Sibby Online

Sibson vs Vehle, it is all about conservatism

The front page of today's Mitchell Daily Republic says it all:

Sibson vs Vehle: What the Mitchell Daily Republic did not publish

On May 8 the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce held a forum for the District 20 Republican primary for state Senate, here is how the Mitchell Daily Republic described it:

Steve Sibson said he was “clearly a conservative challenging a liberal” in the race for the District 20 Republican state Senate nomination.

Sibson’s comment was made during a debate with his opponent, incumbent state Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell, on Tuesday at Mitchell Technical Institute as part of the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee forum. The primary election is June 5, and the winner will advance to the Nov. 6 general election. District 20 includes Davison, Aurora and Jerauld counties.

Vehle didn’t respond directly to the “liberal” charge but said there is “clearly” a difference between him and Sibson. Vehle referenced Sibson’s advocacy for giving stimulus money back to the federal government, which Vehle said would have been foolish.

Amazing that Vehle is concerned about losing some of the $1.7 billion in federal funding. Afterall, it was only $1.1 billion in 2008, the year Obama was elected president. Since then the federal debt has increased 50%. And that is also how much South Dakota's share has increased. Anybody care about the children that will be saddled with this debt.

Early on there was a question regarding what it means to be a Republican, since this was a Republican primary. I had already mentioned the South Dakota Republican Platform during my introduction that starts with this:

The South Dakota Republican Party believes that the fundamental principles of the Republican Party are rooted in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of South Dakota.

I have been handing out copies of the Declaration and the Constitution of the United States during my campaigns. I also mentioned the economic development policy of promoting a fair and competitive free market that allows all to have opportunity. I mentioned that the SDGOP leadership economic policies has been using government to pick winners and losers and have been violating this Platform position. I have also noticed that the link to the platform no longer works. Wonder why? 

Here is what the paper said about our opening remarks:

Vehle commented on his role in tackling issues in the state Legislature in his opening statement.

“Do we always agree? No. Is it always easy? No. But a majority of the people always come to an agreement on the major issues,” he said. “I think that’s the way we should continue to operate.”

In his opening statement, Sibson said his principles come from the Bible, the state constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

“This is what united our country at the very beginning, and this is what will unite us now,” Sibson said.

So Vehle thinks unity is going to the left, and I believe unity will be accomplished if we stay with traditional conservative principles. Now let is apply our fundamental beliefs to the issues:

As part of a series of questions from local media and audience members, the potential nominees were asked their stance on state funding for education.

“Teachers need to be paid more,” Sibson said. “Teachers are not the problem.”

Although Sibson agreed a merit-pay system could work, he did not support the system included in the teaching-reforms bill passed during the last legislative session.

Vehle said the recently passed teaching legislation could be adjusted as several committees work to study the impact of the reforms.

“All those folks are going to be looking at this thing that we passed,” he said. “That should give us a better idea of where we’re going.”

Funny that Vehle refused to defend the education policy he voted for. If he was really that unsure of the policy, why did he vote for it?  Next issue:

When asked if there was any legislation the potential nominees would like to see reintroduced, Vehle brought up the failed proposal to ban texting while driving.

“It is difficult to enforce,” Vehle said, but added that once a law is passed, he believes the vast majority of people will obey.

Sibson said he hoped the Legislature will again move to resist aspects of federal health care reform.

Why isn't the healthcare issue discussed more? Why didn't the paper mention my revelation that the SDGOP is currently implementing insurance exchanges, the core to Obamacare? Next issue: 

Both candidates were asked to give a letter grade to the Legislature for its work during the last session.

Sibson, who said the Republican dominated Legislature did not stick to its core principles, gave the legislature a C.

He added that he felt large corporations were having too great an impact on South Dakota’s politicians. “Global corporations are telling the governor what to do,” Sibson said. “That’s the globalists telling South Dakota you need to be part of a global economy.”

