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Robinson Adds Terrorism to Reasons to Raise Minimum Wage

Corinna Robinson speaks to Lincoln-Union County Democratic potluck, Beresford, SD, 2013.10.19. Photo credit: Lorri May.
Corinna Robinson speaks to Lincoln-Union County Democratic potluck, Beresford, SD, 2013.10.19. Photo credit: Lorri May.

Corinna Robinson made her first public speech as a Democratic candidate for South Dakota's U.S. House seat last night in Beresford. I'm sure she said more than this, but that Sioux Falls paper runs just two sentences from her speech... one of which has the Bosworthesque ring of trying too hard to stretch one's résumé to cover the job:

Robinson also cited her experience in counterterrorism as a way to back the state Democratic party’s efforts to raise the minimum wage.

“I knew firsthand that we could get on top of a lot of issues with minimum wage, so people can get jobs so they don’t have to commit crimes so they don’t have to get into terrorist groups,” Robinson said [Nick Lowery, "Veteran Corinna Robinson Touts Experience in Run for Congress," that Sioux Falls paper, 2013.10.20].

I'll cede this one point to Pat* and shout Fumble! Robinson's expertise as an anti-terrorism expert is not central to the debate over raising the minimum wage.

We hardly have terrorists in South Dakota, let alone folks driven to terrorism by our low wages. I Google around for examples of terrorists in South Dakota and come up really short of examples that could support Robinson's claim:

  • Self-proclaimed former terrorist Walid Shoebat makes good money coming to South Dakota to make anti-Islam speeches that win him the praise of our conservative wingnuts. But Shoebat appears to be stretching his résumé.
  • A financially and academically stressed Mines student wrote a terroristically threatening letter in April 2012. He was expelled and ended up working fast food... which suggests toying with terrorism could lead you to making minimum wage.
  • Various South Dakota public officials and reporters want you to believe that opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline and Powertech uranium mine. Regardless of our income, we have committed no acts of violence in our campaign against extractive corporate violence.
  • Rep. Kristi Noem did real damage to real people and voted to blow up the global economy in an effort to substantially impair public services and influence the policy of our government, thus almost meeting South Dakota's statutory definition of terrorism, but she makes much better than minimum wage. (Corinna! Make this point!)
  • Noem's example makes me think that the real risk of terrorism comes from ignorance, not income. But one National Bureau of Economic Research working paper contends that the link between terrorism and economic factors is weak at best. Politics, not economics, motivate terrorists. Terrorist groups, says the working paper, are more likely to recruit well-educated operatives, not impoverished illiterates. (Dang: if that's the case, South Dakota Republicans could contend that their policies to keep South Dakotans poor and dumb reduce the chances of terrorism!)

Trying to win votes by scaring voters into seeing terrorists around every corner is a Republican trick. Democrat Robinson should avoid going down that road and focus on the core reason to raise the minimum wage: our commitment to human dignity and even free market fairness demand that citizens who put in a full day's work deserve a wage that takes care of their families.

Now, someone get me a transcript of the rest of Robinson's speech!

*Please do note the irony of Pat Powers dinging a candidate for stirring fears of terrorism even as he manufactures fear of animal rights terrorists.

25 Comments

  1. interested party 2013.10.20

    Cory, neither you nor Pat has a clue about the underground in South Dakota and yes, raising the minimum wage could ease the grip some groups have on their members.

    Wake up, people.

  2. jerry 2013.10.20

    Maybe what she was implying was that what she has seen, in her professional field. The main problem with how the populace works with terrorists is because they are hungry and poor without a living wage, so they have no stake in their country and they see no future. This causes much anger and anger equals support for those who would say that they could alleviate that problem with their support. I would not say that she means dealing with terrorists in South Dakota, she could mean it in a much larger national context. If you look at recent world events, the uprisings have not had to do with anything other than hunger and poverty. You cannot alleviate either one without raising the minimum wage to be proud of the country you live in and be able to raise your family with some sense of pride in ownership.

    We have just witnessed a similar scenario with Ted Cruz raising the big money by soliciting money and devotion from supporters by giving the same reverse spiel. That terrorism is not blowing up buildings, it is blowing up the entire economy, what is the difference?

    I hope to be able to see what she said in its entirety.

  3. interested party 2013.10.20

    I don't believe in terrorism: but there are groups and individuals frustrated with American imperialism and its implications. Unless despair is eradicated nothing will stop the Monsantos, the Dakota Voices and the Syngentas from destroying the state.

  4. Rick 2013.10.20

    I cringed when I saw that, Cory. As with our good Madville Times friend Stace Nelson, I hate seeing fantastic political potential snuffed out because a candidate jumped into a race without being prepared and getting some sound professional advice to set up a competent campaign. Here it is:

    1. Write out what you think this election is all about with three brief, poignant bullet points. Check this out with your campaign savvy advisors to make sure these work in a campaign and resound with voters. What do latest instate polls say? Don't stray from these points. If someone wants to discuss something else, bring the conversation back immediately to one or all three points because that's what this election's all about. It's important to think, write and develop a discipline here on your message, Corinna, because gaffes that link terrorism with the minimum wage come from being unprepared and undisciplined. You learned this from your 25 years in the armed forces. Why do you think it doesn't apply in a campaign?

