Whoo-hoo! After a hull integrity breach and unplanned database-core ejection, the Madville Times is back in action, just in time for Election Night 2012! Warp speed now, Mr. Sulu! Punch it!
So far Dem candidates are taking their predictable beating on the South Dakota statewide ballot, but Governor Daugaard is also getting a stiff kick in the pants on Referred Law 14 (his corporate welfare slush fund) and Referred Law 16 (his ideological school-wrecking plan), which are going down. The Secretary of State is posting results at http://electionresults.sd.gov.
I'm Tweeting the results at https://twitter.com/coralhei, hashtag #SD2012. Anyone hashtagging #kelolandvotes will be mocked mercilessly.
Your comments on the election are welcome here! Pass the popcorn, and fire away!
Pres. Obama winning tonight is proof our that our elections can't be bought, in spite of Citizens United decision. Adelson...take your check book and go home.
I predicted you wouldn't put the blog on the lines again until far after all the regressors on Tax Item 15 left town and the Verileck whiners had all gone back to DC. But good for you, Mr. H, even without the raises you would have gotten with 15 and 16 the winning of Mr. Obama has buoyed your spirits enough to plug your electronic beast in once more.
Good job sir, and thank you for helping to encourage voting. You certainly made sure I rode the bus today.
Knock it off, Grudz. Drop your provocative games-playing and come back to reality.
George, our elections can't be bought... but only if we work really, really hard to stop that sale and put up really smart candidates like Barack Obama.
When you stop rationalizing, sir, I shall stop games playing. IM 15 dies. I sleep a fat happy old man tonight.
You can sleep fat and happy on your President. I simply feel my issue has a more direct affect on my life than your President one does. I am thawing a corndog right now to put in some hot water and eat. It is indeed a night for corndogs.
Don't tax ME for just YOU. That should be a lesson for the fatcats out there.
The defeat of RL14 and RL16 are much more significant. IM15 was a longshot to start with, asking for the public to support a tax increase. But on RL14 and RL16, we saw the people directly reject the pro-corporate, anti-public-education agenda of the Governor and the Republican majority in the Legislature. Gauge my rationalization that way, Grudz: I am more thrilled by the defeat of RL16, which promised me a chance at a much larger raise, than I am disappointed by the defeat of IM15, which even if it had gone toward my salary (I'm pretty sure it would not have) would not have provided me with anything like the size of the RL16 bonuses.
I bet that the 16 thing was just the first twist of the rope and there will be more discussion on it coming up. That didn't bother me much except I would have liked good teachers to get raises and bonuses and things.
The other one that 14 thing that I didn't really understand probably means that money now goes into the big pot that the legislatures get to hand out wherever they want. Where do you think that might go?
And for the record, I would bet my TV dinner that you would have been in the top 20% and also taken up math on the side and rated amongst the best of your peers. I'm just sayin... But it's money in my wallet now.
Our voters would jump at the opportunity to pay more into a true need if funds are guaranteed to go there without theft and deception.
Geo must be celebrating with hi octane thinking this election wasn't purchased with a cost of 1 Bil.
The defeat of 14 costs me nothing. The defeat of 16 saves me money.
If I were a less selfish man I would say that had 14 and 16 passed there would be more money spread to more people who deserved it. But I am old and tired and 15 was the real burr stuck right in the tight spot of my gullet.
You simply do not rob everybody only for a couple of rich fatcat's benefit.
No Penny for T Denny.
BAH. I feel your blog is broken again. Delete whichever of the above you wish, one is truer than the other. My corn dog is ready and I have not enough catsup to slather it in.
I can restore a database; I cannot recode your greasy thumbs.
I'm pretty much okay with all the results so far. I think the balanced budget requirement is a mistake, though. We're responsible enough here in South Dakota not to need such a thing.
I'm glad the sales tax increase appears to have gone down.
A confession: I did finally vote for Romney, even after all my rants against him, but only because I learned that the Republicans had put a firm opposition to a value-added tax (VAT) into their platform.
Yet I think Obama is a pretty good President and we'll do okay with four more years behind him.
It appears Republicans will hold control of the House, which is all right with me, because I'm sort of fearful that an unrestrained Democratic majority could lead to too much quantitative easing with a consequent collapse of the currency.
Now let's see if the two sides really can come together and work out a plan that will make this a stronger nation. Actually, I'm fairly optimistic that it can and will be done.
And they voted to keep parking in Lead ... guess that's okay with me too.
Ho hum. Time for Pink Slime and Diet Dew: the stuff that really matters.