Sibson then claimed Vehle was taking “marching orders” from the Council of State Governments, which Vehle quickly denied.

Too bad that I could not get in the fact the Vehle's City Manager proposal for Mitchell originated out of the CSG. Instead the paper tried to give the CSG credibility:

The CSG is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with state governments across the United States.

Vehle gave the most recent legislative session a B-plus.

“I think we took on some tough issues. We didn’t dodge them,” he said. “It was tough to make cuts, but we did and we balanced the budget.”

In his closing remarks, Sibson once again brought up Vehle’s association with the CSG, which Sibson said celebrates both a “Canada night” and “Mexico night.”

“That sounds like a global new world order to me, doesn’t it to you folks?” Sibson asked of the audience.

Too bad this wasn't included in the report:

The CSG-WEST legislative membership of 13 western states benefits from its associate memberships with the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the Pacific islands of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, and benefits from its collaborative partnerships with the border states of Mexico.

...

The U.S.-Mexico State Alliance Partnership is a collaborative, multi-branch program aimed at strengthening cooperation among state officials and institutions of both countries. The Partnership promotes and convenes binational exchanges among border legislators, attorneys general, treasurers, Lt. Governors and other officials to enhance the role of state officials to address shared public policy concerns that transcend international borders.

And this event:

REGISTER NOW for the CSG-WEST 65th annual meeting to be held in Edmonton, Alberta July 20 -23, 2012.  Meeting and hotel registration are available. 

CSG-WEST is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that brings Western state legislators together to share best policy practices, cooperate on regional issues and engage in professional development training.  Several hundred people are expected to attend the annual meeting, drawing together elected officials from Western states and the Pacific region.

The meeting theme is “Western Frontiers – On the Edge of Innovation”.  Delegates will meet with legislators from across the West, attend policy and professional development sessions, and see firsthand Alberta’s innovative approaches to industry, education, transportation and research.

Take advantage of professional development sessions as well  as robust policy discussions on critical western issues such as energy, natural resources, water, health, fiscal affairs, western economic development and demographic trends in the western states.

Experience authentic western Canadian hospitality with policy toursof Alberta Industrial Heartland Association, Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC), EPCOR Genesee 3 Supercritical Power Facility, Food Processing Development Centre, Quest Carbon Capture and Storage Project, and discover Alberta’s spirit of innovation.

Not exactly the American organization that the MDR mislead its readers on. Clearly sounds more like a promoter of a North American Union.

But the best part of my closing was not reported. While answering a question on how do we bring people to South Dakota I made a joke about increasing global warming. If we have more winters like the last one, it will be a lot easier to bring people to South Dakota. Vehle played off that point by saying he downplays South Dakota winters and tells people it is no worse than Minneapolis. During my research last year on the City Manager issue, I remembered bragging about using South Dakota blizzards to justify tax increases to his CSG buddies. So during the closing I brought up this:

South Dakota’s ‘Perfect Storm’ Blows in a Fee Increase

One of the lawmakers featured in the brief is South Dakota State Sen. Mike Vehle, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee in Pierre and who is a member of CSG’s Transportation Policy Task Force. While Vehle was unsuccessful in his effort to raise his state’s 22 cent-a-gallon tax by 6 cents over two years, the legislature did approve an increase in license tag fees that will help fund maintenance of county, township and municipal roads and bridges.

...

Vehle describes the confluence of events that allowed the measure to succeed even over the Governor’s veto as a “perfect storm.”

...

Vehle said throughout the winter as the measure was considered in committee and on the floor of the House and Senate, the snow falling outside provided a constant reminder.

“Everyone knows when all this snow melts it’s going to make those local roads even worse,” he said.  

...

Vehle summed up what it took to get the bill done this way: “Especially in these times, if you want to increase funding [tax increases], you must establish a real and recognizable need [create a faux crisis], get solid grassroots support [through propaganda and deception], and then get lucky and have a perfect storm.”

