No better time then now to investigate Jackley and his role in both of those scandals. I suggest a bipartisan legislative group employ independent counsel to re-open the investigations. I started thinking about this after someone recently sent me this photo of Mike Myers and Lora Hubbel ‘shooting holes’ in the 5-foot branch theory that Richard Benda shot himself.
The Authoritarian Right Wingers really had quite the week pushing their Wacky Radical agenda onto a majority of Americans and South Dakotans that don’t support their ideas;
JACKLEY GETS NOMINATED AS THE GOP CANDIDATE FOR SD ATTORNEY GENERAL
If there ever was a time I wish Jason Rumblestrips didn’t hit and kill Joe Boever, it is NOW. The SD Dem Party must dig deep to find someone to run against this guy. Remember, this is a person who covered up Gear Up and EB-5, and probably numerous other things, and if you think he has changed, you are mistaken. He has an axe to grind, and it won’t be pretty. Ravnsborg may have been a liar, a dope and a killer, but he isn’t a Marty.
NOEM SAYS IT IS A TRAGEDY TO ABORT A BABY CONCEIVED BY RAPE OR INCEST
In one of her more bizarre incidents, Noem said on Face the Nation that victims of rape and incest should be forced to have the child conceived in violence. It was probably one of the most despicable things I have ever heard her say. When she claims to be for Freedom and Liberty then turns around and forces raped children to have a child produced by their attacker, you have to wonder what is going on in her head. Cue the circus music.
ROE VS. WADE OVERTURNED
I even tell my single male friends that this decision will have further implications in the Supreme Court. They are coming for your contraception and partner rights. A majority of Americans support safe and legal abortion clearly showing our SCOTUS is extremely out of touch with Americans.
A TRUMPLICAN GETS NOMINATED AS THE SD GOP CANDIDATE FOR SOS
It’s one thing for this Stop the Steal supporter to get nominated as SOS, but her extremist views on voter registration, religion and all things wacky to the right should scare the Hell out of us. I BEG the SD DEM Party to find a strong candidate to run against Ms. Johnson. What is even more strange is that they booted an incumbent who has done a fairly decent job. My feelings are they booted Barnett because he was trying to make voting easier in SD by supporting online registration and voting by mail. Even the Republicans in this state hate moderate Republicans.
GUN CONTROL TAKES A STEP FORWARD AND A STEP BACK
While the President did sign a bi-partisan bill for more gun control, it was watered down by the Republicans involved in the negotiations. It also did not help that SCOTUS said it was A-OK to carry a concealed weapon Federally not allowing states to regulate the 2nd Amendment. A majority of Americans support comprehensive gun control.
PRIVATE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS CAN RECEIVE VOUCHERS
This is only the case in states that have a voucher program. I am vehemently against vouchers. I have argued that if property tax payers can receive vouchers when choosing to send their children to private schools then I should receive a voucher for choosing NOT to have children. I especially think it is reprehensible to fund religious schools with money meant to go towards public education. The SCOTUS got this one wrong on many levels, as well as their ruling on prayer in schools. SCOTUS is virtually ignoring 1st Amendment rights and Separation of Church and state.
It seems Cory and I were thinking the same thing when the news hit today;
Maybe the Legislature will make its impeachment Special Session a two-fer….
We will get to that in a moment.
From the AP Story (yes, folks, NO ONE in our state or local media uncovered this, it was the AP that had to break the story, so sad) there was one quote that stood out;
While Peters was applying for the certification, Noem should have recused herself from discussions on the agency, especially any that would apply to her daughter’s application, said Richard Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School who was the chief ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush.
“It’s clearly a conflict of interest and an abuse of power for the benefit of a family member,†he said.
For a moment though, let’s move past the abuse of power, the nepotism, the corruption and the conflicts. That’s everyday business for the SD GOP, let’s focus on the possible impeachable offenses;
Bren filed her age discrimination complaint at the end of December and, three months later, received the $200,000 settlement agreement to withdraw the complaint and leave her job. When asked about Bren, Hultman declined to discuss “the specifics of personnel decisions.â€
It’s the use of tax payer resources to silence a whistle-blower that makes this egregious. Forget about the spoiled brats Noem raised and the hillbilly authoritarianism that comes when dumb hicks attain power, that crap has been going on for 50 years in Pierre.
But the spending of our money to cover her tracks is faintly hypocritical considering she beat Jackboots in the primary by exposing his own cover-up and the settlement paid out to a DCI agent he tried to silence.
Yeah, we are starting to see a pattern here.
We all know Noem will walk away from this unscathed and nothing will happen and probably the reason our local media just lets out a big yawn anymore when it comes to government corruption in our state.
While many people may think Noem’s push is about Rumblestrips it’s really about Jackboots;
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota legislative leaders are distributing a petition to lawmakers asking them to support a special session to consider impeaching Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for a car crash last year that killed a pedestrian.
While some would argue it is honorable for Noem to ask for Jason’s resignation, it is really about putting in her own fake incumbent appointee way ahead the 2022 election. It’s no secret that Noem first off wants a puppet in the AG’s office, since she already controls the courts in South Dakota. But she also wants someone who will put up a challenge towards Marty, who I would assume isn’t her BFF.
Noem may also know a lot more about some of the rumors swirling around about Jackboots and some of the stuff he did while directing the DCI . . . GearUp . . . cough, cough . . .EB-5 . . . cough, cough. There is also strange some rumors about his divorce proceedings. In some ways Noem may be trying to protect Jackley, and more likely the state if some of these embarrassing details come out during a campaign.
All that aside, make no mistake, Noem probably dislikes Jackboots more than Rumblestrips and she will do anything to make sure NEITHER is elected.
It seemed everywhere you looked in 2019 in Sioux Falls (and in South Dakota) there were quitters. Whether that was several restaurants closing or the proposed closure of the Sioux Falls Canaries Stadium and Arena, it was the year of the quitter.
Let’s look at some of our local government quitters.
First, on a state level, Stace Nelson threw in the towel due to a combination of health issues and the corruption. Noem’s staff has been quitting at a breakneck speed. You can tell why she is so proud of her relationship with Donald Trump because they are cut from the same cloth. Do and say stupid things and your staff quits. Go figure.
In Sioux Falls we had some communication issues. Mostly with Mayor TenHaken not figuring out how to communicate with the public or the media. His police chief also has that issue (unless he needs to implement a fee on non-profits for festivals). Speaking of that, apparently the city is no longer going to assist with these festivals for free. More quitters.
Mayor Paul has also quit plowing the streets as much and ‘tried’ to quit using city employees for storm cleanup (but perfectly okay to pay them to put up Christmas lights at Falls Park).
We also can’t forget who has personally quit this year, with little rhyme or reason. Paula Hawks (Dem Chair), Aaron McGowan (State’s Attorney), Jason Reisdorfer (Innovative Drinker), and Brian Maher (SFSD Super). Heck even Marty Jackley quit his private law practice (oh and he quit his marriage to);
On October 18, 2019, Marty and Angela were divorced citing irreconcilable differences.
This is why I am flagging 2019 as the year of the quitter. Now if we can just get our president to quit. Come on Donnie, you only have a couple more hours – do the right thing.