Here’s the Tapio FEC Report:

Tapio FEC q1 2018 by Pat Powers on Scribd

It’s pretty self explanatory. Neal raised $7355 dollars, spent $16,779.37, and is reporting $95,600.63 cash on hand after Neal loaned his campaign $105,025.00 out of his pocket.

Where did his cash raised come from? Sharon Fuhrmann of Aberdeen was among his major donors, as well as a Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest, Illinois, who is known as a megadonor to conservative causes.

As far as where it has gone, looks like he spent some money with Jordan Mason with Launch Collective for his website, spent another $1500 on his website, bought some radio ads, travel, and other regular expenses.

But, the lion’s share of the campaign funds have gone to Shad Olson, who out of the $16,779.37 in operating expenditures, the campaign is reporting he has so far gotten $12,000 out of Neal in the two months he’s been active for “campaign consulting.”

We’ll see if he’s worth it.

In an effort to research Steve Novotny, the candidate from Winner running for the highest state elected office in South Dakota, while I had earlier written about his history of protection orders against stalking, I come to find that a simple review of his personal facebook page provides a more frightening picture of the man who wants to be the Libertarian’s candidate for Governor.

Apparently I only scratched the surface when I posted a couple of things from him warning about blacks and indigenous people stealing white farmer’s land. Because it gets worse.   But don’t take it from me, take it from Steve Novotny, since they’re his words.

In relation to the prior legal issues Novotny found himself facing, he had previously offered that many women lie to obtain protection orders:

And that he seems to consume a lot of Facebook rants to spew them back, unintelligently…

In case you were looking for various slurs like “gooks,” “moooslims” etc.

I’m sure at least one of the things he’s talking about here will earn him a visit from the Secret Service, but Novotny is definitely not a fan of president Obama or his daughter:

Novotny is apparently not a fan of immigrants…

..but he does have some kind words for Vladmir Putin..

And the comment I grabbed is probably one that’s going to raise the most questions of a man running to be Governor of South Dakota:

Novotny says “I know the common Indian well, and this is the rule of life with these worthless bastards not the exception..”   Wow. Not often I’m speechless, but wow.

I would add that I left many of the things I clipped out, because the post was getting a little long.

I think it’s safe to say that between the protection orders issued against him, and what a person finds form a cursory review of his personal facebook page, Libertarians should be horrified that a candidate like Steve Novotny wants to take the stage to ask the people gathered at the convention for their vote.

Maybe the guy who wants to burn the flag and says the constitution doesn’t exist isn’t looking quite so bad anymore.

The Libertarian convention is on Saturday.

It’s good to be from South Dakota! We love our Republican elected officials, according to Morning Consult, as they rank the most popular US Senators and Governors in the Nation:

Read all about the rankings and more at the website for Morning Consult.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 12, 2018

Rep. Nancy Rasmussen Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General

HURLEY, SD: District 17 Representative Nancy Rasmussen endorses Attorney General Candidate Jason Ravnsborg.

“Jason has won my support with his ideas and vision for the future and his tremendous work ethic,” Rasmussen said. “Jason exemplifies the Midwestern values of honesty and integrity.”

“Jason is a leader that has all the necessary skillsets to be Attorney General.” Rasmussen said. “He understands the many different aspects of the position of Attorney General, he has my unconditional support and he will have my vote at the convention.”

Representative Rasmussen resides in Hurley, South Dakota, and has represented constituents in Clay and Turner Counties since 2013. Rasmussen is the Vice-Chair of the House Transportation Committee and a member of the House Taxation Committee.

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My wife and I were watching this news story on KELOland news last night, and were a bit surprised by the off-putting tone coming from Jolene Loetscher with regards to successful businesspeople in Sioux Falls:

TenHaken founded Click Rain, a digital marketing firm that has made the list of one of America’s fastest-growing private companies for the past five years.

“You have to be able to step into city hall on day one and have experience with seven figure payrolls,” TenHaken said.

Meanwhile, Loetscher runs two lesser-known companies: Doo Gooders and Mud Mile Communications.

“If we’re going to make this election about who has the bigger budget or company, if that is our barometer for who should be mayor, then we should be asking, ‘Why isn’t Denny Sanford mayor?” Loetscher said.

Read it all here.

Wow. That was a slam on people who succeed in business coming from someone who wants to be their mayor.  While Loetscher might be doing her best to try to draw differences between herself and her opponent, this was not the way to go about it.  It makes her seem petty and small.

Shouldn’t the next mayor of our state’s largest city not be dismissive of the people who build their businesses there?

If Loetscher was more successful in her dog poop collection or marketing businesses, odds are that she would not be running for mayor because she’d find herself too busy. Her opponent has done well for himself, and it took him stepping away from the day to day of his business before he’d even consider running.

There are many people who walk away or don’t even consider public service because their business and providing for their families are too important to divert their attention. They know they have to give it 100% or they fail.  This is why you end up with a lack of businesspeople in office, and sometimes end up having to consider people who should not be running for office.

Why isn’t Denny Sanford mayor? He’s too busy running a international business and donating millions of dollars in service to communities including Sioux Falls. I think I can safely say that Sioux Falls would have probably benefitted from his vision and business acumen if he’d decided to run for office earlier in his career when he might have had time for it.