Typical liberal to pass tax increases on to those rural citizens who are not receiving adequate service from their government during a period where their spending went for $3 billion (in the year Obama was elected) to $4 billion. So where is that money going? To set up the South Dakota to be controlled by the central planners of the global economy. It was Bob Mercer who disclosed that the CSG and the National Governors Association receives funding from the corporate plutocracy. I wonder how many of Vehle's globalist elitist friends in the CSG would want to move to South Dakota after he trashed us?

And then there is a letter from Sen. Mike Vehle to South Dakota Association of Towns And Townships Lobbyist, Richard Howard:

I too am still somewhat amazed at the success. I feel it was somewhat a perfect storm. We had been relentlessly plugging this for over 3 years with good reason and good facts, that showed a definite need that begged to be fixed. The snow kept falling as we debated it and everyone knew this year's spring thaw was going to make matters worse. County, Township, and Municipal folks contacted their legislators, saying now was the time. Most of the general public when asked, sheepishly admitted their license tag fees were cheap, and would pay more for better roads. This, along with some legislators that knowing we had to do something someday. I had several, who had been past opponents, that as I was explaining it to them said "OK Vehle, you've finally convinced me, I'll vote for it!" Having a respected Democrat farmer sponsor to started the bill was also a great move on your part. He was able to either get farm organizations support or neutralize their opposition. The Governor's office failing to appear to oppose the bill in the House Transportation Committee (no matter what the reason) was a stroke of luck also. The old adage "the harder we work the luckier we get" along with the perfect storm scenario all helped. And you were pulling the levers on a lot of parts of that storm.

THANKS for all your undaunted and persistent continued hard work. It sure paid off and we were fortunate to  have you as the quarterback. Everyone knew yours was a labor of love, not just a "hired gun". Your sincere tenacity paid off.

THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING, YOU DESERVE

MORE CREDIT THAN FOLKS KNOW ! ! !

P.S. As you well know, we're not done yet, so we'll need you along for the rest of the ride!!!

Amazing how Vehle is in with the hired gun government lobbyist that uses a Democratic legislator to pass tax increases. The "rest of the ride" is more tax increases. Vehle said in February that he won't try and pass tax increases during an election year. His liberal tax and spend interior would be too exposed as his Republican clothes begin to wear thin. Clearly the District 20 seat has not been represented by a true conservative Republican over the last four years.

Governor Daugaard agrees with Obama, the Second Amendment is meaningless and vetoes the popular HB1248

So if you want second Amendment Rights, the Governor of South Dakota says we have to prove ourselves innocent first and vetoed the popular HB1248:

Gov. Dennis Daugaard has vetoed a measure that would have allowed South Dakotans to carry concealed handguns without a permit as long as they had a driver's license and otherwise met state standards for carrying guns.

In his veto message to the Legislature, the governor says he supports people's right to carry a concealed handgun under the current law that requires a permit. He says the bill would have made it difficult for law enforcement officers to determine whether people are qualified to carry concealed weapons or are prohibited from doing so because they have criminal records or mental health problems.

The Legislature will consider the governor's veto on Monday. A vetoed bill can become law if two-thirds of the House and Senate vote to override the governor's veto.

And note he made this last minute veto in order to give the citizens less time to put pressure on their legislators. Yes, in a gobal economy based on central planning from the United Nations, we citizens don't get to have guns. And wait to here Daugaard tell pro-gun conservatives to send money so that we can defeat Obama. I say, the governor better tell his wealthy globalist cohorts that he is going to need lots of money next election.

This is the kind of votes that the South Dakota Gun Owners usually expose to the public, and that is why liberal Republicans hate them so much.

We have enough votes in the House to override, but we need to change a couple of these anti-gun Senators (only 3 are Democrats) who voted against this bill on 2/28/2012:

Adelstein; Bradford; Buhl; Gray; Holien; Johnston; Nelson (Tom); Peters; Sutton; Tieszen; Vehle

 

District 20 Senate race takes shape, Sibson vs Vehle, and the Democrats add Quentin Burg

The Mitchell Daily Republic has a front-page report on the upcoming District 20 Senate race:

Steve Sibson acknowledges his will be an uphill battle for District 20’s Senate seat, but he insists he will best represent the little guy.

