The comment section here moves pretty quickly. Some comments deserve a headline of their own.
Today's example: Senator Stan Adelstein (R-32/Rapid City) reads my account of Rep. Stace Nelson's (R-25/19 Fulton) community organizing to stop the Hanson County Dairy and reveals a bit of the inside baseball that resulted:
This is quite eyeopener to me! Now I know whey there so much pressure for me to back off on my Senate prime sponsorship of Stace's HB 1230. Somehow South Dakota is losing something - call it honesty and transparency - call peoples rights before someone's big dollar interest!
This bill dealt with requiring wider dissemination of attempts to use an aquifer, and rights of protest. As an Engineer I knew it was a good bill and one that I would not wiggle on.
The pressure was never about the content, always about the House sponsor - Stace! Like, "Stan, don't you see whose bill it is?" or like "we can't pass a Nelson bill, etc, etc." I always replied that I had studied hydrology (such as it was in the dark ages) and knew enough to be sure that it was good law --- and wasn't that why we were in Pierre?!?! So I did not give a "f-ig" who the sponsor was - beside I might be wrong, but "wasn't Stace Nelson elected the same way you were?" "If he was, then he is just looking out for his constituents, like you should be"
Anyway, I got the bill through the senate (with votes of others who agree why we are supposed to be in Pierre - cold or not).
But, but what is going on? Now I read all of this I ask what in the -- is happening? I never saw anything like this in the Rounds or Janklow administrations -- and I was kind of in the know. My only embarrassment is, that at my age and with my business experiences I should have known what some people were trying to do.
Good job Stace.
Stan Adelstein - sometimes a better informed Senator than at other times [comment, Madville Times, September 15, 2012]
Rep. Nelson's House Bill 1230 passed both houses and earned the Governor's signature. This simple, sensible legislation addressed one of the specific issues that Rep. Nelson raised for his constituents in their fight against the Hanson County Dairy.
Senator Adelstein shines the spotlight on the petty personal politics of the GOP leadership in Pierre. At least as interesting is his claim that such games are worse now in the Daugaard era than they were in the Janklow or Rounds era. I can believe such machinations may not have been as prominent under the visionless leadership of Gov. Rounds. But to suggest that cheery, checked-shirted Dennis permits or even promotes such personality-provoked pressure more than the Wild Bill regime... well, who woulda thunk it?
Good for Adelstien! He's a fascinating character.
"But to suggest that cheery, checked-shirted Dennis permits or even promotes such personality-provoked pressure more than the Wild Bill regime... well, who woulda thunk it?"
I don't know...could it be...Machiavelli? From The Prince, Chapter 18:
"Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite."
The good Governor seems to have that principle of governing down cold.
With this victory and Mr. Adelstein's backing and wisdom to temper his rage, young Mr. Nelson will be a formidable candidate for Governor in 2014.
LK, sometimes I think you alone are enough reason for the Governor to want our kids to study nothing but math and science and certainly not history and philosophy.
Grudz, are you suggesting a Gov/LtGov ticket? It would have good East River/West River synergy. It would also give the ticket some moderate flavor... but would that drive away the Howie Republicans? Could Nelson himself tolerate someone who might fall into the purported RINO camp?
Sadly, Sen Adelstein candid comments provide another ugly look into a real problem within the SDGOP. The promotion of politicians' political interests over South Dakota Republicans' principles.
If you remember correctly, the information that my bills were being targeted by "leadership" was provided by a constituent of a legislator who reported being disgusted after hearing it from his legislator. I think Mercer wrote a blog post about it and dismissed it without bothering to confirm with the constituent?
This type of conduct is as disgraceful as the other corrupt actions we all have seen this last year. The worst actions though were the efforts to try and cover the corruption up by attacking those who dared report and protest it.
Senator Adelstein has my gratitude and respect.
The GOP is rolling onto its back and exposing its innards: eviscerate it now.
"Rep. Stace Nelson's (R-25/19 Fulton) community organizing"
Don't confuse the issue. Stace's community favors private property rights, Obama's Marxist community wants to take it away.
Steve, don't confuse the issue. I'm saying community organizing is a good an useful tool, not a silly activity deserving derision and irrelevant to being a good leader. Stace Nelson's example proves my point. The question of a community's values and goals is an entirely separate argument.
You can walk in parades for Daugaard and campaign for him. But when you need his help, he is no where around. Cold as ice.
He has ruined Social Services. All the good workers have left.
Senator Adelstein: the flip side of this deal is that Hyperion and Bel Brands will take far more water than this proposed CAFO would have: how can you and your party support Rep. Noems' farm bill that seeks to drain every other aquifer in the state?