March 2014

Can Huether fill Janklow’s shoes?

l3wis March 23, 2014 15Comments

South Dakota’s original A-Hole politician

Scathing. I told a person this afternoon that I haven’t read a column like this in the Argus since Randell Beck wrote the Dan Scott parody (and they had to settle out of court on that one).

Amazingly, while I have known Mr. Ellis for several years, we don’t exactly ‘hang’ but I was surprised by some of the same observations we have, this one particularly got my gander up;

He isn’t the first politician in South Dakota to exercise politics with brute force. Another guy was Bill Janklow. They come from different backgrounds, but they share similar governing styles. Get in their way, and you’re going to be a victim of blunt force.

It’s something I have coined as the ‘Janklow Complex’ I often tell people that Huether possesses it. It’s this notion that it is okay to treat 50% of the public like dirt as an elected official as long as you are charitable to the other 50%.

It’s the policy of a person weak at heart. Someone who must justify their bad behavior by being good to others. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect. But this isn’t about me, it is about those asked to serve the public.

Don’t believe this most obvious comparison? Take Huether’s financial interests in local development, then think Janklow. Isn’t it amazing how a person (Billy Bob Janks) who worked in public service most of his life became a millionaire? In SOUTH DAKOTA!

Wow. Huether is 2 for 2 in the last couple of days being compared to corrupt Republican politicians. First Mundt, now Janklow.

But let’s get on to the finer points of the article;

It took a little more than a year for Huether to lead a successful effort to build a $115 million events center. It took the council just as long or longer to decide how many chickens residents should be allowed to own.

I busted out laughing on this one, just yesterday at the Listening and Learning session I told people in attendance that our city council was more concerned about chickens then barking dogs, and it took them a year to figure out how many we can own. To which Huether agreed, saying, “That’s true.”

I would not be surprised to one day see a picture of Huether screaming at street crews at a construction site to move a pile of dirt,

Just to note, there is a video floating around of Huether dropping F-Bombs at a street crew on 6th street. Trust me, Detroit Lewis has tried to obtain this elusive video, but no success yet. but I hear it competes with the original South Park movie, except no one is screwing any uncles.