Thune’s case reminds me of a line in “Please,” a poem by American poet Robert Creeley: “Poor. Old. Tired. Horse.” In kindness, what can we do but wish the depleted pol, peddler of shoddy policies, a peaceful senescence and put him out to pasture, where, blithely oblivious to the impending crises, he can continue feeding upon the common fodder.”
Speaking of old horses (or at least people who may or may not fall off of them on occasion) it seems the snow queen’s justification for sending National Guard troops to the Texas border was just a line of horse puckey;
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem described the U.S. border with Mexico as a “war zone” last year when she sent dozens of state National Guard troops there, saying they’d be on the front lines of stopping drug smugglers and human traffickers.
But records from the Guard show that in their two-month deployment, the South Dakota troops didn’t seize any drugs. On a handful of occasions, they suspected people of scouting for lapses in their patrols, but mission logs don’t contain any confirmed encounters with “transnational criminals.” And a presentation from the deployment noted that Mexican cartels were assessed to be a “moderate threat” but were “unlikely” to target U.S. forces.
But didn’t we already know that? It’s unbelievable to me that Noem can be this corrupt and dishonest and actually be leading in polls. Any sane electorate would have sent her and Thune packing years ago. Unfortunately, this is as good as it gets in SoDak.
It may be a running joke in the comments section of this blog, but lately I have been hearing from Democratic and Republican political insiders that the GOP money machine and other operatives are setting Mayor Paul to be the next senator from South Dakota.
I would assume that Dusty Johnson would run for Governor in 4 years and Paul would run for Rounds seat (assuming he decides not to run).
When I first heard this well over a year ago from a Democratic party rabble rouser, I just laughed, but it seems the chatter in both political parties is at a deafening level.
I think it all become much more clear today when I was sitting on Phillips Avenue watching the 4th of July parade and Mayor Paul came by with a big old truck emblazed with his campaign logo like he was running for something. He is. The US Senate.
Trump’s recent assessment of Thune had me laughing, because it is true. John has been Mitch’s lap dog for a long time, that’s how he got to majority whip. I call him ironic because when he ran against Daschle he claimed Tom’s position of Majority Leader made him forget he was representing South Dakota. How’s that working out for you John?
John has been in Washington for 21 years (Congress 1997-2003, Senate 2005-present). What has he accomplished? Well if you look at his voting record, you could argue that he has done good and bad depending on your political views. In my opinion I think the only thing progressives and conservatives can agree on Thune’s actions is he has been good to veterans. In the Senate he sponsored 740 bills. Most of his bills have to do with military, abortion and agriculture.
• Anti-environmental and agriculture regulations
• Anti-immigration
• Anti-employee and worker rights and safety regulations
• Massive tax cuts to the super rich
While it is probably easy to understand why a red state like South Dakota has continued to re-elect this conservative ass clown, the laws Thune has helped pass have actually kept our state in the stone age. I actually believe Kristi Noem when she says she won’t challenge Thune in a primary and is good friends with him, because they are political twins (I sometimes think they are the same person).
Can Thune be beat in 2022? Most would say NO. I would agree with that assumption in a Republican primary but not in a general. As I told someone once that I was helping to run for office, “Anyone is beatable, but you have to put in the work.” I think if the right candidate presents themselves they could beat Thunebag.
Before I get ahead of myself, I think the first step is the SD Democratic Party recruits someone this summer thru a full vetting and grooming process and announcing the candidacy next Fall. While I think the Democratic brand in South Dakota is extremely damaged, I don’t think a true independent could challenge Thune, they would need the backing of the National Democratic party. I also think you could find someone who is very moderate on the issues and could appeal to the conservatives. They also need to be willing to challenge Thune on all the issues, and be an incredible public speaker. Showing up as a candidate and making a good show of it is half the battle. If you roam around the cornfield and talk like a dolt, what’s the point? This is why recruitment is key to beating Thune. The campaign will be the easy part if you pick the right person.
Trump is right, it’s time for Thune to pack it up, but we need to replace him with a Democrat not another Republican lackey. I hope the Democratic Party in South Dakota gets moving on this . . . today!
All I can say is ‘BRAVO’ to Dusty to have the courage to wear a mask and not be worried about being shamed. Of course he was in the back row and not sitting with Rounds and Thune on the president’s stage. I guess Rounds was wearing a mask to but took it off before the Great Pumpkin showed up.
A lot of people took notice also that the governor must have been hitting the weights, the tanning booth and popping the water pills in preparation for the big night. It’s funny how she had time to get her appearance perfect but couldn’t memorize a couple of minute speech. Oh, that’s right, it’s only about appearance with these folks, substance is for another day.
