I know, I know, we Americans abandoned Europe for a reason. But when Europeans want to repopulate their rural areas, they don't send their leaders to sit in mall kiosks to tell people to move back to the country. They build infrastructure and other goods that give people a reason to move:
...Europe for decades has implemented policies to buoy rural development. Initially, most of the efforts were directed at supporting agriculture; but with the new century, policies have increasingly moved to boost alternative economic development, especially in semirural areas.
...In all, Europe committed nearly €100 billion ($130 billion) from local, country, and EU resources to rural development through a five-year program ending in 2013, 18 percent of which goes to nonagricultural and quality-of-life rural development, from tourism and infrastructure to high-speed Internet, training, and repopulation.
"It is these more targeted schemes which are vital for boosting new opportunities in rural areas, not only in agriculture," says Roger Waite, EU Commission spokesman for Agriculture and Rural Development [Andrés Cala, "With no jobs in the city, country life is coming back to Spain," Christian Science Monitor, 2013.05.01].
What? Alternatives to agriculture for rural development? Investments in quality of life? Targeted schemes instead of junkets to the Mall of America? Dang, maybe South Dakota could learn a thing or two from Europe about rural decline and revitalization.
You're kidding right?
Build up our rural infrastructure with what? We can't even take care of what we have let along build more.
We have bridges that are unsafe to walk on, our power grid is antiquated, and don't even get me started on internet access.
Let's fix what we already have before we go building more stuff that we can't take care of.
Rewild the West.
I know I am going to kick myself later for this but here we gooooo.
Larry, If we were to follow the Treaty of Fort Laramie 1868; which was upheld by the supreme court. All land west river should be purchased by the US Government, every square inch. Every man made structure should destroyed or removed. Remove all water, sewer, electric services, no Internet, no phone service, no cell service. This includes Mount Rushmore, Rapid City, Wall drug and I-90. That land should be granted to Lakota. Set up the former Fort Pierre to house the few government agents. that were required by the treaty. include a 10 mile buffer around the entire area. Then treat the Lakota as a another nation. Requiring visas for 'entry' to the United States. etc. What happen there, stays there.
That removes about ½ the infrastructure that needs to be fixed.
The one thing that would make a difference in infrastructure for South Dakota would be world class internet. Janklow wired the schools . . . yet the job is unfinished to wire the towns and their edges. We're a few miles from a wired school but can only receive a lousy 20th century DSL or opt for even less reliable satellite internet. This is not the way a first-world nation acts.
It's perplexing the governor trolls passing his pauper's hat in China, California, and Minneapolis when we have world class resources here largely undeveloped. Mid-America Energy announced today it is investing an additional $1.9 billion (that's billion with a "b" kids) in wind energy in Iowa. In addition to our undeveloped wind energy we also have world class geothermal resources that remain little developed.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/iowas-biggest-economic-project-ever-1-9b-wind-turbine-plan-1C9853122
It's a generation past the time to stop whining that the electrical grid isn't set up to transmit South Dakota wind energy. It's a generation past the time for South Dakota to pull itself up by its boot straps and become a market participant. Build the big transmission in utility corridors, then, like the cement plant or a city liquor store or golf club, sell it off when the time and market finally awaken. It's long past the time for South Dakota to start acting self-reliant. If lack of bank funding or backing is an issue then tell the banksters to go to hell and start our own state bank (as has North Dakota). Our 19th century forebearers must be hanging their heads in shame at our collective inaction, indecision, and pathetic leadership.
I'll even support the "agriculture for rural development" - try actually growing some FOOD (as opposed to feed or stuff for heavily processed edibles). Does anyone out there eat field corn? Soybeans? Even wheat consumption in the US is slacking in favor of gluten free products. Why does our asparagus come from Mexico when its a zone 2 crop? Factory farm beef and poultry consumption are dropping because folks are refusing to eat the growth hormone and antibiotic laden meats for concern of long term consequences to themselves and their kids. Why aren't we using our world class water resources for aquaculture?
It's long past the time to start 'thinking outside the silo' - the folks in cities are and their successes will make rural folks more irrelevant.
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_22290089/farm-future-fish-fertilize-plants-maplewood-warehouses-thriving
Here is what is going on in Iowa today. It is announced that there will be a 1.9 billion dollar new windmill project to be built there. South Dakota has a better imprint for that than them, but they have Democrats that vote there. Makes a big difference when you think of how the republicans are still tied behind a three bottom plow on the back 40 while the rest of our neighbors make good jobs for their citizens.
http://www.midamericanenergy.com/wind_overview.aspx