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Posts published in April 2011

Governor Promotes Small-Town Economic Development; Economist Questions Viability

Governor Dennis Daugaard is getting around to the small-town economic development program he talked about during last year's campaign. At the Governor's Economic Development Conference Tuesday and Wednesday, Governor Daugaard and his economic development commissioner Pat Costello spoke of their…

Thune Joins Noem for Hypocrisy on NLRB Challenge to SD Law

Senator John Thune and Intern Kristi Noem have issued a joint press release blasting the National Labor Relations Board for challenging South Dakota's initiated constitutional amendment (Amendment K on last year's ballot) requiring secret ballots for all union elections. The…

School Districts Can Save Money by Shutting off Computers

The Boulder Valley School District in Colorado has a plan that will save $300,000 at the flip of a switch. They're shutting off their computers—no, not all day, just overnight. The district is installing power management software on its 10,000…

Frat Boys More Drunk, More Dangerous to Women

My distaste for the college fraternity system stems from deep suspicion of hierarchical exclusivity. These good-old-boy networks in training seem to thrive on demeaning new members and non-members. But I'm lucky. I went to SDSU, where the Greek presence was…

Fox News Grumbles about TransCanada’s Use of Eminent Domain

Ever since TransCanada first threatened to use eminent domain to build its tar sands oil pipelines, I've been frustrated at conservatives' relative silence on the issue. A foreign company uses the American court system to take property rights away from…

Tim Still Raving about SHS SDSU Job; Change Subject Much?

You'd think with supermajorities in the State Legislature, a lock on the governor's office, and two of three seats in our Congressional delegation, the South Dakota Republican Party wouldn't feel the need to manufacture bogus issues around a campaign they…

Commuter Income Patterns: Big Counties Support Small

Monday's post on personal income growth got me looking at patterns of commuter inflow and outflow in South Dakota. Commuter inflow is the income folks from, say, Lake County, bring home from their jobs in Minnehaha. Commuter outflow is the…

Lance Russell, Environmental Lawyer: Yikes!

State Representative Lance Russell's censure for unprofessional and illegal activity as Fall River County state's attorney is troubling to those of us who believe in fair execution of justice. The inability of Rep. Russell's fellow legislators to find his misconduct…