IMAGE: KDLT News
About the only positive that could come out of this is that he is a tribal member, not sure what percentage, maybe he can get some polling places open on the res;
Governor Dennis Daugaard announced on Tuesday that he will appoint Chuck Jones of Flandreau to the South Dakota State Senate. Jones will represent District 8, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Russell Olson.
Jones is the general manager of Royal River Casino in Flandreau. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the city administrator for the City of Flandreau. Jones is a veteran of the United States Army and served overseas during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. He also served in the Minnesota and Iowa Army National Guard from 1991 to 2001 and the U.S. Army Reserve from 2001 to 2012.
District 8 includes Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn counties.
Still curious as to why Denny thought appointing the GM of Royal River was a good idea? Why not just appoint the head lobbyist in the state of tobacco and alcohol to the legislature to? Hey, we have no ethics laws, or fair investigations/audits anyway. Stack Em’ up! If AG Jackboots is asked to do an investigation, he will just either drag his feet, refuse to do it, blame the family, or investigate them of a crime he already knows they did not commit. And they wonder why we get an ‘F’ for corruption in the state.
He looks about as Indian as me.
And he served in the armed forces. That is ALWAYS a plus!
First off, I have never met this man nor do I know a single thing about him aside from what is currently being reported. I don’t know his positions on any of the issues, and I don’t know if he has campaigned for public office in the past, but here is what we know right now:
* Member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
* Earned his undergrad degree from SDSU
* Holds an MBA from Colorado Technical University
* Former city administrator for the City of Flandreau
* Former board member of the Moody County Boys and Girls Club
* Veteran of the United States Army
* Deployed during the Persian Gulf War
* Served in the Minnesota Army National Guard
* Served in the Iowa Army National Guard
* Served in the U.S. Army Reserve
* Active member of the VFW
* Active member of the Shriners
* General manager of Royal River Casino in Flandreau
So out of this entire list of accomplishments, what does our friend DL decide to focus upon? The fact he is a GM for a casino. No mention of his military service, no mention of his public service… and merely a passing reference to his being a member of a tribe as “the only positive that could come out of this”.
Why the continual need to find any excuse to complain about practically everything and everyone around you Scott? Why the need to attempt to knock everyone else down… does that really make you feel better about yourself?
Do you want to complain about his choice of shirt color while you’re at it?
This guy is a good appointment to audit the EB-5 fiasco, since he must be good with numbers.
Craig, thank you for pointing out something I was thinking about. With all his experience, education and knowledge (according to this resume) why did he choose to move to Flandrab, SD and manage an Indian Casino?
I will tell you why, because his resume is written on 1-Ply, truck stop toilet paper.
I got a little nervous when they started bringing up all his public activities, then showed this white dude running the casino. Indian and Republican? Isn’t that against some chili feed rule?
Craig, sometimes, you need to laugh, and pull off your granny pants assumptions. Maybe Chuck is kickass, don’t know, and really don’t fucking care.
In 2007 the flandreau tribe sued the state for more gambling. In 2011, the same year jones took over the royal river casino, dooregard, a gambling proponent, doubled the casinos slot machine capacity to 500.
Meanwhile, Indian gaming has helped some tribes but done little to change the economic conditions on most reservations. Poverty and addictions still run rampant as ever. Jones had done little or nothing to change that reality. Republican thru and thru.
The guy plays guitar in a cover band…so hey…he’s sorta kick ass! Chuck is a really good guy…honestly wasn’t aware he was a repub, based on limited encounters. Assume he’s moderate/not tea party affiliated. Anymore in SD, moderate republicans are like green party lefties in comparison to the extremes of some of the tea party folks.
Know little of the guy myself. But the royal river deal, gambling in general, and ties to dogard and the republican party, tell me he is no Charles Eastman.
DL: “With all his experience, education and knowledge (according to this resume) why did he choose to move to Flandrab, SD and manage an Indian Casino?”
Perhaps you should ask him? Maybe he has family in the area or a strong desire to work with his tribe in an effort to improve conditions? Maybe his wife liked the area and wanted to come back or perhaps he thought it was a nice place to raise his children instead of some of the larger cities he spent time in during his military career. I’m not about to chastise the guy for sticking close to home especially when we don’t know why.
DL: “I will tell you why, because his resume is written on 1-Ply, truck stop toilet paper.”
What does this even mean? Are you suggesting his military service or education is meaningless?
DL: “I got a little nervous when they started bringing up all his public activities, then showed this white dude running the casino. Indian and Republican? Isn’t that against some chili feed rule?”
I’ve learned long ago that you can’t judge someone’s racial ancestry based upon skin color, and political affiliation shouldn’t be tied to race but rather political platform and ideals.