    2. Hire smart, experienced people for the following roles first: Campaign manager, (instate and national) fundraiser and press ops. Stace made the mistake in his list of acquiring a lot more than these three, and still hasn't filled these positions which leaves him exposed to gaffes and fatal errors. Be picky and stay away from adrenaline junkies and people who picture themselves as the hero of their every story.

    3. Spend 75 percent of your time on the phone calling donors, start with a high dollar figure and work your way down. Keep records daily of everyone you call and always, always, always send thank you cards if they gave or pledged, and thank you emails for their time and advice. The other 25 percent of your time gets spent making speeches, appearing at coffee events (to raise money!) and going to REA dinners, bowling alleys, coffee shops and anywhere there are numbers of real people who vote.

    4. Smile a lot (even on the phone) and hug people you know. People really want you to win, Corinna, but you have to be the center of all the fun. Your campaign manager will be the center of all the work. Don't be the campaign manager. Be the candidate.

    This gets easier with time. Just set up the campaign the right way. Hire the top three positions first. Develop the discipline. Stay on message and don't stray down the blind alleys and rabbit holes where reporters and your opponents wait for the gotchya moment. Just like the Argus reporter did.

    Your opponent has destroyed her edge in this campaign. She is lazy, indifferent to her responsibilities, increasingly acts entitled and after all this time in office in Pierre and Washington, is making incredibly stupid statements and votes. Her patsies are making racket about your bobo on blogs and other social media because their candidate has made a nationally famous mistake which should cost her the next election. And we still don't have a damn farm bill from a congresswoman who allegedly comes from a farm.

    You will do better in Congress. But first, you must be the smarter, harder working candidate.

  5. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.20

    Baloney, Larry. Show me the underground. Show me the groups gripping their impoverished members. Show me what they've blown up or burned down. Show me the connection to the minimum wage. Show me the real policy impacts.

  6. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.20

    Jerry, the NBER report I link says that narrative of poverty and despair leading to terrorism is not true. The September 11 attackers weren't economically marginalized, were they?

  7. interested party 2013.10.20

    Billings, Miles City and Jordan, Montana. Lame Deer, Cherry Creek, Porcupine...it goes on.

  8. interested party 2013.10.20

    The 9/11 attackers were Mossad operatives.

  9. jerry 2013.10.20

    CAH, the attacks on 9/11 were not due to minimum wage, they were due to American troops being based in Mecca as the main catalyst. These were deeply indoctrinated men, some of whom came from poverty, that carried out the attacks. As we all know the mastermind of this plot was a multimillionaire that found his followers not in the elite but in the populace, my opinion.

    I do not have a clue on what this lady meant as we shall have to see the text in its entirety to formulate an opinion. With a couple of sentences, it is difficult. I am merely suggesting a possible explanation to what she said as to her professional work as a member of the military.

    The Arab Spring that I referred to as world events, had to do with hunger and poverty, simple as that. The youth population in that part of the world has exploded and the few jobs being offered, do not pay a living wage. I read as much as I can possibly read on many subjects of interest and this is one of those. I have said many many times that by not having a wage that keeps in line with what the cost of living rises to, is detrimental to the economy as well as to the well being of the entire country. Here is something of what others say about the root causes of the Arab Spring, mind you, that is not America, but it is possible that it could happen here.

    http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanrightsdemocracy/tp/The-Reasons-For-The-Arab-Spring.htm

  10. Bill Dithmer 2013.10.20

    Wow Jerry what a great read.

    "The Arab world has a long history of struggle for political change, from leftist groups to Islamist radicals. But the protests that started in 2011 could not have evolved into a mass phenomenon had it not been for the widespread discontent over unemployment and low living standards."

    "The economic situation could stabilize over time under a competent and credible government, but by the end of the 20th century most Arab dictatorships were utterly bankrupt both ideologically and morally."

    "Economic hardships can be tolerated if the people believe there is a better future ahead, or feel that the pain is at least somewhat equally distributed."

    "The key to the mass appeal of the Arab Spring was its universal message. It called on the Arabs to take back their country away from the corrupt elites, a perfect mixture of patriotism and social message. Instead of ideological slogans, the protesters wielded national flags, along with the iconic rallying call that became the symbol of the uprising across the region:"

    "The first mass protest in Egypt was announced on Facebook by an anonymous group of activists, who in a few days managed to attract tens of thousands of people. The social media proved a powerful mobilization tool that helped the activists to outwit the police."

    "The response of Arab dictators to the mass protests was predictably awful, going from dismissal to panic, from police brutality to piecemeal reform that came too little too late."

