is based on Lyndon LaRouche’s Four Laws for Economic Recovery: Restore Glass-Steagall, return to a National Banking and Credit system, like that utilized by Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt, use this credit for high-productivity- gain investment in infrastructure and manufacturing, and science-drivers, the development of fusion nuclear energy and a revival of our space program.

“To meet these objectives rapidly we should collaborate with China’s Belt and Road Initiative for economic development, a project using the ideas of what used to be called the American System of political economy and reflecting LaRouche’s Four Laws. These ideas are tried and proven. China has pulled millions out of poverty and is dedicated to eradicating it entirely; our nation should undertake a mission to do the same. China’s idea is that the U.S. and China should cooperate in developing the economies of the entire world.

And there you go. Long-time political followers might remember Wieczorek from when he ran for office in 1992… when he didn’t always get along with the staff at the State Democrat Party:

Two men received fine and suspended jail sentences for an altercation at a Democratic Party function in April.

Ron Wieczorek and Hermann Eilers were initially charged with aggravated assault They pleaded guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges.

and..

The altercation began when Healy tried to stop Wieczorek and Eilers from putting up sign at the event. Eilers also wanted to make a statement at the luncheon Healy said that was not allowed because the luncheon was for congressional and gubernatorial candidates.

Not exactly a noble convention moment.

From Facebook, here’s the full statement of the Sioux Falls Fraternal Order of Police’s statement regarding the “misleading” Jolene Loetcher for mayor TV Commercial

The full voicemail that Mayoral Candidate Paul TenHaken left for his opponent Jolene Loetscher seems to show a different story than she has been portraying to the media over the past few days.

KELO News has a transcription of the message, and contrary to a anti-TenHaken narrative they had in a previous story, the real story seems to be one where TenHaken expresses regret over the negative tone that his (supposed) friend Jolene was adopting in the Mayoral contest:

TenHaken says he’s been friends with Loetscher for 15 years and the phone call was not malicious in any form.

“After the campaign started getting negative several months ago, I called and said listen we’re friends, let’s not do this the voters don’t want it, I have negative tools in my toolbox I could use but I’m not going to because that’s not the right thing to do, let’s not do this let’s stay above it,” TenHaken said.

and…

If you’d like to read the entire message, we’ve transcribed it for you below.

“Hey Jo, Paul TenHaken calling um’ just was calling about the calling me out on social here um I was really hoping we weren’t going to go here with this sort of stuff, because I consider you a friend this is not even a story you know that I’m not invading people’s privacy. I was hired by a client to track down somebody who was libeling his family so I’m sorry that it’s gotten to this I obviously have these sorts of tools in my toolbox too but I’m choosing not to use them, ’cause I just don’t think a mayor’s race has to come to this, I’m a little disappointed to be honest with you but I understand that you want to do this, I’ll respond to your post here and post some comments um so just kind of bummed out wish we werent’ coming to this so um anyway I’ll see you later today at the debate.”

 Read the entire story here.

If Paul is guilty of anything, it’s probably being too trusting that people running for office will side with the angel on their shoulder.

Sounds like the SF Police are telling liberal Mayoral Candidate Jolene Loetscher Hell No, Jo!

The Argus Leader has an article up this afternoon which completely takes the bark off of Loetscher, with the Sioux Falls chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police calling her campaign ads ‘misleading’ in a press release issued today:

The Sioux Falls chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the more than 200 law enforcement officers employed by the city of Sioux Falls, spoke out against the idea of turning community centers throughout the city into police precincts, a proposal made last month by Loetscher as a way to combat crime and address future space needs that could arise as the police department grows.

“We must be clear in our statement that the current proposal of ‘Precinct-Based Policing’ is something that is not supported by our membership within the Sioux Falls Police Department,” the group said in a news release issued Tuesday.

The statement also characterizes an advertisement used by the Loetscher campaign as “misleading.”  The ad shows footage of the Sioux Falls Law Enforcement Center while stating the precinct policing proposal is supported by local law enforcement. The Fraternal Order of Police said the union nor its members – department officers and sergeants – were consulted before Loetscher went public with her proposal in March.

Read the entire story here.

Uh oh, Jo. You probably should have spoken with the police before you filmed your ad.

I haven’t had a chance to listen to it just yet, but Neal Tapio was interviewed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting yesterday. Check it out here.

Following Thune’s Request, USDA Will Provide More Adequate and Timely Livestock Assistance for Ranchers Affected by Recent Storms

“[USDA’s] timely response and sensitivity to this issue to assist our livestock industry is very much appreciated.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) decision to make administrative changes to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), which Thune requested on April 16, that would result in more accurate and timely assistance from LIP for livestock producers. USDA said Thune’s requested LIP changes were made to ensure adequate indemnification is made for livestock losses that occurred in South Dakota and other states as a result of the wet and cold spring, including recent storm Xanto.

“I appreciate the quick turnaround regarding a letter I sent April 16 after winter storm Xanto pounded portions of South Dakota with record snowfall right before birthing season,” said Thune to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue in a hearingearlier today. “I received a response from [Farm Production and Conservation] Undersecretary [Bill] Northey informing me that FSA is announcing clarifications to the LIP policy based on my request. I’d like to say now that your timely response and sensitivity to this issue to assist our livestock industry is very much appreciated.”

Specifically, USDA announced that Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees will review LIP applications and determine if an eligible adverse weather event directly caused the death of eligible livestock. As part of that review, FSA will appropriately consider, at Thune’s request, a signed certification statement from a licensed veterinarian ascertaining that the livestock deaths were attributed to a major weather event and not otherwise avoidable or preventable using good animal management protocols and practices.

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