Michael Myers doesn't think South Dakota is being run well. The independent candidate for governor says people he talks to think the Daugaard Administration is not being honest about misconduct in the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the EB-5 visa investor program. Myers smells cover-up:
People on the street have told me they are skeptical of efforts by both the Daugaard and Rounds administrations to distance themselves from a program that delivered millions of dollars from foreign investors into the South Dakota economy.... And they are particularly concerned that the office of the attorney general is being used as a shield [Michael Myers, campaign press release, 2013.11.22].
Myers guarantees Dennis Daugaard won't set foot on a debate stage with him next fall by asking these questions:
- Where is the money, upwards of $70 million?
- Who got the money and who has it now?
- Are we to believe that contracts involving millions of dollars passed through state government without a review by its lawyers and staff?
- Aren't they simply investigating themselves?"
- Where is the legislative oversight?
- Is not the preliminary autopsy report on the death of Richard Benda suspect?
- When can we expect a full report and accounting? [Myers, 2013.11.22]
If we have any hope finding out the truth about the use of state economic development funds and foreign green card buyers' money in shaky South Dakota businesses like the Veblen dairies and Northern Beef Packers, we will need more candidates like Myers who are willing to take the heat for asking such uncomfortable questions.
Candidate Michael Myers poses seven of the eight most important questions in the upcoming gubernatorial (and by extension), the legislative election. The eighth? What is going to be done to ensure a fiasco like this will not happen again?
Pie in the Sky thoughts: Sometimes I really wish we had a multi-party system to compete against each other in providing a better product and candidates. It's obvious this basically one party rule in our state for such a long time is a very unhealthy form of government. I'm a new to this being an outsider I guess but it seems like Democrats are an endangered species here in SD. lol There about as plentiful as the pheasants seen this past hunting season. I'm looking at what it would take get our story out there to build the party starting with for example young Democrats to provide like a feeder system and eventually have an abundance or well qualified candidates, public servants or whatever. Creating a real opposition contributing to the checks and balances of a healthy and transparent government. I'm just looking at the number of Democrats in our Legislature for example.
Sorry posted in the wrong thread below and mean't it for here. I need more coffee this morning ^^^^^ lol
Lynn, It will take Democrats acting like Democrats again and not being Republican Light in order to reestablish the Democrat Party in SD. The State party has taken its signals from the national party and follows right along moving further to the right each and every year. If you read "What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America", you realize that nothing has changed since that book was written.
With the number of jobs lost, debt increase because of tax cuts, jobs lost and fighting wars, the debacle of a frozen Congress and after more than 60 years of trying, something being done to rain in the cost of health care, most of which can be laid at the feet of the Republican party, there should not even be a contest in elections, the Dems should win every time. But because they will not stand up to what the extreme right wants and does, but actually move closer each time to the extreme right's position, the parties are indistinguishable.
Mike needs to find about how Daugaard protects his bureaucrats against the public such as DCI and Dravland in Homeland Security. That needs to be investigated and I have the documents he needs to do it. If Mike thinks he can win on the standard issues, he will lose. He needs to take them on in the cover-ups.
Well said, Lanny. But the parties are indistinguishable because the Democrats are milquetoast road kill. Few Republicans in SoDak have ever seen or heard a liberal (a proud moniker) stand up to them rhetoric to rhetoric, insult to insult. That's why they resort to childish name calling and back down when challenged. Sometimes you just have to stand up and punch the bully in the damn nose! Don't be concerned with what conservatives think of you because they rarely think of anything but themselves.
Mark, that eighth question should be the first question every legislator is asking right now, with respect to action the Legislature can take in the upcoming session.