Tag: Neal Tapio

Senator Tapio announces his intention to create a legislative working group to review state immigration and refugee resettlement programs.

Senator Neal Tapio, R-Watertown, today announced his intention to create a legislative working group to review state immigration and refugee resettlement programs and to analyze the financial and societal impact on state and local governments.

Following an intensive year-long listening tour on the impact of immigration and refugee resettlement on the Aberdeen community, Senator Tapio expressed concerns about the openness and transparency of the immigration and refugee resettlement programs and reemphasized his concern regarding the lack of state and local oversight of the Refugee Resettlement program in South Dakota.

“Currently, elected representatives of the people of South Dakota do not have any input or oversight of the federal refugee resettlement program.” Tapio, said. “These programs are impacting our communities and leaving their citizens in the dark. We need to know the detailed impact to our state and to our communities.”

Tapio said the working group will document the financial impact on law enforcement, courts and jails, health care and hospitals, education and schools, housing, language and translation services, and welfare benefits. The group intends to hold public hearings to gather public sentiment about these programs and to document the safety and other concerns of the community. Tapio also indicated his desire to establish the number of refugees a community can properly assimilate while keeping a community safe and fiscally viable.

“I look forward to working with a group of legislators to gather appropriate information in order to make sound decisions on behalf of the people. We will work with city, county, state and federal officials, as well as have listening sessions with concerned citizens and interested stakeholders in order to create a comprehensive and exhaustive analysis of the immigration and refugee programs.” Tapio said.

Tapio highlighted a pattern of improper oversight by the state of South Dakota over federal programs in the past. The current Refugee Resettlement program is just the latest installment of failing or failed federal programs administered by the state. Several years ago, the federal EB5 “sale of citizenship” program led to corruption, ongoing litigation and the death of a state official. The GearUp grant investigation uncovered improper state oversight of nongovernmental agencies tasked with implementing federal programs on behalf of the state, which led to criminal trials and to the death of a non government grant administrator and his family.

“Citizens are concerned the Refugee Resettlement program has led to more crime and increased costs to state and local taxpayers. We need to investigate these concerns before things gets out of control, not after it is too late.” Tapio said.

The legislative working group will be announced as early as Friday.

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Tapio: Trump Tax Plan a Supercharger for Economic Growth

State Senator Neal Tapio of Watertown issued high praise today for the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Plan, saying the plan is a Christmas gift to American working families, including significant tax cuts for the middle class that will mean an immediate jolt in economic activity and consumer confidence.

“I would like to congratulate President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers for their work on this landmark revision to the tax code and what will undoubtedly result in a further acceleration of the economic recovery that is already surging under President Trump’s policies,” Tapio said.

Besides doubling the estate value threshold of the ‘Death Tax,’ to $22-million and cutting the corporate income tax rate from 39% to 21%, President Trump’s tax plan results in a $1.5-trillion tax cut for taxpayers and will result in a 70% tax cut for average single mothers and a 60% cut for the average family of four.

“For pinched families who’ve waited for so long for some renewal of hope for their economic futures, this plan is a loud and clear signal that President Trump has heard their pleas for help and that he clearly understands that tax dollars don’t belong to the government, but to the people who pay them,” Tapio said.

“I am very thankful to have supported this President long before anyone took his run seriously, or believed that his was a winning vision for the American people.  I’ve never wavered in that support and this tax plan only confirms that he’s a man committed to keeping the promises he made in the 2016 election.”

Changes to the corporate income tax rate are expected to have an immediate impact in convincing American companies who have outsourced their manufacturing facilities to offshore locations to return those facilities to American soil, bringing hundreds of thousands of jobs back home.  American companies had previously been paying the highest tax rate in the world, leading many to move their operations to other nations where lower tax rates allowed larger margins of profitability and return on investment.  President Trump talked frequently on the campaign trail about the resulting rush in outsourcing of the American manufacturing sector and the loss of more than ten million jobs in the past two decades.

Tapio predicts unprecedented growth for the economy, setting the stage for Congress to address the out of control spending issues leading to massive budget deficits and federal debt.

“The United States is open for business once again. There are still many dangers ahead in the economy, but this improved business climate and economy sets the stage for needed welfare and entitlement reforms in 2018. If you thought the political fights were difficult this year, wait until President Trump starts looking at the out-of-control spending in Washington. This will not be a time for weak political leadership,” Tapio said.