    I cant put my finger on it but there is something familiar about these statements.

    The Blindman

  11. owen reitzel 2013.10.20

    PP is now claiming that he can't find her voter registration

  12. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.20

    Oh really? Has Pat applied the same scrutiny to Annette Bosworth's voting record?

  13. owen reitzel 2013.10.20

    I bet he hasn't Cory.

  14. grundznick 2013.10.20

    Jerry aren't you really saying "give me more money because I just want it or I will go criminal and riot?"

    That's not a good reason, Jerry. You need to get out and work harder like the rest of us did when we were young.

  15. interested party 2013.10.20

    Anyone listening to 100 Eyes for the last several months hears that even Sioux Falls is home to a culture of violence and not just because firearms are part of it. Defense systems and their allied industries have a long term effect on South Dakota as long as they enjoy federal contracts. Killing is woven into survival into money into generations: even Democrats get that.

  16. interested party 2013.10.20

    You can bet that the close relationship between Brendan Johnson and Marty Jackley, and not just because of what their offices have shared on the human trafficking caseload, has uncovered stuff that could fall under the 'War on Terror' statutes that keeps the money coming for decades.

  17. grudznick 2013.10.20

    what is 100 eyes? Whatever it is Mr. Larry you are wearing too many layers of tinfoil and some of them were once wrapped around taters baked in charcoals.

  18. interested party 2013.10.20

    There is a long-running conflict between the Banditos and the Vagos clubs that spills onto the reservations and into Sturgis, Deadwood, and throughout the Front Range. The scope is massive and worth billions to the stakeholders.

  19. jerry 2013.10.20

    I worked plenty hard Mr. Grundznick all of my life. I got paid for it too and am not complaining. Here is what I know. I know that working people are not muggers. We only want a fair shake, nothing more and certainly nothing less. In the construction business that I know, we were paid 10 bucks and hour in the mid 70's. We could buy a new volkswagon fastback car, right off the showroom floor for just over 2 thousand dollars, get a house and make $145.00 payments, purchase food and save for children's education. Fast forward to today and you still are paid 10 bucks an hour in jobs on the construction site. That Volkswagon fastback is gonna cost you over 20 thousand and the property tax on your crib is gonna be over 200 bucks a month for sure. Food is through the roof and saving moolah for your kids to go to school, impossible.

    Working people are not muggers, they are just figuring out that the game is rigged and they do not have much of a chance if any to get out of the poverty cycle. Your analogy is not about the common decency of the working people that made this country strong, yours is about protectionism for the wealthy to continue to suck all of the resources off the backs of workers efforts. Now you may smirk at all of this and think that what she said is a lot of nonsense, but I am gonna remind you of something important. The worst act of terrorism that was done prior to 9/11 was done by an ex American soldier at the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. McVeigh and his cohorts did not do this because of minimum wage, they did it out of hatred for the government. You can build anything you want into this act, but the fact is, we have plenty of that in America right now. Do we want to do everything we can to prevent it? You bettcha. Will providing our working poor the necessary wages to stay ahead possible temptations, absolutely. Nothing beats a failure but a try. We need to raise this wage and we need to do it now. If you are a businessman, you know perfectly well that the key to good help is to pay them and treat them with the respect they treat you. It is basic business 101, stop screwing the help.

  20. Deb Geelsdottir 2013.10.20

    The best place to find info regarding domestic terrorism is the Southern Poverty Law Center. splc.org

  21. Curtis Price 2013.10.20

    I'm afraid most of the terrorists you'll find in these parts are friends of Operation Rescue and sympathizers. There's pretty good evidence they are out there, but thank goodness this isn't like Kansas.

  22. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.22

    Indeed, Jerry, that Rapid City drew a lot of literal terrorist fire in the 1990s. Is there any way to determine whether those hateful actions were motivated or even exacerbated by economic pressures?

  23. jerry 2013.10.22

    No CAH, there is really no way to say that this was motivated by anything other than a terrorist act really against the government. I think what is missed is that when people have been convinced that government is bad, then they can be convinced to act against or support those that would do great damage to what they perceive as legitimate government or in this case, ideological targets. I have always been under the belief that this was done by outside interests that came here at the request of others to prove they could strike anywhere. What I believe is that they received local support in some way shape or form to accomplish what they did.

    I am not suggesting that the local support came from the low wage earners in this case, but it is proven that in many instances where you get the support is from people who are on the low end of the spectrum regarding wages and living conditions that are full of anger because of that. Certainly a living wage that keeps up with the cost of living can make those folks feel like they have more skin in the game and therefore more of a feel for ownership and their dignity. A living minimum wage would help to stimulate growth and thereby stimulate hope to eliminate anger and despair. I would say this, Robinson brings to the table a thought that we all do not wish to think about, but it is possible. That was her job in the military intelligence, and she saw that firsthand I am sure. The anger that is out there is fanned by hate media and just plain racism. It will only subside with jobs and legitimate wages to the workers that do them.

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