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Daugaard Raises False Fears of 21 Child Refugees Placed in South Dakota

We all fled here from somewhere.

According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the federal government placed 30,340 immigrant children who entered the United States without adult companions with sponsors around the country between January 1 and July 7 of this year. 21 of those children were placed with parents, relatives, or other legitimate sponsors in South Dakota. Governor Dennis Daugaard expresses concern—not for the children, but for the natives' health and welfare:

“It is disappointing that, despite assurances from federal officials, these children have been placed in South Dakota without notification to the state,” said the Governor. “Although federal officials indicate that these 21 children have been screened and vaccinated, we will be asking for more information so that the state can be sure that these children pose no risk to South Dakotans” [South Dakota state government, press release, 2014.07.25].

Governor Daugaard has touted South Dakota's relatively high vaccination rate, but between 1% and 2% of our kindergartners are still running exempt from shots. Governor Daugaard has raised no alarm about the ability of a parent to skip vaccinating her kids by signing a piece of paper saying Jesus told her not to get those shots (see SDCL 13-28-7.1). Let's see... 13,280 kindergartners, multiply by 1%... that's 133 kids running around without shots. And that's just one grade. If we're running a 1% vaccine-skipping rate through all of our 144,000-strong K-12 population, we can estimate about 1,440 South Dakota kids posing a risk to South Dakota's herd immunity.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement gives children shots and medical screenings, and it does not release children with contagious conditions. These new children boost South Dakota's herd immunity. They're probably so relieved to be safe with family and friends in a quiet, safe state like ours that they aren't thinking of posing a risk to anyone. South Dakota should be proud to provide these children safe haven and invite more of them and their families to make our great state their home.

66 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    ......pose no risk for South Dakota......at least not as great a risk as wingnut pols pose for South Dakota. Crony Capitalists can't stand the competition.

  2. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    How do chidren get shots w/o parental consent and a good dose of cooties might be just the ticket to put some humanity back in god-fearing? christian rethugs.

  3. Tim 2014.07.26

    I have gotten so used to this crap coming out of Daugaard's mouth, it doesn't even phase me anymore.

  4. Bob Newland 2014.07.26

    Aw, quit dissin' Dennis. The stupid SOB had to say SUMTHIN, didn't he?

  5. SDTeacher 2014.07.26

    I have nothing smart to add to this conversation. I just want to say that I seriously wanted to punch him in the nose when I read the article in the Argus. It was such a butthead comment.

  6. jerry 2014.07.26

    Playing to his tea party base is all he is doing. The man has no shame. Tomorrow, he will sit in the amen corner and be what he always is, a pompous ass.

  7. Nick Nemec 2014.07.26

    He's a veiled racist, plain and simple, stoking fears of half a bus load of little brown children. He should be ashamed of himself. They are children, scared and alone, strangers in a strange land. They should be shown love and kindness.

    Does he show similar fears when the mega dairies his administration has bent over backwards for, provided loans for, awarded grants to, rewritten environmental regulations for employee scores of illegal immigrants? I bet many of those illegal immigrants aren't vaccinated either.

  8. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    Tim-any disease these children may have can't be as debilitating or as contagious as the gross stoopidity,hate and fear wingnuts spew. These are honest to god,jesus christians???????

  9. Tim 2014.07.26

    Mike, they only cherry pick the Jesus stuff that serves their purpose, the rest, not so much.
    Nick, I honestly believe the problems the right has with Obama's policy has very little to do with the policy, and a lot more to do with the color of the presidents skin. Sad to say.

  10. Jenny 2014.07.26

    This is really interesting coming from Daugaard considering his wife is a strong advocate for children. Linda should be welcoming them with open arms.

  11. grudznick 2014.07.26

    How many of these children were from Quebec?

  12. David Newquist 2014.07.26

    So many of these Jesus-wants-me-for-a-sunbeam Christians just can't grasp the part about offering hospitality, feeding the poor, and healing the sick.

  13. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    Maybe they should be concerned with whether or not laborers for KXL have had their vaccinations since they are bigger,more prone to bad behavior,have loose morals,drugs,alcohol and guns.

  14. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    and they prolly swear like teamsters,too.