“As Thomas Paine so famously put it, ‘These are the times that try men’s souls.’” Tapio said.

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Democrat Candidate for Congress Tim Bjorkman used the occasion of the debate surrounding the Tapio/Krebs battle of words over an Muslim Registry to interject himself into the discussion… largely in an effort to try to get people to pay attention to the fact that he is also a candidate.

From facebook:

In response to Neal Tapio’s call for Congressional Candidate Shantel Krebs to announce where she stands on a proposed Muslim registry, Krebs came out in favor, and announced her support:

In a phone call Wednesday evening, Krebs said she supported Kobach’s proposal to set up a registry for people from areas where terror threats are detected.

“It’s not based on religion, it’s based on migrants that are believed to pose a threat,” Krebs said.

Read that here.

Um…. I think this stupendously awful idea of a registry whether it is based on being a Muslim or because a person is from a “region” goes past a line that should not be crossed.

It’s an idea that has already been vetted. By History.

During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday night, pro-Trump advocate Carl Higbie drew a shocked reaction from host Megyn Kelly during a discussion of the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump might support making Muslim immigrants to the U.S. “register.” In an apparent attempt to portray the idea as unsurprising, Higbie noted that there was precedent for the U.S. government registering residents according to factors like race, religion and region.

“We did it during during World War II with the Japanese, which, call it what you will—,” he began, before Kelly interrupted him.

And…

In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, which offered an official apology and provided restitution of $20,000 to every survivor. “No payment can make up for those lost years,” Reagan said during his remarks about the bill. “Here, we admit a wrong.”

Read that here.

A registry is a step towards rounding identified people up.

Last I checked, this still is America, isn’t it?  Land of the Free, and all….

Press Release:

State Senator Neal Tapio Calls on South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs to Take a Position on Kobach Muslim Registry Program 

Former South Dakota Trump Campaign Director Neal Tapio, calls on South Dakota Secretary of State, Shantel Krebs to clarify her own stance on Muslim immigration and refugee resettlement, and to reveal whether she agrees or disagrees with the policies of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, more specifically, dealing with Kobach’s concept commonly known as a “National Muslim Registry.”

Kobach, who recently endorsed Krebs in her race for South Dakota’s lone Congressional seat and will be appearing at a Krebs campaign fundraiser, is a former Trump campaign advisor most famous for his calls for a creation of a Muslim registry.  Tapio, Trump’s campaign director in South Dakota, believes Kobach’s endorsement may be a case of mistaken political identity.

“I’ve known Shantel Krebs for nearly 20 years, I was quite surprised when Kris Kobach endorsed a candidate that would be afraid to even utter the words ‘Muslim, ‘Islam’ and “Terrorism” in public, let alone in the same sentence,” Tapio said.

“The truth is, Shantel Krebs has made a nice, comfortable career being a politician who is much more likely to disavow people who boldly try to solve problems in the way President Trump and even Secretary Kobach does and has, especially on this very important topic.”

“To determine if this newfound boldness is a real conversion or just typical election year pandering, I will definitely offer to work with Shantel this upcoming legislative session to craft stringent new laws addressing Islamic refugee vetting and resettlement, as well as curtailing foreign investment in South Dakota businesses and organizations by nations that embrace the hateful and extremist implementation of mainstream versions of Islamic Law. We must protect all people, regardless of faith, from the dangerous laws of apostacy and blasphemy, where fellow adherents of extremist ideologies will kill you for leaving or even criticizing Islam, as practiced and endorsed by 14 Islamic countries.” Tapio said.

“We need candidates who have a strength of purpose and a boldness of conviction to publicly state what needs to be said and then stand and take the heat, just like President Donald Trump,”  Tapio said.

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From the Argus Leader, on the eve of a visit from Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach for Congressional Candidate Shantel Krebs, Neal Tapio is asking Krebs for particulars on how exactly she lines up with President Donald Trump:

A Republican state senator on Wednesday called for U.S. House hopeful Shantel Krebs to weigh in on a proposed federal Muslim registry before campaigning with one of its chief architects.

The endorsement from Kris Kobach was likely a case of “mistaken political identity,” said state Sen. Neal Tapio, a likely GOP House candidate.

and..

