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Potpourri: Ugly Politics, Wage Theft, Job Growth, and the Underdog

Too many tabs open: time to clear the queue! Here's a potpourri of my weekend reading:

1. My friend The Displaced Plainsman offers his take on a fascinating study that finds beautiful people rationalizing their genetic good fortune into a greater acceptance of economic inequality. From a political perspective, that means that if you're looking for a candidate more sensitive to inequality and injustice, you vote for Stace Nelson.

2. Some bosses evidently think they are entitled to enhance income inequality. Washington Post columnist calls for stiffer penalties for wage theft. Hmmm... would server tip-out be a form of wage theft? And do any of South Dakota's pretty politicians care?

3. If you waiters and waitresses are looking for fairer-paying jobs, South Dakota's job outlook isn't too ugly. Moody's Analytics predicts South Dakota will see 6,809 new jobs this year, an increase of 1.62%. Minnesota will see 51,359 new jobs, growth of 1.85%. Tell me again, where's that competitive advantage we get from not doing a state income tax?

4. Speaking of tips, your tips (informational and financial) have helped this blog fight a real David-and-Goliath battle. The Madville Times has apparently been leading the charge against the biggest 2014 Q1 money-raiser in the South Dakota Senate race. My blogging and her fundraising demonstrate either my fearlessness or my ineffectiveness. Maybe both. Onward!

24 Comments

  1. Kal Lis 2014.04.19

    Re: "My blogging and her fundraising demonstrate either my fearlessness or my ineffectiveness."

    You and she who will not be named could also be demonstrating the accuracy of Chris Mooney's observations:

    And that undercuts the standard notion that the way to persuade people is via evidence and argument. In fact, head-on attempts to persuade can sometimes trigger a backfire effect, where people not only fail to change their minds when confronted with the facts—they may hold their wrong views more tenaciously than ever."

    http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney?page=2

    The fault in this instance might not lie in you but in humanity's desire to be right no matter what the facts say.

  2. Bree S. 2014.04.19

    Ahem. Global Warming.

  3. Douglas Wiken 2014.04.19

    Mostly it is the difference between proper science testing and an unthinking attitude toward mythology and a hardcore case of narcissism.

  4. Bree S. 2014.04.19

    Wiken expounds upon narcissism. Lol.

  5. mike from iowa 2014.04.19

    Maybe Cory just needs a daily devotional-I do solemnly swear that today is the day I nail that Doctor to her cross,once and for all. All hail the Spaghetti Monster.

  6. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.04.19

    My 2¢:

    I believe the "Pretty People" thing, bizarre as that thinking is.
    The way wait staff are paid is pitiful. When I eat out I always tip 18%, unless the service is lousy. If I can't afford to tip, I can't afford to eat out.
    Those predominantly big businesses that commit wage theft are simply conscience -free. And shameless.
    MN Republicans keep trying to use taxes as an election issue. Meanwhile, higher taxes continue to be a part of MN's humming economy. Yes, some businesses have moved out. And more highly skilled, better paying jobs come in to replace them.

    I like this summarizing post Cory. Good links too.

  7. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.04.19

    Mike, blogging is my daily devotional.

    Glad you like it, Deb! And somehow, you've got me rapping:

    Tabs fillin' up and chillin' up in my queue.
    Pretty people primp and preen and don't like you,
    Kal Lis my pal is sayin' on his blog.
    Boss won't pay us, he's a capitalist hog.
    But South Dakota makin' jobs, Minnesota more.
    Base Connect's the pimp and Bosworth is the whore.
    Let Annette throw a fit, let us break her mental dam,
    I'm a-checkin' like the bank and a-linkin' like Abraham.

    I blame Dithmer. Word.

  8. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.04.19

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

    "Word? Word?! Word!?¿¡!?" Hahahaha! I think the Blindman is worthy of blame. Why not. WTH.

  9. Tim 2014.04.19

    "And more highly skilled, better paying jobs come in to replace them."
    Deb, I sure wish somebody in SD would figure this out. As I traveled back and forth to one side of the state and back to Rapid I couldn't help but notice all of the help wanted signs all over Sioux Falls as well as Mitchell, Chamberlain and here. Problem was, all of them are minimum wage jobs at McD's and places like that. I don't seem to see many good jobs, unless you want to go to the patch and work. I wonder if this is Daugaards idea of a booming economy in his business friendly environment? I sure hope not, if it is I fear it won't be long before my only remaining child here will be leaving for a living wage, my other two are already long gone. I believe that is another problem Daugaard can't seem to get a handle on.

  10. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.20

    "I blame Dithmer. Word." Cory, is that because of both yours and his feeble attempts at a second campaign song for Mr Weiland?

    Your attempt a poetry here wasn't too bad, but compared to the Blindman, it leaves a lot to be desired.

    Now quite honestly, with my poor attempts at poetry over the years, who am I to criticize? But, just sayin'.

  11. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.04.20

    The biggest paying jobs require an educated workforce. One of the most notable differences between SD and states like MN, WA, NC, OR and others is the high priority placed on education.

    MN has been recently working on two major education issues. One is a big racial difference between whites and blacks. The problem has not been ignored, rationalized away, blamed on the feds, etc. It is Our Problem in MN, and Ours to Fix. There is a great deal of public pressure to fix it. The public supports spending money to fix it, as long as the money is well spent. When that doesn't seem to be the case, voices are raised, changes are made, and if necessary, heads roll. The press covers the story with ongoing followups. Negative and positive changes are reported on.

