How Joe Lowe's running has already had a positive impact on South Dakota.

Joe Lowe is running as a Democrat and Daugaard has taken notice.  If Joe Lowe doesn't win, at least just running will be a positive impact for South Dakota, because Daugaard changed his tune on education funding in a matter of a few days.

On December 1, the Argus Leader reported Daugaard saying that he would only offer a 1.6% increase to education.  

The governor said state revenue is just too uncertain to help schools and Medicaid providers as much as he might like. 

“We have some additional ongoing revenue, but not enough, really, to give people a lot more than the (rate of inflation),” Daugaard said. 

Note in the article that Senate Majority Leader Tim Rave talks about the unexpected $70 million windfall of money coming into the state.

Then enter Joe Lowe:

"If the tactics aren't working day one through seven, do you stick with the same tactics? No you don't, you move on. And you move on and change your tactics or get a new team. We've had the old team for a long time and I haven't seen much change in tactics," Lowe said. 

And that includes more transparency in our state government and higher wages for teachers. 

"Teacher pay, teacher pay we're last. What's our future, our future is children, change the world of a child and you change the world," Lowe said.
There was no big announcement in front of TV cameras for Lowe to declare his candidacy, just simply this press release, for now. 

Then a few days later, the Governor's budget increase for education jumped up to 3%.  It makes a person go "Hmmmm."

I am not the only one that noticed the sudden switch.  Representative Tyler comments about the sudden about face:

The Governor is proposing to pay off some bonds and pay cash for the state’s share of the veterans’ home in the Black Hills. He also upped his percentage of increase to education and Medicaid providers from 1.6% to 3.0%. Interesting how that increase happened right after another gubernatorial candidate threw his hat into the ring. And, no, the funding is still not where it would have been if those programs hadn’t been unnecessarily cut in 2011. 

I hope that South Dakota voters won't be fooled again.  Remember that Daugaard was the one running on the idea that education was just fine in South Dakota in 2010, and then offered a 10% cut one year to be followed by education proposals that were soundly defeated by the general populace the next year.  Governor Daugaard is not a friend of education.  He is not supportive of education in this state.  Don't forget our history, because if we do, Daugaard may cut funding for history classes in the next budget.