But Tapio, a Watertown Republican and former state campaign director for Trump, said it was an effort to get ahead of him. He said he supported Kobach’s proposals to reform immigration and voter ID laws.

“She recognizes that I’m probably the frontrunner in the race because of my connections to the Trump campaign,” Tapio said.

Read it all here.

Unofficial-Congressional hopeful Neal Tapio is on Hub City Radio today noting he’s still planning on announcing for office after the first of the year. And he’s convinced that his micro-targeting techniques will serve him better than attending Republican events such as Lincoln Day Dinners:

Tapio says that, rather than spending large amounts on thirty second ads, he’ll instead take a direct one-on-one approach with South Dakota Republican voters to gain an appreciation of his positions. He’s confident that, when educated, those voters will follow with financial support.

Of the Republicans who vote in primaries Tapio says very few go to Lincoln Day Dinners and very few are involved in the Republican Party.

and…

What will help him over the top is his solid support of Donald Trump, says Tapio.

Tapio has never been as proud of a President as he is of Donald Trump and that, despite the President’s legal troubles, he’s convinced Trump has exceeded all expectations. Tapio says his campaign will use micro-targeting techniques that can be done on the cheap and that has pinpoint accuracy with prospective Republican voters.

Read, and listen to Tapio’s interview here.

Neal’s point about a minority of Republicans attending the yearly meals may be factually correct, because you can’t fit everyone from a county in a room, but by the same token, you can’t run a campaign by yourself, either.   And those that do attend such dinners are typically the ones who make donations, help do literature drops, lick envelopes, walk in parades, organize other Republicans in each county, etcetera and so on.

I don’t think I’d be so quick to infer the loyal and committed foot soldiers of the GOP aren’t important. Because it’s kind of hard to run a race without them.

Neal Tapio, who has signaled his intent to announce for South Dakota’s lone Congressional seat early this next year, has posted his thoughts on Facebook about the dangers of Islamic terrorism tonight.

His essay comes in the wake of what appears to be a terror attack on New York City which has killed 8 and left nearly a dozen wounded, including children:

What are your thoughts?

A group of legislators, led by State Senator Neal Tapio, are apparently protesting the State’s sale of the now closed STAR Academy:

Lawmakers Ask Governor to Delay Public Auction of former Star Academy Property Near Custer

A group of South Dakota lawmakers is making a last minute call on Governor Dennis Dauggard to postpone the pending public auction of the former Star Academy property near Custer, scheduled for Wednesday at the Custer County Courthouse, saying they don’t believe enough time has been allowed to find the best use for a property that might still serve a valuable future purpose for the citizens of South Dakota.

The 180 acre facility was used as a youth boot camp and later a juvenile diversionary program until it closed in the Spring of 2016.  In March, state legislators voted to approve a public auction of the site.  After an appraisal, a public auction was set for October 18, 2017, at 11:00 am.

Senators Neal Tapio of Watertown, District 30 Representatives Tim Goodwin, Julie Frye-Mueller and Senator Lance Russell,  as well as Senator Phil Jensen of Rapid City are among 30 lawmakers expressing concern about the pending private sale of a property and structural facilities that would cost the state as much as $50-million to replace.  Tapio says he and others have repeatedly called for the facility to be repurposed in some way, possibly to deal with the state’s growing methamphetamine and opioid dependence problem, as a potential diversionary life skills training center.

“Privatization of unused state assets can be a good idea to exercise fiscal responsibility, but in dealing with this particular site, there may still be a number of functions and needs that might be served by repurposing it for something else.”

Tapio says the expense of dealing with methamphetamine addiction and the burden on the conventional justice system make a diversionary partnership with a private entity a very effective way to save South Dakota taxpayers substantially by giving first time meth convicts another choice. A life skills training center could be a valuable tool for drug courts judges as they confront the meth addiction issue where offenders need to be removed from a toxic home environment.

Citizens are also concerned that the condensed timeframe of the sale’s schedule left inadequate opportunity for public awareness and may even conceal an unarticulated agenda on the part of potential bidders better acquainted with the mechanics of the process from the outset.

Representative Tim Goodwin of Hill City says he is hearing from people taken completely by surprise about the scheduled public auction who are very concerned about what they see as a rushed process involving a very valuable public asset.

