Do I want Noem as our congressperson? Hell no! In fact I would prefer an indy in that position that does not have to tow the party line. The liberal in me likes Jeff Barth. He is about as liberal as you can get, he is even a little on the nanny-stater side.
He is all about raising taxes to spend on social programs. I don’t have a problem with that, as long as the money is spent wisely. But the fiscal conservative in me doesn’t care much for Mr. Barth.
He recently wanted to raise taxes so he could give raises to county workers. Here’s the deal, I agree they deserve a raise, but don’t we all? What goes around comes around, and while the rest of are taking it in the shorts, the county workers have to also. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. They chose to work in the public sector, the pay should be reflective of society as a whole.
But the thing that worries me the most about Jeff is his chances of beating Noem. In fact I would give her 65-70% of the vote. I hope the Dems dig up someone young, smart, progressive, moderate, and with deep pockets before the primaries. Jeff isn’t going to cut the mustard.
Maybe one of those Weiland kids ain’t busy over the next year?