Last updated on 2011.01.28
Local politics in South Dakota enjoy an admirable level of non-partisanship. I know Lake County Commissioner Scott Pedersen is a good Republican, but our discussions of county policy have little to nothing to do with party politics. My conversations about local policy with city commissioners and school board members are similarly non-partisan. When I vote for school board members, I don't miss seeing their party affiliations on our ballots.
Representative Brian C. Liss (R-13/Sioux Falls) wants to change that. He offers House Bill 1197, which would require the inclusion of party affiliation on ballots for municipal office and school board elections. Since sanitary districts are also governed by the municipal elections chapter Liss would amend, I would also have to include my party affiliation on the Lake Herman Sanitary District ballot... assuming we ever have enough interest here to have an election.
Big-city Brian evidently missed two key facts of local South Dakota politics when he moved here from New York. First, at the local level, everyone already has a pretty good idea of what party if any a candidate belongs to. Second, at the local level, what party a candidate belongs to doesn't matter all that much. Partisan politics doesn't matter to local folks in the debate about hooking up to the Lewis & Clark water system, raising utility rates, updating zoning ordinances (oh! referendum vote March 15!), or building a new gym.
But this is Brian Liss, who made his campaign for state legislature all about fighting "Socialism!" and the federal stimulus package. I guess it's quite consistent of Rep. Liss to make his first bill about slapping more political labels on people instead of solving practical problems.
I just think that this continues to our detriment as a state and a nation. Let's just make everything a partisan issue. Will it one day come down to whether you make the football team or in the band based on whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Teapublican? For instance: "Oh, you are a Independent?" Sorry you are not allowed on the debate team." Do we really want to go down that ridiculous road of political Balkanization so that we can appease the paranoia of those politicos who live in constant fear of "socialization taking over" every minute of every day ?
I'm pretty sure Liss ran against Janklow on a libertarian platform as the LT Gov nominee. He seems to have been around for awhile even though he looks young.
Liss has said he moved here after Money Magazine rated Sioux Falls #1 city in 1992. Secretary of State records list "Brian Liss" as Libertarian candidate for Lt. Gov. in 1994. He and Nathan Barton got 4.12%.