Daugaard Starts the Lies on Education Support

Daugaard is setting the stage to really start spreading the lies when it comes to education funding.  I knew that since this is an election year, the GOP and Daugaard would try to find something to give education.  Daugaard stayed true to form on trying to do as little to support increases in education funding with a 1.6% increase, and it wasn't until Joe Lowe came on the scene that he started pushing 3%.  Now that election time is under way, Daugaard's commercial is trying to tout how he has increased funding for education!

Fact check.  In 2010, when Daugaard came into office, spending per student was at $4,805.  In 2014-2015, the funding level was at $4,781.  That is not doing more for education; that is doing less.  Under Daugaard's watch as Governor, education funding has decreased.  Remember, he wanted the 2014-2015 level to be .36% lower than what the legislature actually passed.  

I will tell you what has increased; the rainy day fund.  In 2010, Mike Rounds left South Dakota sitting on over 100 million dollars:

The state's Budget Reserve Fund has a balance of $43,398,446, and the Property Tax Reduction Fund has a balance of $63,626,269. The combination of these two funds, totaling $107,024,715, represents a combined reserve of approximately 9.5 percent of total general fund spending for FY2010.

 During Daugaard's time of "investment" in education:

He said state government finished its 2013 budget year on June 30 with a lot more cash than was previously forecast. The $24.2 million surplus was transferred to the budget reserve account as required by state law.  And, consequently, the state’s two rainy-day accounts now are at a combined record high of $158,952,076.

That is an increase of over 51 million dollars.  So funding for education decreases and the saving account increases.  That is the opposite of investing.  I encourage Joe Lowe or Susan Wismer (whoever  wins the primary) to print out Daugaard's promises from 2010 and hold him accountable for every lie he placed in it.  Especially the blueprint for education.  (It appears that Daugaard has taken down his blue print from 2010.  All you get is an error message and that those promises don't exist.  Wow, that seems very appropriate if not sad.  I hope somebody printed out a hard copy of his "promises.")

Steve Hickey Must Be Preparing Some New Analogies

Rep. Steve Hickey must be getting really nervous.  The pastor, who along with many other Republicans in the South Dakota Legislature (which includes District 6's own Ernie Otten), tried to pass legislation that would allow for discrimination of same-sex couples.  This is the same pastor that made national news when he compared anal sex (not limited to same-sex couples) to dump trucks.  Who then proceeded to continue with his cruel and wrong-headed comments about same-sex couples in the press and on Facebook.  He did all of this in response to a challenge in the courts that is being prepared over South Dakota's ban on same-sex marriages.

He must be really sweating now.  In the last few days we have seen more and more states have same-sex marriage bans be overturned.  Places like Oregon, Idaho, Arkansas, and recently Pennsylvania have all had court rulings that have overturned the bans.  Pennsylvania's ruling comes as a shock in part because the Republican governor has decided not to fight the ruling.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said Wednesday that he will not challenge a federal judge's ruling striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, saying an appeal is "extremely unlikely to succeed."

 Unfortunately, I don't think we can expect to see the same common sense thinking from this current Governor:

Daugaard said Monday he expects the constitutional requirement to be challenged in court and supports state Attorney General Marty Jackley in defending it. 

“I do think it is the duty of our attorney general to defend,” Daugaard said. “I think it’s an issue that we should defend.”

We must be clear by going to the polls in November and supporting candidates (Democrat or Republican) if we want to turn back people like Governor Daugaard, Rep. Hickey, and Ernie Otten.  Support candidates that believe in the words of Justice John Jones, ruling judge on the Pennsylvania lawsuit:

"We are a better people than what these laws represent," Jones wrote. "It is time to discard them into the ash heap of history."

Until we discard those that stand in the way of equality and the protection of basic rights, we will continue to drift along in a world that is filled with hate and discrimination. 

Bosworth is Channeling Joan of Arc

A lot of people have made comparisons of this year's Senate candidates to different fictional characters.  We have had comparisons to the book/show Game of Thrones and Greek mythology.  Today, Dr. Annette Bosworth made it clear what real life historical figure she is channeling; Joan of Arc.  She has so many similar qualities of Joan of Arc.  She is a woman in a male dominated controlling and dominated world.  She professes to hear God speak to her and guide her on holy missions that may require the brandishing of weapons in her crusade.  She is taking on an almost impossible enemy.  

She also believes that she is being persecuted for her just cause.  If it is not Corey Heidelberger that she uses to justify her persecution complex, it must be the GOP establishment.  She has now shifted and named a new unjust persecutor (executor?); Attorney General Marty Jackley.  She held a press conference today to make it clear that she is simply a victim, and bravely facing her persecutors (although no questions, please).  

Bosworth said Jackley was investigating her for political reasons, accusing him of a "campaign against me" and trying to "derail my candidacy." 

"This sort of blatant election manipulation is an insult to the good people of South Dakota," Bosworth said at a news conference on the steps of the Minnehaha County Courthouse.

She has one more thing in common with Joan of Arc: people think she is crazy.  What are some other real historical figures that fit this years Senate candidates?