I hope they keep letting you park in Lead, Mr. Gibilisco. I am for parking.
And I hope you cook a tasty burger for yourself, or heat up a meaty pastie before you head to your nerd cave and do all the neat stuff.
Grudz, seriously how much do you eat? lol.
As I set here on Pass Creek I find that my mood isn't that which I thought it would be when I heard that our president had been re elected.
This election has been harder on the American public then any that I can remember. Bringing me to think about how it must have been just before our unfortunate Civil War over a hundred plus years ago.
Sure I celebrate the things that this election stood for. Human rights, and all of those people that have struggled for their share of equality.
I celebrate the masses that voted for this path to the future knowing full well that it is just that, one path. I'm reminded that its like driving to Rapid City from the ranch. You can go west of 44 and get there or you can go to Kadoka and then head west on I90. Both are great drives but it depends on your frame of mine what road you want to take at the time.
I celebrate the vote for women's rights and look forward to the supreme court nominees that will be appointed in the next four years. I feel that this will be the single most important issue in the presidents next term bar none.
And I celebrate the fact that so many people turned out to show that they still believe in this great country by casting their vote, no mater who it was for. It gave us direction and reaffirmed that the US as a whole is not just strong but stronger then the big corporations, special interest groups, and the power brokers from either side of the political isle. And no, I have never voted a straight ticket in my life and didn't this year.
Now for what I think the future will hold for us. I set at a cabin in the badlands in the summer of 2006 and predicted the recession that we are trying to climb out of at this time. It really wasn't that hard. If you looked at China and what was the USSR you could see that we had barrowed money to fight wars that we should have never got involved in.
At the same time China was engaged in their very first experiment into capitalism, along with their large Three Forks Dam project. Those people had and have a hunger for the things that we already have and the only thing keeping them from obtaining it is their huge population. Every year they burn more energy but without the emission constraints. But just as the US did after WWII their quality of life continues to get a little better each time the calendar rolls around.
The only thing keeping China from calling in their markers on the United States is that without their exports into this country they would have almost no income.! But mark my words that time is a coming.
I am going to say that in 2014 our interest rates will go up drastically. It just has to be that way for us to survive but we will survive. And no it wouldn't have mattered who we elected it was going to happen. At that time our artificially enhanced stock market will take another hit, hopefully not as bad as the last, and our economy will again falter.
To continue to grow at that time we need to have a different tax policy in place. One that doesn't give lower rates to big business but gives incentives to bring jobs back to our shores. One that makes it possible to see that money that has been hidden off shore return to expand the economy here at home, and make it harder to hide the next time.
And yes we need to put our military on the table when the cuts are made right along with everything else. I ask this. How much more striking power do we really need? We already have the power to destroy this world we live in many times over. Isn't more just overkill? Do we really need to subsidies our oil interest through our military? That is the true cost of energy in this country, and we are providing that same protection for the rest of the world as well without any compensation. What the f*** is with that anyway?
Its time that we stop supporting countries that spy on us and then expect the US to stop their school yard fights. I don't care who they are there comes a time when big brother has to stop wiping bloody noses and let them learn to get along without the threat that we will get involved in their fights. No country can afford to continue to police the world its that simple.
We have to stop this damn war on drugs and take a page from those countries that have successful drug policies. That one thing would save us billions of dollars and millions of lives. Need I say more? I didn't think so.
And finally we need to rethink our energy policy. Our ethanol industry is a failure. We need to legalize hemp NOW. Its the only crop that can be used for so many different products. And we need to be more aggressive in our solar and wind power projects. We need to find ways to clean up our coal industries and harvest our natural gas in a more responsible manner. And we need to admit that hydraulic fracking is not a solution but is in fact a big problem destroying the most valuable substance on the planet, water.! Without it there is no life. Without it more energy wont do any good. Without it we will stop to exist.
Even doing these things we still have a long long ways to go to fix our problems. Because we have to drag the rest of the planet with us. As we again start to grow it is going to take at least until 2018 before we can expect recovery, if then.
I wish I could be more optimistic, but unfortunately I'm a realest. I'm not the person that can view the world through rose colored glasses, but have to see it in unfiltered stark rays that sometimes brings the image into a clearer focus then I want. NUFF SAID
The Blindman
Can anybody tell me why the voters would re-elect those who voted for and publicly supported RL14 and RL16?
Steve: that is a profound question.
Stan: you went for Romney? Oh well, these things happen. At least you did it for a specific policy reason. Considering Steve's question, I wish more South Dakotans had applied that sort of thinking to their legislative picks.