“A number of my constituents from district 30 have raised concerns that the details of a very short timeframe have allowed an unfair advantage on the part of political insiders in profiting from a glaring example of crony capitalism and incestuous ties between political insiders and business interests,”  Goodwin said.

Representative Julie Frye-Mueller, who has opposed the sale from the very beginning says the entire process reeks of strong arm tactics and insider profiteering.

“We killed this legislation the first time around voicing these same concerns, but in that process I heard from several lawmakers who told me that they were intimidated and coerced into changing their votes when the measure came up for reconsideration.”

House Bill 1209, the legislative bill structuring the pending public sale was originally defeated by a vote of 36-31, but was approved later on the same legislative day by a vote of 46-21.  Governor Dauggard signed the bill on March 13th.

“Legislators were bullied by the governor’s office into changing their votes, allowing this entire process to move forward over the strong objections of some very conscientious people.”  Frye-Mueller said.

Those favoring a delay of the pending auction say sales of properties of similar value normally require many months of marketing and even national searches to locate interested buyers and to establish best market price.

Senator Tapio agreed the marketing of the property seemed less than aggressive, “It seems odd that with millions of tourists visiting the Black Hills each summer, a for sale sign with a contact number would have at least been appropriate.”

Tapio added, “no one knows the proper way to address the meth addiction issue. There are numerous calls to build jails and prisons around the state and it would be a shame if at a later date South Dakota needs a property like this, or if there’s realization that this sale was a terrible idea a few years down the road, reconstructing a similar facility anywhere in the state would cost many multiple times even the appraised value of our existing investment.”  Tapio said.

“In no world will that be responsible fiscal management of tight budgets and state resources in the face of growing potential needs on a number of fronts.”

The Governor’s office has responded in the media:

In an emailed press release late Monday night, a group of South Dakota lawmakers asked Gov. Dennis Daugaard to postpone the public auction of a former-juvenile detention center near Custer that is set for 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The press release sent by Sen. Neal Tapio, R-Watertown, said there are 30 lawmakers expressing concern about the pending sale of the former STAR Academy property because of “a very short timeframe,” for the auction.

Tony Venhuizen, Chief of Staff for Gov. Dennis Daugaard, disagreed that the there was a short timeline and said in an email that the state first solicited proposals in Dec. 2016 and the state legislature approved the sale in March. He also noted that the auction date was advertised in the newspaper for the first time on Sept. 11 in accordance with state law.

Read it here.

If you look at the legislation which was brought this past session, it’s not as if the vote in the legislature came without some controversy, as it failed in it’s first attempt to come through the State House of Representatives…

… and had to try again with a second pass…

.. flipping Bartling, Brunner, Chase, Clark, Dennert, Duvall, Glanzer, Goodwin, Gosch, Latterell, Herman Otten, Rasmussen, Schaefer, Wiese and Zikmund.

In the Senate, it fared better on the first run, but still, it only won on a vote of 20-15:

I don’t anticipate that the request from legislators are going to sway Governor Daugaard from completing the sale. Despite protests, it’s not like this should come as a shock. It has certainly been known it this was going to happen, having been signed into law on March 27th.

The allegations from legislators opposing the sale seem to be coming a bit late, given the fact that this all a done deal seven months ago when the legislation was signed. Where has all the moral outrage been in the meantime?

Maybe it’s just me, but why would we be protesting the land being returned to the tax rolls? Wouldn’t it be a good thing for someone to develop it into something that pays taxes and reduces the county tax burden?

What are your thoughts?

This e-mail came out a short while ago to a number of legislators, media, and their little dogs… and correct me if I’m wrong, but is Congressional Hopeful Neal Tapio accusing the Governor or his staff of something?

This GOAC fact finding mission needs focus. We need to understand why it took a murder/murder-suicide to take serious corrective action to this program. If our government employees have such difficulty determining corruption, it seems there are only two likely reasons. They either knew of the problems and were too weak to make changes, or they were too incompetent to take these allegations seriously. Either way, I have lost confidence in the leadership of the Department of Education, and I have concerns it reaches to even higher levels of government officials.”

If Senator Tapio has concerns that the problems with Gear Up “reaches to even higher levels of government officials” as in higher than the Department of Education…. I’m not sure there’s much higher than the Governor and his staff.

So, what exactly is he accusing the Governor of?