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Lowe Criticizes GOP Regime on Medicaid, Education, EB-5, Business

Last updated on 2014.05.20

Joe Lowe has one more day to campaign unchallenged before Sue Wismer shoves the last tax return from her Britton desk and launches her campaign juggernaut campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. How's Lowe spending that precious time? Traveling to Pierre and beating up Governor Dennis Daugaard for his "unconscionable" refusal to expand Medicaid:

Lowe said that if he is elected, expanding the program to cover those who are making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level would be his first priority.

“We are not going to leave 48,000 South Dakotans out in the cold,” he said.

Lowe also called Daugaard’s reason for not expanding Medicaid – that he doesn’t trust the federal government’s ability to pay for the expansion – a “weak, mean-spirited excuse” [David Rookhuyzen, "Gubernatorial Candidate Critical of Daugaard while Campaigning in Pierre," Pierre Capital Journal, 2014.04.15].

...on teacher pay:

“I saw three administrations; I haven’t seen them make education a priority,” Lowe said [Rookhuyzen, 2014.04.15].

...on EB-5:

Lowe said the program didn’t have the necessary oversight and regulation and that an independent investigation needs to be done.

"It’s bad business at best,” he said [Rookhuyzen, 2014.04.15].

...and on economic development:

Lowe said the state needs to focus on developing the workforce it already has, instead of trying to recruit from out of state. He also frequently referred to his time as mayor of Mission Viejo, Calif., a city of nearly 100,000, which he said still has a AAA bond rating.

“Now our governor is still trying to get the state a AAA bond rating, but with some of the fumbles he’s been making lately, I don’t know if he’ll get there,” Lowe said [Rookhuyzen, 2014.04.15].

Lowe also told the Hughes and Stanley County Democrats that he doesn't support legalizing pot or building the Keystone XL pipeline, showing a commitment to opposing unhealthy addictions.

Sue Wismer likely won't disagree much with Lowe's main points here. Wismer and Lowe have a shared mission of pointing out the myriad ways in which 40 years of one-party autocracy have hindered progress and good governance in South Dakota. The question now, as the primary race begins in earnest will be which of them can better achieve that mission.

9 Comments

  1. John Tsitrian 2014.04.15

    I've met with Lowe a couple of times and can attest that he's the real deal. He comes off with the executive-style presence that fits the position he's running for, a take-charge type of guy who I'm pretty sure will buck party and ideology when it comes to making practical decisions about running the state. I wish the charisma-free Wismer would step aside and let Lowe run with this thing, because he needs time to take it to Daugaard, whose leadership has been uninspired and worse, uninspiring.

  2. bret clanton 2014.04.15

    Pat Powers I will make the comment over here...Any way you look at it mocking two people in prayer is in bad taste....sorry if I am a little off topic Cory

  3. larry kurtz 2014.04.15

    It's difficult to imagine Mr. Lowe living in Pierre while Rep. Wismer is already somewhat acclimated to the ditch in which it lies. Please join me and send both of them some money.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.04.15

    (Bret, what did I miss? Who's praying, and who's mocking?)

    Larry, maybe we could get Lowe to govern from a mobile command center. Trick out a big RV with satellite communications and an executive desk, and have the Governor drive all over the state, parking at local grocery stores to meet with citizens and make decisions.

  5. Nick Nemec 2014.04.15

    Cory, go to the Dakota Ministry of Truth and see the political commissar and his many alter egos mocking a photo of certain Senate candidates.

  6. Disgusted Dakotan 2014.04.15

    Pat Powers posted a picture of Rep Nelson praying with Gordon Howie and initially asked for captions. He has been frantically deleting condemning comments, while leaving mocking comments, as fast as he can.

  7. Curt 2014.04.15

    I second Larry's suggestion. Let's help them both and may the surviving challenger have the whole-hearted support of the other to retire DD.

  8. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.15

    I don't have any skin in this game, since I will be voting in the other primary. But, that said, I agree with John. As few Dems as we have in SD, once Lowe announced, Wismer should have never considered running. She had plenty of time to announce before that, and by the time she did announce, the session had started and she should have been supporting her fellow Dem, Kathy Tyler in trying to get an investigation of EB-5 started way before the very end of the session, if you can call that an investigation.

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