    The second major issue is the usual - funding. MN takes pride in having a good educational system from preschool to graduate school. I think political parties play a large part in funding. When MN had a Republican governor and legislature they cut money for schools immediately. Money was short in the Great Recession and the Republicans went directly to school funding to make up the difference. Since 2010 the state government has been in Democratic control. School cuts have been restored and a freeze has been placed on MN public colleges and universities.

    Strong teacher unions advocate for all aspects of the schools and are treated with respect by the Democratic state government. They are one of the sources of better schools.

    Employers like 3M, Medtronic, United Health, St. Jude Medical, Cargill and other big companies require a well-educated workforce. Even though taxes are higher here, the labor pool is here, so they stay.

    I think one last important thing about more prosperous states is that they have a wider vision than SD Republican leadership. In MN, we're all Minnesotans. I haven't lived here long, 7 years, but I feel like MN cares about me. MN cares about the 25,000 Somali immigrants here. They are Minnesotans. The Latinas are Minnesotans. The LBTG folks are Minnesotans. The Ojibwas, Dakotas, and Chippewas are Minnesotans. In Minnesota, if one of the many different groups have a problem, we all have a problem and that problem is addressed.

    It seems to me the US states and the nations around the world that are more successful overall are the ones that act according to this old saying: "We all do better when we all do better." That's certainly been true in the good old U.S. of A.

  12. Stan Gibilisco 2014.04.20

    You'd never know Ms. B. had all that dough, based on the quality if her videos. Unless she wants to dethrone me as the Lord of Lousy Loony 'Toons.

  13. Gayle 2014.04.20

    "Rounds and Bosworth are the only two Republican candidates in the campaign to air television ads." AL

    Anyone else notice this?

  14. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.20

    Gayle, they are probably the only Rs with enough contributions to air ads. I did notice this though this morning from the AL

    http://www.argusleader.com/

    Documents link state-sponsored company, Keystone XL

  15. Tim 2014.04.20

    Deb, everything you state in your post are problems here, it is the way republican leadership wants it. All they do is preach about how good it is for business here, never addressing any of the real problems we have. Following free market principles will fix everything. Until voters here figure out the fact that free market principles are the reason for much of this states problems, things won't change.

  16. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.20

    Tim, "Free market principles" Is that the principle that allowed the overnight lending at near 0% interest to the banks during the Bush years? Or is it the bailout of the too big to fail banks, and or the auto industry? Maybe it is the QE2 financing of the banks with 0% interest keeping the lending rates low under the Obama administration. At the Federal level there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle.

    That is why a candidate such as Stace Nelson, with the courage to call BS on his own party when they are putting out BS, or a candiate like Rick Weiland, who refuses to say that his party is right, or a candidate like Larry Pressler, who wants to bring an Independent voice to Washington DC and to end the two party corruption that has overtaken our government are such refreshing news if we are bothering to pay attention.

    Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard are/were in the business of picking winners and losers at the State government level. So why would we think that Rounds would do anything different when he gets to Washington.

    By the way, why wouldn't South Dakotans see the freeze on property taxes and the need to opt out to raise them as picking winners and losers? The Counties and the School Districts raise all of their funds from Property taxes. While the State and municipal governments raise theirs from both property and sales taxes. Sales taxes have been allowed to raise and to broaden (albeit not enough) so those who rent have been allowed to pay more while homeowners are allowed to pay less.

  17. Gayle 2014.04.20

    Thanks Lanny! I had only read the link in #4.
    My morning has been disputing the "benefits" of the Keystone XL on a number of sites. The plot thickens in SD, as thick as the tar sand oil.

  18. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.20

    " The plot thickens in SD, as thick as the tar sand oil."

    Great comparison Gayle.

  19. Roger Cornelius 2014.04.20

    Gayle,

    The reason Rounds and Bosworth are the only two Republicans running ads is that Rounds has "$9 million" to spend and Bosworth is known to stiff her vendors.

  20. grudznick 2014.04.20

    Are you people reading Mr. Sibby's newsletters about conspiracies and government mind control? Because if you are not you should start to read them.

  21. Lanny V Stricherz 2014.04.20

    I have only been reading Madville for a few months and you folks talk about Sibby every once in a while. Who or what is Sibby? And grudz, where would I locate his newsletters?

    I wish somebody would control my mind. I keep imagining that grudz and some others along with the NSA are out to get me.

  22. bret clanton 2014.04.20

    Steve Sibson....google sibby online....

  23. Les 2014.04.21

    I'd be careful on what you wish for Lanny. In another post you state Rounds lowering property taxes only affected the property owners and not the poor. The poor pay rent and the rents are directly affected by the property taxes which are paid by the renters.
    .
    The regressive sales tax is followed by the the slightly less regressive property tax. I have no great dissertation as to why it is only slightly less regressive than sales tax other than it is much lower in most states than in SD even with Rounds favor to the tax. I also pay almost double in prop taxes on my residence in the Hills as I do on my small ranch and the ranch has over 4 times the value of my home.

  24. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.04.21

    Regarding #1 on your list, Nathan over at "An Inland Voyage" has a good post on the guaranteed income. The thinking and links are very interesting. Many libertarians and right wingers support the concept, as do I! There is much to recommend a guaranteed income.

    Check out Nathan's well written post and follow the links. You'll be surprised.

    http://aninlandvoyage.com/2014/04/21/attention-entrepreneurs-you-need-to-think-bigger-and-give-some-thought-to-a-guaranteed-basic-income/#respond

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