(Can you tell them apart?)

Did Mike Rounds Just Get Willie Hortoned?

It appears that the Bosworth campaign is flashing back to 1988.  They have a new attack ad going after Mike Rounds.  The ad links Mike Rounds to Joaquin Ramos, a convicted killer that murdered a mother and her unborn child and who Mike Rounds commuted his sentence when leaving office.  When I first saw the ad, all I could think of was Willie Horton.

For those that don't remember or are too young to know about Willie Horton, he was connected Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988 in his race against the eventual President George Bush (senior)  The Wikipedia entry gives a brief summary of how Willie Horton was used:

On June 6, 1986, he was released as part of a weekend furlough program but did not return. On April 3, 1987 in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Horton twice raped a local woman after pistol-whipping, knifing, binding, and gagging her fiancé. He then stole the car belonging to the man he had assaulted. He was later shot and captured by Corporal Yusuf Muhammad (formerly named Joseph Bell) of the Prince George's County Police Department after a pursuit. On October 20, Horton was sentenced in Maryland to two consecutive life terms plus 85 years.... 

Republicans picked up the Horton issue after Dukakis clinched the nomination. In June 1988, Republican candidate George H.W. Bush seized on the Horton case, bringing it up repeatedly in campaign speeches. Bush's campaign manager, Lee Atwater, said "By the time we're finished, they're going to wonder whether Willie Horton is Dukakis' running mate."^[9] 

Campaign staffer James Pinkerton returned with reams of material that Atwater told him to reduce to a 3×5 index card, telling him, "I'm giving you one thing. You can use both sides of the 3×5 card." Pinkerton discovered the furlough issue by watching the Felt Forum debate. On May 25, 1988, Republican consultants met in Paramus, New Jersey, holding a focus group of Democrats who had voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984. These focus groups convinced Atwater and the other Republican consultants that they should 'go negative' against Dukakis. Further information regarding the furlough came from aide Andrew Card, a Massachusetts native whom President George W. Bush later named as his Chief of Staff.^[10]

It appears the Bosworth campaign is taking a page from Atwater's play book.  She states in a press release posted on South Dakota War College:

But Mike Round’s involvement in the tragic story of Joaquin Jack Ramos’s killing of Debbie Martines and her unborn baby in front of Martines’s children also has a deeper meaning. Even though Rounds scrambled to make amends after he began to get bad press, his commutation of Ramon’s sentence remains inexplicable to this day. Hopefully, this ad will finally bring Gov. Rounds to fully account for his actions. 

I must admit that I don't know the whole story behind the commuting of Joaquin Ramos by then Governor Mike Rounds.  It appears that he failed to do due diligence and  later regretted his actions (Kind of like inappropriate use State airplanes and oversight of the EB-5 program.)  It is the message that voters will get that will matter.  

The Willie Horton Ad

The Joaquin Ramos Ad

District 6 Legislative Members Bank Tax Payer Money for ALEC

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is an organization that encourages mostly conservative republicans to sit down with corporations and business leaders to take lessons and notes about how to write legislation that supports corporations and businesses.  Even though it tries to pass itself off as an organization open to all to improve state legislation, it can be nothing than a Republican dream vacation spot.  The board of directors is made up entirely of Republicans (and only 2 women) and on the corporate side the advisory council include Exxon, Kock Brothers, PhRMA, Pfizer Inc., and AT&T. ALEC encourages our Republican legislative members to come and sit down and write legislation back in our state.  It also provides a great opportunity to network with Republican supporters.

Cory Heidelberger at Madville Times shows us how much South Dakota Republicans love support this organization.  District 6 legislative members, Ernie Otten and Issac Latterel both are asking for money when they attended the national meeting held in Washington D.C. in 2013.  Isaac Latterel wins the big spender prize.  He is hoping for another $2,048.01 for an Annual ALEC Meeting in Chicago in December.  According to my math, that is more $4,000 of taxpayer money to support his networking.  No wonder he desperately wants people to pay for for his governance.

It doesn't appear that these District 6 members will stop spending our money to go on a vacation.  Recently, the GOP made sure that more money can be funneled to ALEC.  Not every Republican seems to support this idea.

Tieszen called the inclusion of ALEC “troublesome” and said ALEC “isn’t compatible” with the three other organizations for which travel reimbursement is allowed, including the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, and the Midwestern Legislative Conference.

Craig Tieszen from Rapid City is willing to stand against the waste of our taxpayer money going to let Senator Otten and Representative Latterell hang out with big corporations and Republicans.  I guess it will be up to those of us in District 6 to make the message clear, stop using taxpayer money for your advantage and start focusing on representing the people that live here!

Hickey Needs to Update His Evidence

Today on 100 Eyes with the Argus Leader, Rev. Hickey attempted to support his position of discrimination.  He continues to make the claim that he wants to give voice to those that disagree with proven science.  Maybe he would like to give credibility to those that don't believe that the earth is round?  Maybe he wants to give equal science time to people that think that the sun revolves around the earth?  The problem with claiming that we should listen to opposing voices, is that those voices should be supported with valid data, and once tested and proven wrong, we should turn away from them.

