Try not to throw up when you read Rick Weiland’s victory lap, as he quotes Machiavelli in his self-congratulatory manner for manipulating voters.
It might be hard to settle your innards. Especially in full knowledge that they promoted a measure they’d been warned was unconstitutional.
Dear [name]
Change is hard…very hard.
In fact, Nicolo Machiavelli had it right when he wrote:
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things; for the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order; this lukewarmness arising partly from the incredulity of mankind who does not truly believe in anything new until they actually have experience of it.”
So, when it happens, we must celebrate it!!!!!!!!
And it just happened in South Dakota, thanks to you, [name]. We at TakeItBack.Org — along with our national strategic partner, Represent.us (and over 180,000 South Dakotans) — just passed the South Dakota Anti-Corruption Act (Initiated Measure 22), which included the most progressive public campaign financing law in the country!
Here’s what Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Hedrick Smith, said on his Reclaim the American Dream website: “The surprising victory was an uphill battle, David versus Goliath. A new citizens group called TakeitBack.Org pitted grass roots volunteers against a business-conservative coalition led by Americans for Prosperity, the richly financed political organ of Kansas billionaires Charles and David Koch, as well as taking on the most powerful Republican leaders in South Dakota.”
If you want to read Hedrick’s entire article, which is both excellent and inspiring, click here: http://reclaimtheamericandream.org/2016/11/how-reformers-beat-koch-in-south-dakota/
But the fight, even in South Dakota, isn’t over. Not even close.
In fact, only a day after the election, Ben Lee, the South Dakota head of the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, ominously said that “We will look for ways to overturn this measure and protect taxpayers from this costly new law. Never mind that a majority of South Dakotans had just voted it into law — Americans for Prosperity paternalistically pledged to “protect” South Dakotans from ourselves!
Here’s what we expect:
South Dakota Republicans now control only 89 seats in the South Dakota Legislature (Democrats hold just 16, a net loss of 4 as a result of the election), and word is on the street that the plan is to try to gut IM-22, per the Koch brothers’ local minion’s pledge.
But, fortunately for us, it’s not that simple — because we now have the high ground.
If they succeed in gutting IM-22 — and we are going to stop them — then we will lead a referendum petition drive to freeze their law from taking effect, leaving our initiative in place until the voters can, once again, express their wishes. We helped to pass a increase in the minimum wage with a cost of living adjustment in 2014 which the SD legislature tried to repeal for young adults. We referred the law and won overwhelming last week (71%) — so we can do it again with your help.
And once South Dakota voters experience how empowering IM-22 is — every registered voter is going to get two $50 state “Democracy Credit” vouchers in the mail, which they can then donate to the state candidate of their choice. We think they are going to like it!
And if it comes to another vote, we predict they’re going to reject the Koch brothers’ falsehoods and half-truths once again, just as they did a week ago.
But nothing is inevitable — as we found out in the presidential election. After all, the Kochs have a bottomless pit of money — passage of IM-22 shocked the hell out them and they’re definitely not used to losing.
So if you’re upset about what is happening nationally — just as we are — then help us fight back in South Dakota now, and in other states to follow, later.
We’ll leave you with two quotes, both from TakeItBack.Org co-founder, Rick Weiland. In answer to Hedrick Smith’s comment that “you’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest, Weiland said: “You’ve got to stir the pot and whack the hornet’s nest. That’s how you can make change when the political establishment and the status quo is refusing to do so.”
And finally, in answer to Smith’s question, “Is there a ripple effect?” Weiland answered: “Absolutely. I believe that this victory sends a message to the rest of the country that they don’t have to put up with the business-as-usual crowd. They can take matters into their own hands. We have a real opportunity to take what we’ve done here and show it to other states — putting these ideas on your ballot in 2018, 2020 and ’22.”
Please help us protect IM-22 from the predatory Koch brothers. Help us continue to stirring the pot and whacking that ‘business as usual’ hornets nest.
Sincerely,
They are milking every penny possible out of this debacle.
Ok, these guys are completely nuts. If the Republican legislature doesn’t bailout Weiland and Frankenfeld, they’ll have college, chamber, coop, REA and every other group hating them. Because, and Weiland and Frankenfeld don’t get it, they think it’s evil when any group is South Dakota friendly. Makes sense that both have been beaten in statewide races
Good grief: all it needs is a bad video and we’ve got the Liberal version of a Haber & Bosworth “give me money” con job.
Here’s my suggestion for the soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPn0KFlbqX8
When are you going to comment on the other debacle, Marcy’s Law? Oh yeah, that one was advanced by republicans. Guess you’re not allowed to say anything.
Oh, we will.
One trainwreck at a time 😉
OMG! I think he actually believes it.
MC, Rick Weiland believes in what is good for his pocket book and this is good for him. He not only is raising money but he probably has a scheme to get a portion the democracy credits into his pocket.
But, he raises a good point. If the Legislature touches this bill, he will get take out a petition to stop the changes until the next election. While bad governing policy, I think living under this fiasco for two years (unless the Courts intervene) will only confirm why Democrats shouldn’t be put in charge of anything. Every single citizens group will be enraged (even liberal leaning groups) because Legislators don’t show up to their events. And every single Democrat is going to have to vote against legitimate public expenditures to fund their democracy credit. It’s going to be hilarious.
P.S. I just realized it applies to all immediate family members. Spouse and kids. I can’t wait until a kid is told they can’t work at HyVee or the Catholic Cemetery because their employer has a lobbyist and their parent is a legislator. Heck, McDonalds has a Lobbyist via the Restaurant Association. It is absolutely hilarious.
The truest thing Rick says in his letter:
“South Dakota Republicans now control ONLY (emphasis added) 89 seats in the South Dakota Legislature (Democrats hold just 16, a net loss of 4 as a result of the election),. . . ”
When the people get a sense of what he has done, the “only” becomes prescient because there will be more Republicans in the Legislature. Is single digits really possible? I’m starting to laugh even harder.
The Legislature should just strike the entire bill and let Rick petition it. Living with this bill until the next election (we’ll likely see a call from the people for a special election just to get it behind us) seems a small price to pay to never have to hear from Rick again.
Perhaps, Initiated Measures and Amendments should appear in their entirety on the ballots.
I’m sure many (if not most) voters did not realize IM22 was actually a 34 page, 70 section initiated measure, that challenges legal experts as to it’s details.
Obviously, there would be an increase in printing costs, but voters would be able to see exactly how detailed some of these measures are, rather than 30 second happy talk commercials and catchy slogans.
If the legislature won’t address Measures and Initiatives, this would be one way that the voters would. Do the work and raise the signature threshold to that of a municipality !
Enjoy the lap now, Ricky, because the Republicans who represent the citizens may have to overhaul the idiocy you promoted. Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t go to candidates, comrade Weiland; I know that you believe in a centralized, all-powerful government, but that isn’t American, it’s Communist. Move to Russia or China where the governments are already set up the way you wish.
Represent US, Take it Back, et al. outspent the Defeat 22 Campaign by a three to one margin, but they still have the audacity to attack the Koch Brothers “bottomless pit of money” and for trying to control politics with it. Are the liberals who support these groups truly that stupid?