  15. Roger Cornelius 2014.07.26

    Dennis is more likely royally pissed because the feds did this without his knowledge and effectively shut down anyway Dennis could profit from these children, much the same way he has allowed DSS to profit off Native American children.

    Republicans real fear is that these little brown refugee children will grow up to be brown adults that vote Democrat.

    It is time to move the Statue of Liberty to the Texas border.

  16. SDTeacher 2014.07.26

    I don't see how it's any of his business. The feds are following federal law (enacted under the Bush presidency, with, if memory serves McCain as an author or sponsor of the bill), and the children are being housed with their own families/friends or volunteers and there is no indication that they are receiving any money or benefits from the state.

    I agree with previous posts. If these were refugees from Norway, or Canada, or England or any other majority white country, he would've been standing at the state line with blankets and food while smiling benevolently for the cameras. Jackass.

  17. Donald Pay 2014.07.26

    Similar things are being said by Scott Walker, and other GOP governors. You've got to hand it to Republicans, when it involves anything connected to racism or xenophobia, they are all on the same page. Are they all really equally afflicted by the cuckoo?

    Proably not. I think the whole Republican response smacks of poll tested cuckoo. "White" Americans have never, ever been welcoming of anyone not lilly white, despite the bullshit we put on plaques at Ellis Island and in school texbooks. We even hated the Irish and Italians, because they weren't "white," and/or were Catholic. If you kicked out all the folks other Americans once hated and used b.s. excuses to try to exclude or discriminate against, it would largely depopulate the country all all but Native Americans. Interesting to me is that the heritage of many of the Central American children is probably more than a little Native American. They have more right to be here than you do, Denny.

    As the official party of old white guys, the Republicans should be expected to carry the torch for whiteness and against children. Denny doesn't disappoint.

  18. JeniW 2014.07.26

    And to think that Daugaard worked for the Children's Home Society in Sioux Falls. Kind of raises some red flags.

    I wonder what he is going to do when he finds out where those kids are placed? Will he use the state owned airplane that Rounds loved so much to transport the kids, have the kids wear parachutes and push them out of the plane while flying over any country in Central America?

    I wish he would help to resolve the whole issue. He was willing to go to China to do business with a communist country. It would seem that he would be willing to go to any of the countries in Central America to meet with the governments there. He was willing to go to MN to try to convince people there to move to SD. It would be nice if he would use his skills as a diplomat to work with the Central American governments.

    Oops guess not, there is no money to be gained if he did that.

  19. charlie5150 2014.07.26

    Not just worked for, but was Executive Director while he was Lt. Gov, and worked very hard to procure no-bid contacts and other state monies for "his" organization. Of course, this situation does not jive with his political leanings, AND there is no profit to be made, so those children best be ready to be drop kicked away from "South Dakota Republican Common Sense".

  20. Donald Pay 2014.07.26

    Daugaard Revised Edition---Mathew 19:14

    Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, but never go to South Dakota, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven, and not South Dakota, belongs to such as these."

  21. mike from iowa 2014.07.26

    Clearly what needs to be done is to have these refugees spray painted lily white as soon as they hit 'murrican soil so they will be more palatable to god fearing conservatives. Maybe change their status from refugees to potential little godalmighties would help.

  22. Jenny 2014.07.26

    When I worked at the Pierre hospital, the state auditors would come in and lower the reimbursements paid to Medicaid babies (a lot of them native American). There was actually a name that hospital employees would secretly call Native American patients -'reservation specials', because they had a lot of illnesses. I couldn't believe all the blatant corruption, and I bet the auditors are still doing this and everyone still looks the other way.

  23. grudznick 2014.07.26

    More illnesses make you cheaper? More illnesses should make you more expensive. Was the Pierre hospital charging a fair shake to everybody or were they gouging insurance companies?

  24. Tim 2014.07.26

    I need to remember not to need a hospital when in Pierre, oh wait, I'm an old white guy with insurance, I should be ok.

  25. Jenny 2014.07.26

    'Reservation specials' verbalized in a sarcastic way.

  26. Roger Cornelius 2014.07.26

    I just got back from visiting DWC and his hate machine on this topic. There is a striking contrast in comments.

