So I'm talking to Joe Lowe, and he says to me, "I'll run government like a business."
I cringe. Oh no! Mayor Huether must have bitten him. Now I'll have to vote for Sue Wismer.
Joe sees the nervous look in my eye. He tells me a story.
When Lowe became the director of South Dakota's new Wildland Fire Division in 2001, he saw a way to turn the state's firefighting equipment and personnel into moneymakers. No, he didn't shake down homeowners near the Grizzly Gulch and Alabaugh fires. Lowe made the state's firefighting resources more available to other states and the feds. Why was this a good idea?
- First, the obvious: South Dakota firefighters helped their fellow firefighters across the country put out fires and save lives and property.
- Fighting fires out of state during South Dakota's low-fire-risk seasons helped our firefighters keep their skills up. Lowe and any other firefighter will tell you that practice is no substitute for experience. As Chief Lowe sent the crews out to more fires out of state, our guys got more live-fire experience in a wider variety of terrain and conditions. They came back stronger, smarter, better firefighters.
- Other states paid us 110% of the cost of our resources. In other words, Lowe improved our firefighters' readiness at zero cost to the state and put another 10% back into the general fund.
For a concrete example, consider the Wildland Fire Division's acquisition of a bulldozer in May 2005. The state authorized Lowe to purchase a used Kubota from a Rapid City company for $80,000. A bulldozer can cut a really big fire line. It's valuable equipment in itself. But under Lowe's management, lending that Kubota out to other states when it wasn't needed here brought another $40,000 back into the state coffers in its first year of service.
Dale Deuter ran that dozer for Lowe. He tells me Lowe created new opportunities for the state's firefighters. Deuter spent 35 days in Amarillo, Texas, in spring 2006 fighting wildfires. Deuter, the dozer, and his swamper went with fourteen other men and four fire engines as an initial attack crew, meaning they were the first responders to newly reported fires. They fought fires in open country, around oil fields, and even, on Easter Sunday, in the Amarillo city limits. Deuter said that experience made him a better firefighter.
Deuter also saw Lowe's expansion of out-state lending helping local volunteer fire departments. Prior to Lowe, out-state lending had included some West River volunteer fire departments. Lowe made a greater effort to engage East River fire departments. These volunteer fire departments improved their readiness just as state firefighters did in fighting out-state fires. But they also shared the profits. The payments from other states for their services helped volunteer departments upgrade their equipment, meaning folks across the state got better fire protection.
And that improved service happened because Joe Lowe thought like a businessman and turned his resources into a profit center.
Of course, unlike Huether, he charged his customers 10%, not 79.9%.
But there you go: Democrat Joe Lowe shows how running government like a business can mean not simply generating a little extra cash but also providing better service.
Color me critical. I'm guessing the cost to insure the men and equipment being rented to other states escalated like a wildfire. But that is just me. OTOH,I can see the next wingnut Potus deciding to rent American troops out to third world countries for live fire training so the next time we invade a sovereign nation for no reason at all,we will have experienced killers.
Lowe has proven himself to be an outstanding manager, a prized asset in any executive. Now his task to prove himself with "the vision thing."
I see so much business waste and mismanagement, abuse of employees time and person that I am not at all certain that more businesslike government is what we want. The greatly increased executive pay in state government is absurd copying of the worst of business excess and abuse.
I sure like what I see from Joe Lowe. He's the stronger of the two Democratic candidates for Governor. There are a lot of issues for him to talk about in a general election against Gov. Daugaard (or Lora Hubbel).
Suppose Lowe suddenly decided to run as a Republican but did not change his platform otherwise.
What would you say about him then, Cory?
Or better yet ... Suppose he went Independent?
Or Libertarian?
Suppose Lead weren't a shit hole: would it still be in South Dakota?
Suppose you get a divorce in Lead: are you still siblings?
Let's suppose that comments pertain to the topic. "If Lowe were to run as a Repub ..." I suspect he would garner some votes in that Primary, but only from those few in that Party who would support expansion of Medicaid and a thorough investigation of the GOED mess.
Well, out here in this poo-poo pit called Lead, I'd poop a lot easier with a fire expert like Lowe in there.
I see he wants to improve teacher pay as well.
Not much substance to his site, but good style.
Medicare for all, say I; Kucinichcare for the USA; all other medical care issues then go away.
Larry, where would you have me go?
Brownsville, Mr. Gibilisco.
okay that was funny, grud. property out by brownsville in the heart of bark beetle harvest itself might not work for you, stan. surround yourself with whomever get your needs met, bro.
Hey Stan:
http://www.koat.com/news/25945306
Larry,
Been through there. Beautiful town. I do get mind deprived here in SD now and then.
Alas, Joe Lowe runneth against the wind here.
But then too ... Lead is a great place to poop, and I poop a lot. Just check out my YouTube channel.
Now Joe, how about going for Kucinichcare and do away with the crazy quilt of half measures?
Run against Kristi. You might have a chance there.