In his talk on 100 Eyes, Hickey tries to introduce evidence about the dangers of homosexual sex using a study by John R. Diggs.  Patrick Lalley thankful questioned the validity of the study and would not give Hickey traction in using the study because it had not been examined before the broadcast.  Rep. Hickey did mention the author's name (John R. Diggs, Jr.) and allowed me the opportunity to examine the source.

John R. Diggs, Jr. published a study in 2002 on the issue of homosexual sex.    The study relies on evidence and other studies taken as far back as 1978.  It turns out that many of the authors used in Diggs study have a problem with how it was used:

Diggs cites the study a second time and in more detail later in the study. But his citation of the study is a mischaracterization. The six original researchers who conducted that study have gone on record saying that religious conservatives (like Diggs) was distorting their work. The researchers who conducted the original study had plenty to say about the religious right using it to denigrate gays and lesbians.  (PDF file)

In fact the article by Alvin McEwing, gives an excellent, detailed, and evidence-based rebuttal to Diggs study.

The other issue with the Diggs study is the source himself is biased.  While I would question using a source that works for an agency that has an agenda against people of the homosexual and transgender persuasion (Member, National Advisory Council of the Family Research Council), and has spoken out against HPV, and a person that his living in part speaking to anti-gay, christian groups. In the debate world, we call that a biased source.  That would be like asking the tobacco companies to study the dangers of smoking, or the oil companies to report on risks of global warming, or Republicans to study the EB-5 scandal.  

Did you ever consider that the reason a lot of qualified doctors and scientists have not spoken out against homosexual relationships is that very few of them that are qualified actually think it is an issue?  I think I will back the ruling of the Supreme Court Supreme Court, The American Journal of Public Health that through real research that has been peer reviewed states:

It remains to be seen when other states will follow suit, but the results of this literature review strongly suggest that the legal and social recognition of same-sex marriage are likely to impart more than just symbolic support for the gay community. Embracing marriage equality through education and legislation is sound public health policy supported by evidence-based literature. Legislation to make marriage equality a reality will change, and save, lives.

And of course South Dakota doctors like Dr. Kevin Weiland.

SD GOP, The Gift That Keeps on Giving...Discrimination

This week, two South Dakota made national news for their discrimination.  The week started with Senate candidate Annette Bosworth comparing people that receive food assistance with wild animals.  Then she has the audacity to play martyr and wonder why people are attacking her for what she said; blaming of course the liberal bias for something she posted.

Bosworth has tried to help harness the attention, both negative and positive, and use it to help her campaign. Thursday morning she posted multiple unrelated images along with the message, “More dishonest attacks from the left. We are being attacked by a far left wing group. Please help us get our message out by making a contribution today.”

She is of course now using this to try and increase her street conservative cred by claiming this is her burning issue that drove her to run:

Bosworth isn't backing down saying it’s the first time in this Republican primary that she's actually talking about an issue that led her to run for office. 

I thought she was worried about God and guns and that is what drove her to run.  I thought is was Obamacare that forced her to run.  I am pretty sure it was an ego that really drove her to run.  A supposed compassionate and caring doctor sees many of her patients as wild animals.  She sees our children suffering from a lack of food as wild animals, she sees many of our nations elderly as wild animals, and she is not alone.  Mike Rounds, Stace Nelson, or the GOP has not come out against this line of thinking.  

Then later in the week Representative Steve Hickey attempts to get a letter published about the dangers of anal sex in relation to gay sex and comes under fire for completely understandable reasons.  His letter is misinformed, mixed-up, and insensitive.  By trying to make sexual identification issues a disease that must be cured, and purged like a horrible horrible disease.  The medical community has been very clear on this matter.

Actually, American medical and psychological communities have spoken out vehemently and unequivocally in favor of gay and trans rights, again and again andagain and again and again and again and again. But these professionals’ unanimous endorsement of marriage equality and trans rights doesn’t convince Rep. Hickey, who knows in his heart that gender noncomforming stuff is just plain icky.

The Wire also shares the view of the American Psychology Association:

A bit of good news that might assuage Rep. Hickey's concerns: the doctors have already weighed in. In the words of the American Psychological Association, "being gay is just as healthy as being straight." The emotional distress that gay and transgender people experience is often a function of the societal pressure imposed by people like Steve Hickey. 

 While as sad and hurtful Mr. Hickey's comments are, we at least know where he stands.  Many of the GOP hold the same view, homosexuality is a disease that must be cured and wiped out.  There is no compassion or understanding of people that are different than they.  Remember that the South Dakota GOP party launched several bills to make discrimination of the LGBT community legal.  

We get it SD GOP, you don't like people that are not like you.  The message is clear.  If you are not an middle to upper class business owner that is straight, then your rights simply don't matter.  You are less than human.   

If you as a South Dakota Republican don't want this label put on you, then speak out against those in your party that would speak for you.