DL: Craig, sometimes, you need to laugh, and pull off your granny pants assumptions. Maybe Chuck is kickass, don’t know, and really don’t fucking care.”
Here is my problem DL – you seem to pick out the one or two things you don’t like about someone and use that as a platform to attack them or belittle them. Look at the very title of this blog post… it says “Governor Daugaard Appoints Casino Manager to Legislature”. It doesn’t say “Appoints Republican” or “Appoints Veteran” or “Appoints a Member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe”.
Do you really only define people by their careers? Or perhaps you only do so when it is a career you don’t admire. I’ve seen you do the same (dozens of times) to Mayor Heuther as if everything else the man has ever done really doesn’t matter because he worked for a sub-prime credit card company.
There is no assumption on my part DL – the evidence is clear in your own word choice. You admit you don’t know the first thing about this man and you even admit you don’t care… all you do seem to care about is whatever angle allows you to complain about and/or attack someone.
What if everyone defined you by your employment… would that be fair? Should people just ignore your political involvement and your art and your community activism and just say you really don’t matter because you work as a waiter? Hardly seems like that tells the whole story now does it.
If you wish to call Jones out on his positions then that is fair. If you wish to question his experience that is fair too, but to call him out because he works for a Casino or because he looks like a “white dude”? Come on… you can do better.
I knew I would get a ‘novel’ response from you with my ‘snarky’ post.
I’m sure the job pays really well, that’s why he works there, good for him. As for his military service, kudos, but how does that qualify him for the legislature? It bothers me when people think that since someone has military experience it makes them more qualified to be in office. What about people who have volunteered for the Red Cross, or worked in the Peace Corp?
I don’t define people who serve in politics by their career unless their career is a conflict to that service. Obviously, running the state’s largest Indian Casino and being on the state legislature could have it’s conflicts, and if you can’t see that, I feel sorry for you. Just like a guy who worked for Denny Sanford ripping poor people off is now our mayor, he’s turning out to be quite the ‘conflict of interest.’ As I warned people, naming every public institution in town after a man who made billions on the backs of people who are in a financial pickle.
The only thing I found completely ironic about all this is that Doogard drug his feet for months on this appointment, and the best he could dig up was the GM of a Casino. Really?
Once again, Craig, you are making mountains out of mole hills over the little things, when his conflict is so glaring it almost burns through my computer screen.
“As for his military service, kudos, but how does that qualify him for the legislature?”
For starters it shows sacrifice and service to others. Depending upon their role it can also show proven leadership and an understanding of command structure. It can also give you a good idea of a person’s character because if they were involved in something less than honorable, they would probably have a dishonorable discharge associated with them. Heck – it can even show patriotism, honor, and loyalty. All things that should be important in a lawmaker.
Is it always a sure-fire indicator someone will make a good leader? Obviously not. But at least it gives us a start.
“It bothers me when people think that since someone has military experience it makes them more qualified to be in office. What about people who have volunteered for the Red Cross, or worked in the Peace Corp?”
It depends upon the role. If there was a leader in the Red Cross or Peace Corp then I’d say that can be a great indicator of their potential as well. However like it or not, when someone gives their life to defend our freedoms and is willing to put their own life on the line, it is probably going to be more of a factor than someone who went to Peru for six months to build a school. However – for me personally it has more to do with showing a proven track record of leadership. An enlisted soldier who never advanced beyond E-4 is not going to be able to rely upon leadership skills like an officer who retired as an O-7.
“I don’t define people who serve in politics by their career unless their career is a conflict to that service.”
Everyone has conflicts. However you still have a chip on your shoulder about our Mayor even though he left the private sector. So Jones is GM of a Casino – so what? How about you wait until he tries to vote on or draft legislation that has anything to do with gambling or casinos before you assume he will abuse his power.
“Once again, Craig, you are making mountains out of mole hills over the little things, when his conflict is so glaring it almost burns through my computer screen.”
What conflict? Presently there is none unless you have a time machine and can prove he does something unethical in 2016.
We elect ranchers are farmers and our legislature works on agriculture programs. We elect school administrators and the legislature works towards education funding. We elect doctors and our legislature deals with medicaid funding. We even elect pastors while the legislature deals with issues like abstinence education funding, abortion, and tax policy for non-profits.
This is what we deal with when we have part-time legislators. They all have ‘real jobs’ and yes sometimes those real jobs are at odds with their legislative duties. When there is a clear conflict by all means they should recuse themselves and remain impartial… but the least we can do is wait until they step over the line before we get excited.
Chapter 6…
Just kidding. Let’s give Jones a chance and see what happens. He might do something you actually agree with… stranger things have happened.
Craig. You’d have to be damn naive or damn young to believe this guy is going to anything other than a rubber stamper for doregard.
http://my605.com/pierrereview/?p=9824
Craig, not gonna hold my breath.