South Dakota’s original A-Hole politician
Scathing. I told a person this afternoon that I haven’t read a column like this in the Argus since Randell Beck wrote the Dan Scott parody (and they had to settle out of court on that one).
Amazingly, while I have known Mr. Ellis for several years, we don’t exactly ‘hang’ but I was surprised by some of the same observations we have, this one particularly got my gander up;
He isn’t the first politician in South Dakota to exercise politics with brute force. Another guy was Bill Janklow. They come from different backgrounds, but they share similar governing styles. Get in their way, and you’re going to be a victim of blunt force.
It’s something I have coined as the ‘Janklow Complex’ I often tell people that Huether possesses it. It’s this notion that it is okay to treat 50% of the public like dirt as an elected official as long as you are charitable to the other 50%.
It’s the policy of a person weak at heart. Someone who must justify their bad behavior by being good to others. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect. But this isn’t about me, it is about those asked to serve the public.
Don’t believe this most obvious comparison? Take Huether’s financial interests in local development, then think Janklow. Isn’t it amazing how a person (Billy Bob Janks) who worked in public service most of his life became a millionaire? In SOUTH DAKOTA!
Wow. Huether is 2 for 2 in the last couple of days being compared to corrupt Republican politicians. First Mundt, now Janklow.
But let’s get on to the finer points of the article;
It took a little more than a year for Huether to lead a successful effort to build a $115 million events center. It took the council just as long or longer to decide how many chickens residents should be allowed to own.
I busted out laughing on this one, just yesterday at the Listening and Learning session I told people in attendance that our city council was more concerned about chickens then barking dogs, and it took them a year to figure out how many we can own. To which Huether agreed, saying, “That’s true.”
I would not be surprised to one day see a picture of Huether screaming at street crews at a construction site to move a pile of dirt,
Just to note, there is a video floating around of Huether dropping F-Bombs at a street crew on 6th street. Trust me, Detroit Lewis has tried to obtain this elusive video, but no success yet. but I hear it competes with the original South Park movie, except no one is screwing any uncles.
Hopefully, no one will ever fill Janklow’s shoes again in South Dakota politics…. Nor emulate it nationally, that is what I love about New Jersey’s “Bridgegate.” It came in due time, unfortunately with Janklow and South Dakota it finally came 29 years too late.
I’ve always thought Ellis was a good reporter. Now, he’s proving to be even better than good based on his last couple of articles. Seems to me he’s been turned loose since beck checked out.
You taking notes bike rider?
Huether will never be governor. Surprisingly, other than Sioux Falls, state residents have him figured out. I’m semi-retired now. I’ll be visiting Rapid, Pierre, Huron, Aberdeen, & Watertown this year addressing city meetings regarding Home Rule Charter & how Huether has used it to prevent checks/balances, due process, & competitive bid city contracts. Brookings is already Home Rule and is experiencing dictator rule like Sioux Falls.
I agree with Winston on this. Getting on the topic of chickens in town. I grew up on a farm and can’t figure out why anybody, not living on a farm would want any type of farm animal.
Miss.
Gawd, there is no comparison. The Janklovian thing to do would’ve been to convince the dissenting 6 BID members to change their minds, publicly, not to replace them with toadies. How soon the Argus forgets its greatest patron!
I would love to have a few banti chickens in my back yard. There’s even a chicken coop back there from the days it was allowed in Madison. How was Mundt corrupt? We never hear that story here.
Madison Observer,
Wasn’t there a controversy in the 1960 Senate race against McGovern, where the McGovern camp accused Mundt of having an interest in the Logan Bypass area of Sioux Falls, which later became known as I-229…. that’s the only alleged allegation against Mundt that I can recall…..?
I know Mundt was instrumental or at least took credit for having I-29 moved over into South Dakota, instead of having it go along US 75, which would have ran I-29 through Luverne instead of Sioux Falls.
Although, that fact does not suggest impropriety, it does establish Mundt’s involvement in the lay-out of the eventual I-29 conduit, however, which could establish further credence to the I-229 allegations.
What is impropriety? Should we expect representatives to make the most logical decisions (for who) or are they simply there to fight for the interests of their immediate constituents? It is commonly said Mundt (who graduated and taught college here) told the leaders of Madison that he could get the interstate to come through our town. If you look at the map it swings at Brookings, but Madison was larger then. Our town fathers in their short sighted wisdom didn’t want an immediate route to Sioux Falls. How do you spell self interest?
Really????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why would anyone even considering filling Janklow’s shoes when those shoes were less then honest, less then honorable, less then truthful, the list is endless. Janklow’s history is not a pretty picture, someone should write a book. Surely South Dakota can aim higher for once.
Madison Observer,
The comment “… told the leaders of Madison that he could get the interstate to come through our town” is very telling and more indictable to Mundt’s character than anything I have alleged or this blog site has suggested.
That is just a commonly retold story, mostly repeated locally to explain why/how Madison fell behind, was short sighted, not to criticize Mundt. We don’t know the background on how the interstate decisions were being made, so I am very uncomfortable with people throwing the corrupt word at Mundt. It smears a name I’ve never heard put in a negative light. Obviously we are all a mixture of good/bad, but to call a long departed Senator corrupt without citing something factual and documented is contemptible.
How’s everything at the Mundt Foundation these days?
People will always use politics to get what they want. Look at the TIFs. I’m trying to point out people are pulled in different directions, and Mundt most likely had loyalty to those who helped him to office and commerce was probably a legitimate part of the interstate program after defense. He understood how beneficial this would have been to our town, but our local big fish wanted to stay that way. At that time the town was largely controlled by one major employer that wanted to keep wages low. Their interests were later pushed aside by a collection of businessman that still operate through our economic development corporation. For added pain they use our tax base to fund their self interests in the name of betterment for the whole community while clearly the betterment is only for those who pay their dues. But, that’s the way things work right now. Give me a G, give me an R, give me an EED.
The irony is Madison is trying to get 4 state lanes to the interstate. Hard to correct such a big mistake. Look at Brookings today.
Look out Madison!
Sioux Falls own King of TIFs, Craig Lloyd, is now operating in YOUR community.