I had to laugh while watching this DTSF Rotary FB video of ThuneHaken,
with his facial hair and ‘sneakers’ (a cross between Bass orthopedic and Airwalk, not laughing, I will need them soon). Seems he has been hanging out with someone for a little to long.
UPDATE: Governor Noem just announced Paul and her are asking for a 14 day closure and pay the workers during this time period. And how are they proposing this to Smithfield? In a letter.
A letter doesn’t mean squat. They have the power to use the state and city health departments to force a closure LEGALLY!
If they don’t want to pay the workers, they can collect unemployment. Why is it so hard for these people to figure this out?! Letters and stern requests don’thold up in court and don’t mean a pile of hog crap.
Noem was asked by Bob Mercer, what would happen if they reject the letter. Noem said they will take ‘further action’. Which means they will do nothing.
Another reporter asked if the State would be financially supporting the workers if Smithfield decides not to. She smugly said ‘NO’. What great Christian values a day before Easter.
Paul said the letter was ‘stiffer’. Stiffer than what? A wet paper bag?
PTH keeps pushing this idea, that he kind of vaguely revealed came from Smithfield management, that the employees have been spreading this virus amongst themselves outside of the plant. Sure, if all the employees lived in barracks together. They don’t. We know this is being spread at the workplace in close working conditions. I’m not a scientist, but I think I know how viruses are transmitted easily. To keep pushing this, now twice, is irresponsible.Knock it off!
Paul was asked the same question about if they rejected the letter. He said he hopes they do and brings up that they cannot in a Democracy legally shut them down. They can, this is poppycock.
Todd Epp asks if Smithfield has been a good corporate partner by not being transparent. Paul goes into a rant about how this is the Union’s duty to protect the workers. Hey Paul, they have been trying for weeks, and you have done nothing.
Epp also asked why isn’t Smithfield at these press conferences being transparent? I will answer that question. It is NOT in their best interest.
The hospitals clarified you cannot get a test unless you have a doctor’s order. WTF!!!!!!!Trump has said anyone can get a test. Really?
Paul went into a strange rant about how if someone has Covid, authorities have the power to make them quarantine, but somehow they don’t have the power to close businesses. Huh? That makes no sense at all.If you legally force individual people to stay home, you can legally shut down businesses. In fact I would argue, individuals have more constitutional rights than privately owned companies, especially ones owned by foreign communists.
BTW, no one was wearing masks at the presser.
Another reporter asks when they expect to hear an answer from Smithfield. I guess I would have gave them a call instead of sending a ‘letter’. And PTH says he didn’t talk to the CEO of Smithfield’s today. Huh?
I think that closing the plant for 3 days is some kind of sick joke (no pun intended). The plant not only needs to close indefinately until the virus passes, it needs to pay all of it’s employees during that time period and cover all medical expenses associated with covid treatment and care.
As you can see from this story, workers have been begging anyone who would listen that there needed to be an intervention at the plant;
Weeks before the announcement that Smithfield foods had become a coronavirus hot spot, employees were asking for more protection during the pandemic. Kooper Caraway is the President of the Sioux Falls AFLCIO.
“Secondary screening for folks with elevated temperatures, staggered lunch schedule, practicing social distancing on different shifts, and whatnot. The workers and their local union leadership have been pushing for these things for a month and it hasn’t been until the last week since management has started to implement these things,” said Caraway.
South Dakota Voices for Peace Attorney Taneeza Islam says most employees don’t see an option to walk away.
“They live paycheck to paycheck. If they quit or walk out they are not eligible for unemployment assistance, and that’s really what the choice is, right? Do I feed my family, or do I expose myself to COVID and then go home and expose my family to COVID,” said Islam.
As you can see, people have been trying to mitigate a pending crisis. Where was our governor and mayor? They have argued that Homeland Security has classified them as ‘essential’ but we all know, that Noem and Thune have a direct line to the president’s desk and could have closed the plant weeks ago or at the very least make them (and other manufacturers in SF) to implement strict safety precautions outlined by the CDC and Union reps.
This mess (which will soon spread to other manufactures and families throughout our city) shows the utter lack of leadership on a local level, something I have warned about for the last month.
Mayor TenHaken could have made a directive to have the health department go around to these businesses and implement strict guidelines, but instead he decided to tweet about people having a few beers at The Barrel House. He could have also begged the Governor to contact the president and Homeland Security to intervene. In this video, Paul even suggested that the spread may have happened outside of the plant, WHAT!
