Steve Sibson says a lot of crazy things. He says democracy is a form of socialism. He says we don't need the 13th, 15th, and 19th Amendments. He calls me a New Age Theocrat and suspects me of being a tool of a globalist conspiracy run by Masons.
I could call Sibby a Klingon petaQ, but that wouldn't make petaQs exist, either.
But sometimes, Sibby makes perfect sense... and more Republican sense than mainstream Republicans like his District 20 Senate GOP primary opponent, Senator Mike Vehle. For example, compare Vehle's water-carrying Newspeak on HB 1234, Governor Daugaard's education plan, to Sibby's conservative consistency:
"What's wrong with rewarding leadership and mentorship in teachers?" Vehle asked, speaking about HB1234. The final version of the bill, he said, turned out differently from Gov. Dennis Daugaard's original proposal. Vehle is pleased that the final version gives more local control by allowing extra funds to reward the best teachers, funds to attract teachers in critical areas such as science and math, and scholarships for teachers to teach in areas that are poorly served.
Sibson believes the state should quit planning the centralization of education. Instead of accepting new common core educational standards that he claims will dumb down education, and over-testing kids to make sure they meet those standards, he said the state should put the power to establish standards back in the hands of local school boards.
HB1234 will reward teachers who teach to the new standards, but it won't encourage or reward teaching creativity, he believes.
"To fix the problem, let the teachers teach and let the local boards decide how to run our schools," Sibson said [Ross Dolan, "Voters to Decide Sibson v. Vehle, Round 2," Mitchell Daily Republic, 2012.06.01].
(Bonus points to Sibby for scoring top billing in the headline!)
Let teachers teach—that's music to my teaching ears. Sibby's nuttiness tests my tolerance for single-issue voting on HB 1234, but he makes a reasonable argument that HB 1234 does not reflect the Republican value of local control.
Sibby also lodges a perfectly Republican free-market argument against the state's "investment" in economic development:
Sibson believes the state needs to back off a practice of using what he claims is up to one-third of economic development funds as "bribe money," to draw out-of-state and international companies here, because doing so puts existing companies at a competitive disadvantage.
Profits earned by foreign companies don't stay in South Dakota, Sibson said. He cites Verifications, which is pulling up stakes in Mitchell next year and outsourcing jobs overseas, as an example of "fly-by-night" companies who are out shopping for the best deals from local and state governments.
That's an unfair criticism, Vehle said.
"You can always point out the one that didn't work," Vehle said. "You take calculated risks and occasionally some fail, but you've got to look at all the successes we've had and not critique the ones we've lost."
Sibson believes what's needed is a fair and free competitive marketplace to select good companies. "Let the consumers do it; they know best what they want," he said [Dolan, 2012.06.01].
Sibby asks with perfect consistency why the government ought to use the tax dollars of existing businesses to build up competitors (sound familiar, Madison?). And instead of learning the lesson of the Verifications debacle, Vehle whimpers an excuse for failure that actually makes the point President Obama makes in defense of federal funding for Solyndra.
Coincidentally, both of the issues distinguishing Sibson and Vehle here, Pierre's involvement in education and economic development, will appear as referred ballot measures this November. Senator Vehle supports Governor Daugaard's HB 1234 and last year's HB 1230, the Large Project Development Fund. Candidate Sibson agrees with me that both policies are bad and notably inconsistent with purported Republican values.
District 20 Republicans, you might want to give that coincidence some thought. Either Steve Sibson is just a Kool-Aid-chugging tool of my New Age TheoMasonic globalist Democratic conspiracy... or there just might be some substance to Mr. Sibson's claim that Senator Vehle is not the red-blooded Republican he claims to be.
But then you still have to decide whether you really want to get rid of the 19th Amendment....
Tangentially related: Speaking of Solyndra, two Massachusetts solar companies that received public subsidies from Governor Mitt Romney have gone belly up. Bye-bye, Solyndra meme!
Great quote from the MDR link above: "Vehle claims he out-Republicans and out-conservatives Vehle — to which Vehle responded, 'I hate labels....' "
I agree with what you said Cory but what I had a problem with Sibby was him calling Vehle a liberal.
That crap is getting old
District 20 has been interesting (mostly amusing) to read about, but it's probably going to be Vehle walking away in the primary --- maybe with 60%. I have no doubt Mr. Sibson is sincere about what he says. In his world view, Mike Vehle is a liberal.
American democracy IS socialism. Sibby is finally right on one thing. The United States of America was founded on principles of socialism before there was a term called socialism.
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It took traveling extensively outside of the U.S. to understand my Constitutional history and this concept to the fullest extent. This country's Constitution made each of us shareholders or communal owners of our destiny. The citizens own this country's political structure. This principle was written in to the founding documents. We all know the phrases such as "We the people" meaning, we as owners of this socialist experiment will allow, under these contract terms. The Bill of Rights and Amendments are the changing contract terms usually modified by the citizens to controlled the power hungry.
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No one group owns the principles or process. Our system of government is a bottom-up representative democracy owned by the citizens. It was not to be a top-down dictatorial form of government owned by the landed aristocracy.
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The founding fathers gave us, the citizen owners of the government, the ability to change the rules of the game (Constitutional amendments) to ensure the minority is not trampled on by a majority. So yes Sibby, you got it part right, American Democracy was designed to be Socialist. I thank the founders for it!
good point Mark. But Steve is still wrong
Most people think he is mostly harmless, but he is a Howite of Gordantuan proportions.
We are fortunate that he is insaner than most or he would be less harmless.
Tomorrow, the Republican voters of the District will declare who is the better Republican to represent them in Pierre. It is how a democracy works.
Troy, i have a comment on the Barth thread stuck in the spam box at the war toilet.
Don't rile me up or you become an earth hater real fast.
Larry, I have no authority to approve spam in a thread I didn't author. I can tell you monitoring the spam is the worst part of being the author. For every legitimate post, there are 10 spams (maybe not that many but it is a pain).
"No one group owns the principles or process. Our system of government is a bottom-up representative democracy owned by the citizens. It was not to be a top-down dictatorial form of government owned by the landed aristocracy."
What about serfdom vs Americans allowed to own property?
Our bottom-up representatve Constitution was amended to forbid slavery / serfdom. When found the landed aristocracy has in the past been punished.
"Our bottom-up representatve Constitution was amended to forbid slavery / serfdom."
The 14th Amendment made us all slaves and serfs.
Dang it, Sibby: I try to give you credit, and you just double-down on the crazy talk. The Fourteenth Amendment does the exact opposite of the senseless words you string together.
Steve, if I may, what's your opinion on George Wallace?
George Wallace? Need to refresh my memory.
Cory, the 14th took away states rights. Funny that Romney pushed the individual mandate on RomneyCare and is forced to argue states can do it, but the feds can't. There is one big problem with the argument, the feds will say do it or you won't get money borrowed from your kids. The SDGOP will take the money in a heart beat.
I beseech thee to read Wikipedia, Steve.
Steve,
You need to refresh your memory on "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever"?
more like: tommarra, lk
nervous, sibby?
Sorry Larry,
I never learned to type KKK dialect
Mr. Sibby does not fear the future, the future fears Mr. Sibby.
"46 states, including MT, adopted Common Core; raising own standards to make students college and career-ready. 99% of US students impacted." Graduation Matters â€@GradMattersMT