I can't tell if Frank Kloucek is yanking someone's chain or not. But the former legislator sends out this missive from Scotland praising reporter Bob Mercer for proposing more openness in South Dakota's new economic development program:
Bob Mercer Awarded Outstanding 2013 Legislative Journalist Award
Bob Mercer longtime reporter of state government and author of the Pure Pierre Politics Blog will be awarded the 2013 Outstanding Legislative Journalist award by Frank Kloucek.
Bob's comments on SB235 and the subsequent “Mercer” amendment offered by a Fulton South Dakota Representative as a direct result of Mercers comments, earned him this award hands down. His amendment would have opened up the Governors Office of Economic Development to public participation and scrutiny when awarding economic development loans and grants similar to the Dept of Environment and Natural Resources Loan and Grant programs.” said Kloucek.
Runners up this year where Elizabeth “Sam” Grosz for her story on Delmont Day in Pierre and David Montgomery for his excellent session long coverage.
Previous award winners were Joe Kafka on Czech Days in Pierre and the cement plant sale stories, Chuck Raasch, Bernie Hunhoff, Peter Harriman, Matt Cecil, SD Public TV for the Bob Weber/Kloucek story to name a few. “The award is not given out every year but when a journalist goes over and above such as Mercer has done it deserves recognition,” concluded Kloucek.
The award will be presented to Mercer later this spring [links added; Frank Kloucek, press release, 2013.03.11].
Expect the award to include a steaming pan of kolaches.
Update 17:12 MDT: Frank submits a correction: Randy Dockendorf has not received the Kloucek journalism award, although Frank says Randy should sometime. I ahve removed Dockendorf's name from the above list.
Frank also says the award may include whichever Mercer prefers, kolaches or kuchen. "Both are available," says Frank, "from Pietz Kuchen kitchen in Scotland, Hyvee stores, Dakotamart in Pierre and other high quality grocery stores that recognize and sell a high quality food items."
Cory, will you accept propagandist of the year award, or should that go to Pat Powers?
Frank means it. He's given this award several times in the past. He and Stace Nelson have point here. South Dakota's "trust me" track record isn't very good here:
- Legislature blindly hands off the state cement plant to Mexico.
- State-sanctioned gambling will finance education.
- Factory livestock farm promotion.
- Janklow's boot camp for kids.
- REDI Fund loans to rich corporations that really didn't need the 3% loans.
- The Governor's Club.
- TransCanada pipelines and the use of eminent domain.
- The Hyperion "green" refinery ... which is still looking for a sucker to hand them $10 billion. It started out as a super secret project.
- State jobs and insider handouts for the Rounds family.
- Surface mining in the Black Hills and the mess they left behind.
- Janklow's sewer sludge from Minneapolis fiasco. Remember? They shipped it here so we could mine gold and silver from it.
- Your 30% property tax reduction. So, how's that working for you?
- SDSU president getting paid hundreds of thousands for sitting on the Monsanto board.
The point is if the state is going to get in deep funding private companies, where's the extra effort to make sure transparency and accountability are part of the deal? Who are the legislature and the governor in office to protect and serve, the corporate world's bottom line or the citizens/taxpayers' bottom line?
It's wonderful that bipartisanship came to fruition in 2013 in Pierre, South Dakota, and it's a lesson they can use in Washington. But when it comes to accountability and oversight, I'll quote Ronald Reagan: "Trust, but verify."
Dougal said it well.