The governor could have intervened also with strict guidelines or could have called the president and Thune to intervene. Instead, Thune faked covid so he could get out of voting on the stimulus bill (that’s the rumor going around) and has done nothing to protect South Dakotans, but that’s normal for him, the biggest do nothing senator in the history of the state.
But what makes this even more egregious is that we are allowing a company owned by Chinese investors from a communist nation tell our government what they are going to do. The irony is that Noem has argued putting in a directive to stay at home would look communist, all the while communists are running the show. I know, if it weren’t tragic it would be laughable.
I’m asking everyone to boycott pork products until the crisis is over. Sorry, but bacon isn’t an essential to the security and safety of our country. Unfortunately our local elected leaders are proving they are the real threat to our safety and security.
Sen. John Thune, chairman of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, was a featured speaker at an Axios-hosted event about innovation in America’s cities. Thune discussed South Dakota’s role in helping America win the race to 5G mobile broadband technology and his efforts to spur technology, spectrum availability, and innovation by way of legislative initiatives like his MOBILE NOW Act, which became law in 2018, STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act, and AV START Act.
Who are we ‘racing’ against? All I see is the telecoms battling it out to see who can produce this technology the fastest, but the benefits to consumers is questionable. We already know that ethernet is 100x faster than any wi-fi connection (as well as safer, health, data security, etc.). So why the rush? Thune tries to explain that;
South Dakota Leadership:
“What I hope to do is to be able to see rural areas benefit from [5G] as well,†said Thune. “I think a lot of it will have to do with the individual communities … We have a new, young mayor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who is very aggressively working to make sure that Sioux Falls and that South Dakota is on the map when it comes to fifth generation technology, looking at ways to lower barriers and impediments to that type of investment, and seeking partners who will help join in that effort.â€
Mayor TenHaken hasn’t worked ‘aggressively’ – he was forced into this through the new FCC rules that now are being challenged in Federal court. Our own city attorney has confessed that the city had NO CHOICE but to go along with Federal guidelines. That can be done with little effort. The mayor, his administration and the city council rolled over like a dog.
“I think the companies that are going to invest in this are going to be looking for those cities and states that have a progressive view of how we get there and make it easier, not harder to develop that. Like I said, the city of Sioux Falls is really leading on that. Our municipal league in South Dakota has come up with a sort of a standard ordinance that municipalities can adopt that again would enable investment and build-out. I think we have to make it easier, not harder when it comes to the role that governments play if we want to see this really develop quickly.â€
The National League of Cities has come out against the 5G rollout, not because they are opposed to the new technology but because the Feds are overstepping their authority of local control and what cities can do to regulate 5G and what fees they can charge.
“In a state like South Dakota, we have a lot of rural telephone cooperatives and smaller companies that are making investments, and there are programs that are available that provide incentives for them to do that. We have a company called Golden West Telecom in western South Dakota, which is where I’m from, and they’ve done a great job – have figured out how to leverage some of the federal opportunities that are available, and they’ve built out a lot and are continuing to build out, and we want to incentivize that.â€
When Thune talks about ‘leveraging’ federal opportunities, what he is saying is TAKING ADVANTAGE. One of the reasons rural communities have poor cell service is because many of those towns asked to be fairly compensated for using taxpayer properties (like water towers) for antenna usage, and many of the telecoms refused to pay fair compensation.
Innovation’s effect on industries:
“I mean, the productivity gains are going to be enormous in so many sectors of the economy – agriculture of course being one that’s important in our state, but telemedicine, telehealth, I mean, that has life-saving opportunities. You heard about ‘smart cities’ and reducing congestion – you know, the amount of pollutants we’re putting into the environment. There are some enormous gains that are out there for us, but it is going to take a competitive, free market approach to this where everybody is in there trying to do their best to win the race.â€
Isn’t it IRONIC that Thune talks about the ‘health benefits’ of employing 5G while the telecoms asked the FCC to take out the health effects of 5G when it comes to regulation. So which is it John? 5G will make us safer and healthier? We don’t know because the industry refuses to do either extensive studies or chooses to hide them. If you want to argue about the health benefits of 5G, require health studies in the regulation of this technology, or better yet, STFU.
The day to day stress of being a police officer can be difficult to manage. Which is why the Sioux Falls Police Department is developing a new program to help officers with their mental health.
It's an exciting time at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls. Not only is it celebrating its 60th anniversary, the zoo is also celebrating the births of six new red wolf puppies.
