Governor Rounds made his plutocracy clear yesterday:
Gov. Mike Rounds enthusiastically outlined South Dakota energy opportunities in a State of the State message Tuesday and hammered again at growing reserves in public school budgets.
The proposed TransCanada crude-oil pipeline from Canada to Midwest refineries is "doing the right thing," while the proposed Hyperion refinery near Elk Point would help meet a growing need for refined oil, Rounds said.
"I believe this new refinery will help stabilize gasoline prices" in the region, the Republican governor said during a 75-minute address to a joint session of the Senate and House to kick off the 2008 session.Rounds told legislators the state and the nation need Canadian crude oil to assure a stable supply and to reduce dependence on supplies from Venezuela and the Middle East.
Hyperion officials say the state is a finalist for the multibillion-dollar project, and Rounds said Tuesday he promised the company that South Dakota "will cut red tape," but "we won't cut corners."Hyperion and TransCanada are divisive issues in the communities near the proposed projects. The governor's endorsement places Rounds among the supporters touting the economic benefits of the projects and comes just before a zoning meeting for Hyperion in Union County this week that probably will attract a strong contingent of opponents from the area citing environmental and quality of life concerns. Many landowners along the proposed pipeline route expressed concerns at hearings in December held by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in Pierre.
I agree with the Governor’s point that the Hyperion project has many benefits. The question becomes, who benefits the most…financial interests of big corporations, or the financial interests of taxpayers? Will this decrease future taxes, or will it only increase the amount of taxes that various government entities get to spend? And, should those who benefit the most ignore those who will be adversely affected as demonstrated with the ending to the Terry Woster report:
Rep. Tim Rave, R-Baltic, said he appreciated the governor's focus on the oil pipeline and the Hyperion project.
"At his level, he's aware of all the safety features, he knows the details," Rave said. "Hyperion is a big project and very environmentally friendly, with high-paying jobs."Sen. Ben Nesselhuf, D-Vermillion, who said his residence is within eight miles of the proposed refinery, disagreed.
"I think it would be responsible to wait a little more and get more answers to some pretty basic questions that I think still are unclear," Nesselhuf said. "That has a ways to go before we should be giving it our support."
Cory Heidelberger has been vocal about the TransCanada pipeline at his Madville Times web site. He has also been vocal about plutocracy. I agree with Heidelberger’s points and this introduction to a Bob Mercer report from today’s Mitchell Daily Republic is disturbing:
How mwny workers does it take to change light bulbs in every state government building?
Just one, if that person happens to be the governor.
I think it is the role of the legislator’s to stand up to the executive branch. I also think it is the role of the legislators to create the policy, and the executive branch implements it. It seems like those roles have been reversed in South Dakota under the Janklow and now the Rounds regimes. I do not think that the Governor is serious about this excerpt from the Woster report:
He referred to the education lobby as "tax spenders" and said lawmakers and the executive branch also must be attentive to the wishes of "quiet taxpayers."
I do not think that the Governor is including the Board of Regents in the education lobby. I have provided a "2008 Bills of Interest" category at my sidebar that includes tons of money being requested by the Regents, along with banning guns...including air guns. And the Governor’s Department of Education is also a force in the "education lobby". It is the job of the legislators to stand up against these special interests, including the executive branch, and represent the "quiet taxpayers". Perhaps its time that taxpayers stop being so quiet.