Perhaps more need to take legislative scorecards more seriously. Odd that Hickey would call scorecards products of liars and then use them on campaign ads to paint himself as an independent. Why would a Christian use what he believes to be lies as truth?
Cory, your blog is very slow to load.
Loaded OK for me. But, GWTC tech and service guys and I spent time and money to get the recent glitches and flakyness out of the connection. New cables, modem-router, etc. Finally they tinkered with their own settings and the world is looking brighter again.
Bill D—that heavy-duty comment took me some time to get to! As I listen to Kristi Noem's same-as-always talking points, I wonder is warranted. Noem has learned nothing from this election and will not seek to learn anything. She has what she wants: attention and power. Everything else is secondary. That self-serving view will address none of the issues you address.
You offer, Bill, a fine example of a clear policy agenda. You offer clear changes from the status quo (dump ethanol for industrial hemp, pull back from being the world's policeman). What can we do to get Noem and her colleagues to have serious conversations about such policies?
Loads great for me. You guys should maybe upgrade your Commodores. LOL.
Browser check: who's reading with what? Michael, are you on IE, Firefox, or Chrome?
Works great for me on IE and Droid browser
Don't forget Safari, Corey... ;-/. Your site appears improved in speed, it has been up and down on for a while. Ok on FF as well.
Lousy on my BB but great with Chrome.
Cory first of all you have to get over the idea that Kristi or anyone like her can help in any way. If wiggling a cute butt, tilting her head and smiling while repeating talking points worked, it would have by now, don't you think? Like myself I suspect that Mrs. Noem has at most a low triple digit IQ and does what she is told.
No this problem needs something that is most definitely unpalatable but none the less needs to be done. We need to start treating those that have moved their businesses to other countries, both the owners and the people that run those companies, like the rats that they are. Lets face it they don't have the best interest of this county at heart. It isn't even about the bottom line anymore, its about profits at any cost to everyone else that lives here. It doesn'tt take to much of a jump here to say that they are intentionally trying to hurt this country and thus should be treated as such.
You ask what can be done? Well lets look at that for a little bit shall we. First going through congress is a waste of time. There are to many people with their hands out and lets face it to many people that are willing to fill those hands up with money for that to be an effective stratigy at this time. I'm not saying that it wont again work in the future but at this time no. The circle of payouts for favors has to be broken for that to work again. That means that trust has to be earned from those elected to the people that elected them.
Sense we cant close the loopholes through congress we need to use the government agencies that are there just for that kind of purpose. The three that come to mind right now would be, the National Security Council, the FBI, from within, and The CIA from outside the country.
Look these people are trying to hurt this country so we have to start treating them like what George W. Bush called "Evil Doers." Treat them like the anti Americans that they are. If this was another place and another time they would , and maybe should be charged with treason.
If they want to enjoy the comfort and protection that this country has to offer they have to pay in one way or another. Give them the opportunity to bring their companies back home by using the apple on a stick. No harm no foul. But if they want to keep going down the same road make it harder and harder to do business not only here but anywhere else in the world as well. Wow that sounds like what we and the rest of the world are trying to do to Iran doesn't it? Same exact thing, only these are our very own people doing this to us. Why? Well that's simple because we allow them to do it.
I started hearing a saying four years ago not long after the President was elected the first time. "We have to take this country back." At the time I didn't understand what they were saying, now I do. We need to put that shoe on the other foot now. The people in this country need to take the US back not through trickle down, but from the ground up. We need to do business with companies that want to work with us not against us.
I know that what I have said sounds radical and complicated. I only have this to say in my defense. We are supposed to be the greatest country in the world. For that matter the greatest country that ever was. Isn't it time that we started acting like that?
The Blindman
Oh, Bill, trust me: I've recognized from the moment she won the primary that Noem can't fix anything. She epitomizes the problem of South Dakota's cognitive dissonance: given ballot measures, we can make some reasonable policy decisions, but faced with a choice of actual people, we lose all sense of policy and vote on image and personality.
"Take our country back"—indeed, that may be the most cynical line in the Tea Party's Newspeak. The corporations, the 1%, the radical right are trying to hold the country to themselves and not share it with the new majority of young/black/brown/gay/secular/immigrant/tolerant. We need to reclaim our country for all Americans, not just the ones who look like Mitt Romney's campaign staff and donors.
It's very slow on Firefox.
John, I've seen that here at home. I wonder what Firefox reads differently?
Don't know, cause it's just Madville Times that loads slowly. There are hints out there to make Firefox load faster, but your blog loads almost immediately with Chrome. Some geek out there must know!