    While those supposedly Republican and tea party Christians regulars on DWC preach their hate and discontent over brown children, we the evil atheist liberals are lending our support and encouraging government to find a suitable solution for these children. Maybe we atheist are actually doing the work of the God we don't believe in.
    And there is this from one of DWC's mental pygmies, by Obama placing these 21 children in SD it will cause for economy to collapse, promote socialism, and be a burden to taxpayers for generations to come.
    If only the brown babies knew the power they have over Republicans.

  27. larry kurtz 2014.07.26

    Statehood for the tribes and Mexico.

  28. Donald Pay 2014.07.26

    Roger said: "I just got back from visiting DWC...." Ah, you descended into hell, and rose again from the brain dead.

    Yeah, the "burden to taxpayers" argument is one they've tested on focus groups, and have decided will sway some of the independents. It's being used all over the country, but it's a losing argument with many evangelicals and Catholics. These guys don't believe any of this stuff. It's all a political tactic.

  29. grudznick 2014.07.26

    Mexican statehood for the tribes!

  30. Roger Cornelius 2014.07.26

    Me bad, Donald.

    Sometimes I just can't help myself and have to see what's going on over there. Most of the time it looks like Powers is busy deleting commens.

  31. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Is it possible that wingnuts have had it in for children for so long that they fear retribution from adolescents? Like children of the corn. What other reason could make grown men hate and fear little kids so much?

    Attention wingnuts-you ain't getting any younger. How do you propose to add to your ranks if not through youth? Gonna recruit zombies? If you understood science and/or biology you'd know there is some sorta connection between women and children-two essential groups you alienate. OMFG! That's it. I just discovered the root cause of your deepest fears! Alienate=aliens=immigrants=children at the border=nightmares for nutjobs!!
    Please,don't thank me. Vote for Rick Weiland for Senate come November. Have a nice day.

  32. larry kurtz 2014.07.27

    @P0TUS 11m

    It's church day, Teabags. Pray to keep poors poor, the sick uncared for, the bridges crumbling, and starving kids the hell outta the USA.

  33. 96 Tears 2014.07.27

    Meet the new George Wallace. He's Dennis Daugaard.

  34. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Daugaard is a black comedian?

  35. larry kurtz 2014.07.27

    Those just arriving on the #sdsen turnip truck: the comments salted under blog posts at DWC are those of the owner using a panoply of aliases.

  36. Bill Fleming 2014.07.27

    An interesting thesis, Mr. Kurtz. Does he just randomly post as "anonymous" or does he actually try to create and maintain distinct character identities? (The former would be far less creatively demanding than the latter of course.)

    Do you have actual evidence, or is it just a suspicion?

  37. Thad Wasson 2014.07.27

    Why are the Feds keeping these immigrants in the shadows? Introduce them to our state and show us and them their roadmap to citizenship.

  38. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Larry Kurtz @18:26-interesting look at what appears to be the 1800s version of hot or open mike gaffes. Unguarded moments bring out the best in people.Not.

  39. larry kurtz 2014.07.27

    ip randomizers are easy to find and download, bill: even grud can do it.

  40. larry kurtz 2014.07.27

    Bill, it's why no one has to sign in over there: it frees PP to make comments without a trail.

  41. Bill Fleming 2014.07.27

    Not my question, Larry, but never mind.

  42. Tim 2014.07.27

    I just made the mistake of going to War College for the first time (I normally never go to right wing garbage sites), I'll never do that again, always makes my head hurt when I read that crap.

  43. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Tim,you have my sympathies. I go to C4P(conservatives for Palin) to see what the alien world view is like and believe me it is about as completely opposite of what you actually observe. Brain bleach will soon have you right as rain.

  44. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.27

    Nick summarizes the veiled racism and hypocrisy of the Governor's statement nicely. Can we get Susan Wismer to pick up this topic and perhaps issue a formal welcome to immigrants to South Dakota?

  45. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.27

    Jenny, good point about Mrs. Daugaard. Will she decline to do a reading program in a classroom with these immigrant children? Will she wear a mask while reading them stories and encourage the other children to sit apart from those dirty, diseased immigrants?

  46. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.27

    And Mike, yes! Keystone XL's giant migrant workforce in its testosterone-charged man camps would seem to pose a greater threat to public health, especially considering the growing outbreaks of syphilis South Dakota has seen.

