Mark Mickelson, a troubling fellar

I guess according to Mark, bloggers are ‘Knotheads’. I got this interesting tidbit today;

I wish someone would explain to me why Mark Mickelson, who is Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives, one of the three or four most powerful political offices in our state, has apparently given up on the legislative process and turned to ballot measures to change the laws of our State? In my attempt to answer this myself, I discovered a Rapid City interview between Mr. Mickelson’s and Seth Tupper of the Rapid City Journal in which Mark says he is an impatient guy who likes “to move pretty quick on stuff” to explain his sudden attraction to our Initiative process.

After listening to the interview, I am not sure if I would characterize Mark as impatient, but his high regard for his own opinions certainly shines through. I would encourage him to relax a little and enjoy the political process like his grandfather and his father before him seemed to. He is still young and there is plenty of time to accomplish his goals while giving the rest of us the time we need to catch on to his vision of the way things should be.

Funny how Mark has an issue with out-of-state money for ballot measures but doesn’t wink a bit when his wife spends $6 a vote to get a seat that pays $75 per meeting.

Former legislator Frank Kloucek also points out Mark’s conflict of interest with CAFOs;

Is what Rep. Mark Mickelson doing with new swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation construction unethical and a direct conflict of interest?

Mickelson and his partner, Paul Kostboth, formed a company called A1 Development Solutions. Mickelson is directly benefiting from CAFO construction, which he is orchestrating through weakening of zoning regulations from the state down to the local level. Mickelson has already listed his partnership with Kostboth as a conflict in his legislative financial interest form filed with the Secretary of State. Should the next step for Mickelson be to decide which job he wants to do? To do both jobs, raises a lot of questions.

Is it clear that Representative Mickelson has a direct conflict of interest, which would force him to resign as a legislator or withdraw as business partner in A1 Development Solutions? Is there middle ground on this issue? Maybe, Mickelson could put his money in a solar power company instead, as long as he is not the prime sponsor of legislation to help that solar power company in South Dakota.

I think out-of-state money is the least of our problems. State lawmakers creating regs that fatten their wallets is a real problem.