The American Dream is more tightly interwoven with the story of people who’ve had an idea, taken a risk, and been successful in the pursuit of their passions than they have those who dream of being important and running for office.  The people who built the Sioux Falls business community might be something that Loetscher should take a moment to consider in the midst of trying to wage class warfare and claims that the “City Council is not like us.”

Loetcher should remember that successful people live in Sioux Falls too. People who dream of building their own business live there. And denigrating them for her political ambitions is not likely to earn their support.

They vote too, you know.

Todd County Rancher Mike Assman Endorses Jackley

MISSION, SD: Attorney General Marty Jackley is standing with South Dakota farmers and ranchers as concerns continue to rise about Washington trade policy.

“We need a governor who’s taken on Washington before, and that leader is Marty Jackley,” said Todd County rancher Mike Assman. “He’s tough, he’s fair, and at the end of the day he’s going to do what’s right for the people of South Dakota.”

Assman is a lifelong rancher who raises commercial angus cattle and buffalo near Mission. He and Darla, his wife of 31 years, have been organic producers since 1997.

“When South Dakota agriculture thrives, the entire state succeeds,” Jackley said. “Here at Team Jackley we believe good ag policy starts with input from farmers and ranchers, which is why I’m grateful for the support and advice of hardworking producers like Mike and Darla Assman.”

Watch Assman’s endorsement on youtube

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Veterans, Patients and Pharmacists Call Out IM26 as Deceptive, Misleading and Costly
Ballot measure could increase prescription costs and limit access to needed medications

Sioux Falls, SD (April 11, 2018) – Veterans, patient groups and pharmacists are uniting against IM26, which was validated by the Secretary of State on Wednesday and will appear on the November 2018 ballot.

IM26 would force the state of South Dakota to redesign the way it pays for prescription drugs for state programs like Medicaid by mandating state agencies pay no more than the lowest price paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Under current practice, the VA negotiates the lowest drug prices for the men and women who have served our country. One unintended consequence of this initiated measure could put veterans at risk by increasing the cost of their prescription drugs. The VA has previously noted that any attempt to expand those discounts to other agencies could put veterans’ prescription drug benefits in jeopardy and ultimately cost the VA as much as $3.8 billion per year.

Furthermore, IM26 is a misleading, vaguely worded and deceptive measure that stands to impose unworkable requirements on the state. In attempting to comply with these requirements, the state could incur new costs and increased bureaucracy, burdening South Dakota taxpayers. As onerous as this ballot issue could be for veterans and taxpayers, it could also increase prescription drug costs for the vast majority of South Dakotans with private or employer-sponsored health plans and Medicare.

IM26 received funding to get on South Dakota’s ballot from the California-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which generates 80 percent of its revenue from selling prescription drugs. Led by its controversial CEO Michael Weinstein, AHF funded similar efforts in California in 2016 and Ohio in 2017. With dozens of organizations representing veterans, patients, medical professionals, businesses and taxpayers – along with nearly every newspaper’s editorial page – urging a ‘no’ vote, voters in California and Ohio resoundingly defeated the measures.

Proponents of this deceptive ballot measure, including former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland, included a section unprecedented in South Dakota law that would give a “committee of individuals responsible for circulating the petition” legal standing, should the ballot measure be challenged in court. Voters deserve to know why this provision was included, who is on this “committee” and why this “committee” should be granted special legal privileges.

Voters will have the opportunity to make their voices heard on IM26 during the general election this November. We encourage them to vote ‘no’ and send a message that out of state interests do not know what is best for South Dakota.

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PAID FOR BY SOUTH DAKOTANS AGAINST THE DECEPTIVE RX BALLOT ISSUE

Ballot Question Petition Validated for 2018 General Election Ballot

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs announced that the petition submitted for an initiated measure to establish a cap on the price a State agency may pay for a prescription drug was validated and filed by her office. It is the sixth ballot question to be placed on the November 6, 2018 General Election Ballot. It will be titled Initiated Measure 26.

“We reviewed the random sample of signatures, and 71.83 percent were found to be valid,” stated Secretary Krebs. An Initiated Measure requires 13,871 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot. This initiated measure petition included 22,091 signatures.

(22,091 x 71.8310 = 15,868 valid signatures)

Any citizen may challenge the Secretary of State’s approval of a ballot measure and must submit an original, signed affidavit to the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office within 30 days of validation. Electronic submission of affidavits will not be accepted. The deadline for a challenge to Initiated Measure 26 would be Friday, May 11, 2018 by 5 p.m. central time.

The office will review the initiated measure to legalize marijuana for medical use next. South Dakota citizens also have the ability to submit a referendum petition concerning laws passed during the 2018 Legislative session.

For more detailed information on potential 2018 Ballot Questions, click here.

 

Finally, another RINO is gone- Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

The architect of the only comprehensive entitlement reform legislation introduced in the last 15 years, the architect of the only detailed Balanced Budget legislation introduced in the last 15 years, the architect of the Trump Tax Cuts, most effective fundraiser for Republicans in Congress, and a stalwart unwaverting defender of life from conception to natural death has decided to not run for re-election this November.

We need politicians who yell and scream and can only speak in simplistic bromides. Big thinkers who can actually draft legislation more than five pages long that has a chance of passage are RINOS

Now the seat is considered a “lean Democrat” this November and odds the GOP will lose control of House have surpassed 50%.

To “real conservative Republicans” this all makes sense.