South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

July 2013

ALEC Secretary of State

Is Gant positioning himself to be an unbeatable incumbent?

l3wis 4Comments

I wonder if Gant can serve either position if he is not re-elected?

KELO – South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant has been named treasurer to The National Association of Secretaries of State.

As treasurer of NASS, Gant will be a member of the executive committee and serve as President of the organization in 2015.

The organization is the oldest nonpartisan organization of public officials in the United States. The association focuses on elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, and international relations and state securities regulation.

That last paragraph should worry us the most. Remember, Gant is a prestigious member of ALEC, and part of ALEC’s agenda is voter suppression. As treasurer and then possibly chair, he will have the opportunity to spread the ALEC agenda nationally.

Hopefully State Republicans, who are sick of Jason’s bungling, will put up other candidates. I know of at least three now that are considering a run against Jason in the convention. Will Jason use these positions to convince convention delegates that they can’t replace him?

I actually think these appointments will hurt him. Jason will be pulled away from his duties as our SOS performing his national duties (propaganda). That guy has trouble running his own office, let alone handling a national piggy bank. As a high ranking State government employee told me recently,

 “There’s always some kind of problem or mess going on in that office. I just try to avoid hearing about it as much as possible.”

Besides the fact that Jason has no ethics, is an ALEC defender and will pretty much take money from the devil to help state candidates, he does a crappy job as a SOS. He had to hire Sue Roust to bail his ass out, and she didn’t come cheap, after him and Whopper Jr. got caught playing internet games. Unfortunately, AG Jackboots investigated them for something he knew they would be innocent of, stealing (financially) from the state. Everyone knows the only thing Jason is good at stealing is our voter freedoms. But who cares about ethics in Pierre?

Washington Pavilion

The Washington Money Pittvilion

l3wis 9Comments

Not only has the WP been successful at not telling the public a damn thing about what is going on in their Development Office (You know, the entity responsible for raising money for the joint) They continue to bilk SF taxpayers each year for ‘Stuff’.

In the Mayor’s recommended 2014 CIP Plan the WP is asking for $1,288,665.

BREAKDOWN:

Building Improvements $378,719 (I wonder if Operations Manager Jon Loos remembered to include ‘Labor’ in these numbers)

Science Center Exhibits $372,346 (They have been after this for years, I think the first time they requested this expenditure it was after the place was only open about 3-4 years)

Security System $180,000 (I wonder what has been keeping the building ‘Secure’ for the first 13 years?)

AVV Equipment $108,550

Cinedome seat replacement $86,000 (I find this one a bit ironic because during the council’s work session Director Larry Toll said the seats needed to be replaced because they were worn out and can’t even really be cleaned anymore, which is understandable, but one of the main reasons the WP didn’t want to do Laser Light shows of hard rock bands in the cinedome was because they felt audience members would destroy the seats. What a perfect opportunity to put in more durable seating and bring in the hard rock light shows!)

Cinedome Control System $78,500 (Like I said above about the security system, what’s been ‘controlling’ the cinedome up to this point?)

Lighting and Console – Phase II $59,550

Projection System $25,000 (What a bargain! Maybe you need to tell those folks over at the State Theater where they can get a $25,000 projection system instead of a $64,000 one . . . wait . . . it’s not the State’s money, so what do they care? Of course the $25,000 isn’t the Pavilion’s either 😉

Developers Development SF City Council Sioux Falls Walfart

How will the SON lawsuit affect Tuesday’s August 6, City Council agenda?

l3wis 4Comments

The SF city council was scheduled to listen to the 1st reading of the Walmart Southside approval on Tuesday, August 6, still not sure if they are going to, because

1) The agenda for Tueday’s meeting is not posted yet. And

2) they may have to defer the approval due to the pending lawsuit. I guess we will find out August 6, what the city attorney’s advice will be on this.

Yesterday, Judge Hoffman recused himself from the case. I have been told it was because he knew someone personally named in the lawsuit, and it is common practice for a judge to recuse themselves due to these circumstances.

I am also awaiting details on another puzzle piece of the SON lawsuit. A couple of months ago a SON member applied for a rezone at the 85th & Audie intersection, when applying for the rezone she had to pay a fee to the city ($?). She still has not received a refund since her application was denied even though the city attorney promised to expedite it. Maybe Huether instructed the city finance department to sit on the money as long as possible so he could add it to the city’s (FAUX) reserve numbers 🙂

2nd Amendment Gun Control Sioux Falls

An alternative to guns

l3wis 33Comments

When I first heard about this gun rally coming this Saturday, I said to myself, “Here we go again.”

I guess I am wondering what they are trying to accomplish? If it is already LEGAL to open carry guns in South Dakota, what is the purpose of this demonstration? To show off?

I support 2nd Amendment rights, but I also support being logical, reasonable and diplomatic. Just because you CAN carry a weapon in public, does that mean you have to? Seriously?

Gun rights advocates planning a walk this weekend in Sioux Falls might have some unarmed company.
Sioux Falls resident and Mitchell pastor Kristi McLaughlin says she’s organizing an alternative demonstration.
Members of the South Dakota Open Carry Sioux Falls Chapter plan a Saturday evening walk in which participants will have guns holstered on hips or slung over shoulders. Organizers say the goal is to raise awareness of gun rights laws and help residents feel at ease when they see someone carrying a gun. It’s legal in most places in South Dakota as long as the gun isn’t concealed.
McLaughlin says she doesn’t want to attack the constitutional right to bear arms, but she questions whether society should be comfortable with people carrying guns in the streets.

Why not teach the public about how not to be paranoid that everyone is out to kill, maim or steal from you. If these demonstrators are so fearful of their fellow American citizens that they have to carry guns everywhere they go, may I suggest they just stay home, it would be much safer then standing on a busy street.

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