  47. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.27

    Curious, Thad: does the state publicize the list of foster parents and announce the name and address of every child placed? If custody of a child transfers to grandparents or a divorced dad, do we get public notice? Did the Veblen dairies and Northern Beef Packers post a roster of all the immigrants they hired, along with their citizenship status?

  48. Douglas Wiken 2014.07.27

    Moral considerations of illegal immigration can bring tears to the eyes; but reality of this is a huge cost to all of us and an incredible waste of resources on a thankless bunch who want streets, business, and government done in Spanish.

    Democrats in the US in most areas of the country will lose elections because they fail to support protection of the borders. We reinforce our political correctness at the risk of losing all options to influence any kind of policy.

    It is dangerous to assume motives for Daugaard's inept statements. He may be a terrible racist for all I know, but he is expressing concerns that will ring a bell for many who are not in the least racist, but are also not living in a liberal wonderland.

  49. JeniW 2014.07.27

    Were those same concerns expressed when the U.S. airlifted Vietnam citizens when the war ended in Vietnam?

    Were those same concerns expressed when Ronald Reagan in 1986 signed the bill to provide a blanket U.S. citizenship to those who were in the U.S. illegally?

    Was the airlifting of the citizens of Vietnam, and the blanket citizenship of the Mexicans and others, a waste to time, money, and energy?

    Do people blame former President Ford and Ronald Reagan for their action about immigrants as much as Obama is blamed for his action regarding immigrants?

    I still wonder how Gov. Daugaard is going to treat each of those 21 kids. He is going to look each of them in the eye and say "You got to go back to the country you were born in, you are not good enough to be here."

  50. JeniW 2014.07.27

    Here's an idea that might appease Gov. Daugaard, charge each of the homes where the children are placed $1,500.00 for each child to remain in SD. That would mean that the state would not have to put out money to transport the kids to Central America, pay Jackley overtime, and would provide revenue for the state.

  51. Tim 2014.07.27

    Jeni, you are talking about 30-40 years ago, for better or worse, the country is a much different place now than it was then. Doug makes some valid points, in SD Daugaard has already said what he needs to in order to keep his base happy, in the rest of the country some dems will have to support border controls to get elected or stay elected. For many in this country it doesn't matter that they are kids, only that they are brown and foreign.

  52. JeniW 2014.07.27

    I agree Tim, but you know that expression about not learning from history....

    Are you saying that Gov. Daugaard is just talk and no action? :)

  53. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.07.27

    Mike, that was a great link. I enjoy Juanita Jean immensely. Directly above the post you linked to is one about Rick Perry's lies regarding the new immigrants and sending the Texas National Guard to the border. The story concludes with this:

    "Oh, so what would be Rick Perry’s reason for wanting to hurt economic growth along the border? Because they are all Democrats?

    "Look, I’m not saying that Rick Perry fudged on the truth maliciously to make himself look good, but … oh hell, that’s exactly what I’m saying.

    "He’s a sumbitch, y’all."

    Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!

    If you want to read the entire post, here's the link:

    http://www.juanitajean.com/2014/07/27/rick-perry-stretches-the-truth-nooooooo/

    BTW, notice how dopey Perry looks wearing that hat in the photo. Hahahaha!!!

  54. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Yup,Tim. That is ol' cantaloupe calves Kingbat,Esq. hisownself. Just when you think wingnuts can't get any dumber,King rears his ugly,pointed,tinfoil encased head and makes me eat my words.

  55. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    Deb-JJ is great and I post there using the name * ******** *****. I think it is latin. :) I cross post stuff from here and another blog from Alaska. There is a certain lady that lives in a forest on a ridge with bears,near melting ice floes,who knows everything there is to know about first peoples in Alaska and the law and constitution,but she is too modest to admit these things. I'm going to send her some asparagus seeds for her forest home this winter. Sorry for getting off track. JJ would love to know you follow her some.

  56. mike from iowa 2014.07.27

    I fixed the comments on the thread you mentioned,Deb. At your service.

  57. Tim 2014.07.27

    Gee Mike, just when I thought a complete state party voting to impeach the president was the stupidest thing I had ever seen, I read about Steve King. They have to be tied for stooopid.

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