Haven’t we been down this road once already? It was only 3 years ago that Rounds got busted doing this, and now his buddy DooGard is doing it also with the SAME ad agency! (From the TheAntidote);
lucrative state tourism contract as well as a tidy little contract to promote the University of South Dakota in a variety of forms of advertising including billboard advertising.
That all sounds a bit fishy. An advertising firm works for Republican candidates and those candidates, turned elected officials, reward the advertising firm with millions of dollars in state taxpayer funded contracts.
Now throw in this new and even more disturbing wrinkle.
The Daugaard’s political campaign ads, who are now making taxpayer funded ads because of lucrative state contracts including advertising for the University of South Dakota, are now putting Daugaard into their advertising plan to promote the University – free exposure for Daugaard at taxpayer expense from a contract Daugaard’s campaign advertising team got from the state after Daugaard was elected.
A Perfect Example of What Is Wrong With One Party Government.
Lawrence and Schiller is an advertising firm based in Sioux Falls.
Lawrence and Schiller makes political ads for Republican candidates for office – including Dennis Daugaard’s campaign for governor of South Dakota in 2010.
That fishy smell just got downright putrid.
The University of South Dakota has a reported $1.5 million three year contract with Lawrence and Schiller to promote the University. As part of their work for the University, Lawrence and Schiller has designed billboard copy with Daugaard’s smiling face, identified as “Governor Dennis Daugaard BS – 75†and the slogan, “We will serve the people†along with the tag word, “Onward†and a new USD logo – a rather pedestrian, plain and nondescript one designed by Lawrence and Schiller.
What’s wrong with that picture? Everything.
The arrogance of it is offensive. It is as if Daugaard is saying to South Dakotans, “I won. So, I can now reward my campaign buddies with taxpayer funded state contracts, but cynically, those same taxpayer contracts can promote me as well. It’s great being governor of a one party state.â€
The practice should be banned and Democrats in the legislature ought to sponsor legislation in the upcoming session to do just that.
But what is perhaps as offensive with this new billboard campaign is that Daugaard is no friend of the University of South Dakota. His first budget as Governor slashed funding to the University while it raised tuition on every student that attends the U.
So how did Lawrence and Schiller take care of that little public relations problem: spend taxpayer dollars on billboards suggesting Daugaard is a friend of the University of South Dakota. That is just plain wrong.
Pay to play is bullshit, but it is still legal in SD. And apparently the same offenders continue to rear their heads. What is more troubling is that we are paying a private company that much money to promote a public university.
1) What is wrong with their own marketing department that is already receiving taxpayer money?
2) Where did this money come from since the state is broke and cannot spend any money on education?
Maybe we could hire L & S to come up with a focus group to research the topic.
I’ve often wondered about Lawrence & Shiller. Big ad firm with big public contracts is suspicious.
Man, I’d hate to see the stains on those sheets……
Doubt there is any stains since most of the GOP shoots blanks.
Janklow got jumped on for handing out contracts and nothing happened. Rounds got called on handing out contracts under pay to play and nothing happened. Daugaard is, as Lt Gov and Gov, caught handing out contracts and will anything happen? Doubt it. Legislative Republicans have fought for years to writing ethics rules and laws. Is it any more clear why they don’t want ethics in writing? And Rounds great move while in office to approve a contract for transmission lines for wind power and he is now sitting on the board of the same company. Used to be if you didn’t want to see or anyone else to see what you’ve done in the morning headlines then it might be unethical and illegal. Daugaard is double timing now with his pro-active rebuttal to a story that hasn’t hit the headlines…yet. If it smells and has a white stripe going down it’s back, it’s a skunk.
Forgot one thing. Isn’t Daugaard’s daughter working for L and Sh? OR was at one time?
Jo – yeah, I know she did at one time, and maybe still does, kinda like Bobbi Jo Wamarra (sp?) getting a job at L & S after she handed over millions in tourism contracts to them as head of SD Tourism. There is so much back scratching going on over at L & S their backs probably look like they just received a good flogging.
Dindn’t they change their name to just Schiller?
I could not believe that the U would put Doogards face on a billboard after what he has done to education funding in this state. Considering that it came from L&S which is a bunch of yuppies with absolutely no morals or class, it is not suprising.
I can believe it. I can’t wait to hear the NPR story about all the good things he has done for misfortunate children in our state while lining his pocket with taxpayer money.
What always irked me about USD and its ties to L & S is that USD awards L & S a contract and pays them for advertising, logo creating, and the works when the talent pool (students) in the university’s own art and advertising departments could design and create at little or no cost. Heck! They would do a far better job too! I guarantee it.
L & S is overpriced and over rated. When I create a logo I charge for my time x2. I have never charged over $400 for a logo. I sent a bill to a guy once for $250 and he asked me if that was correct (I thought he was going to bitch about the price) and I told him it was. He replied, “Wow, L & S wanted to charge me $4,000.
lol that reminds me of some of the silliness at local printing companies. I’ve made a few attempts over the years at having the artwork for my end of the year cd set printed by a local company. Each time I’ve been shocked at the quotes they’ve given me for a pretty simple project. I hate to use chain stores, but I can’t ignore the fact that Staplez will do it faster, 75% cheaper…and actually do it right (unlike the great Sioux Printing fuckup of a few years ago).
It amazes me how similar the printing industry and restaurant industry in SF is.
People try to haggle, AFTER they were already told the price.
Here’s the deal – The price listed on the quote or menu is what we will charge you, unless you have a additions, which will be extra.