Sibson, 56, of Mitchell, said this week he has enough signatures to file a petition for the seat but is gathering more to help spread word of his campaign. Assuming he files enough valid signatures, he will set up an inner-party challenge against incumbent Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell. The primary election is June 5.

“I want to bring back into vogue the conservative Republican platform,” Sibson said. “The basic theme of my campaign two years ago and my campaign now is ‘Making government bureaucracy smaller and making you the citizen bigger.’ ”

Sibson ran two years ago against Vehle as an independent in the general election. Although he got 21 percent of the vote in 2010, Sibson said conservative Republicans were afraid to vote for him because they thought splitting the Republican vote would help a Democrat win.

This year, he hopes his Republican status will bring more votes from conservatives around District 20, which after redistricting will now include Davison, Aurora and Jerauld counties.

He wants to focus on bringing education back into parental control. He said while there’s been a decrease in student population, the state has increased the amount of faculty and staff in the schools. He added that Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s solution to the education situation is “more bureaucracy.”

“Instead of letting the federal government dictate to us what is a quality education, put that decision in the hands of the parents,” he said. “The problem is not the teachers, it is the system.”

Clearly education will be the burning issue. I will be helping put HB1234 on the ballot as it clearly shows how the SDGOP has abandoned their conservative principles and implemented another Obama agenda item. And sadly there are some who don't get it:

Sen. Vehle has not filed for re-election yet, but has petitions out and plans to file before the March 27 deadline, he said.

Asked about Sibson’s candidacy, Vehle said “it’s a free country” and added that it’s good to have people running for office.

Davison County Republican Party Chairwoman Donna Weiland said Vehle has represented the party well, and she sees no reason for a change.

“We will support what we already have,” Weiland said, referring to Vehle and District 20’s two representatives, Lance Carson and Tona Rozum, who are both Republicans from Mitchell.

Now you understand why I ran as an Independent two years ago. Weiland has been given Vehle's extreme left liberal voting record. And I would like to welcome Quentin Burg to the fray:

Former state representative Quentin Burg, of Wessington Springs, has petitions out and plans to file as a Democrat for District 20’s Senate seat as well, he said Tuesday.

He said he’s been frustrated with this year’s legislative session as many legislators seem to have followed whatever Gov. Daugaard wanted.

“When I looked at this legislative session and what they did with education, I was frustrated. There was no real leadership,” he said.

The question for Burg is, don't you know that the SDGOP is only doing what Obama wants? This is from a George Will column that also ran in today's Mitchell paper:

Meanwhile, the Education Department is pretending that three laws do not mean what they clearly say. This is documented in the Pioneer Institute’s report “The Road to a National Curriculum: The Legal Aspects of the Common Core Standards, Race to the Top, and Conditional Waivers” by Robert S. Eitel, Kent D. Talbert and Williamson M. Evers, all former senior officials in the Education Department.

The 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) — No Child Left Behind is its ninth iteration — intruded the federal government into this traditionally state and local responsibility. It said that “nothing in this act” shall authorize any federal official to “mandate, direct, or control” a state’s, local educational agency’s or school’s curriculum. The General Education Provisions Act of 1970, which supposedly controls federal education programs, stipulates that “no provision of any applicable program shall be construed to authorize” any federal agency or official “to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction” or selection of “instructional materials” by “any educational institution or school system.”

The 1979 law establishing the Education Department forbids it from exercising “any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum” or “program of instruction” of any school or school system. The ESEA as amended goes further: No funds provided to the Education Department “may be used . . . to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in” kindergarten through 12th grade.

However . . .

What authors Eitel, Talbert and Evers call the Education Department’s “incremental march down the road to a national curriculum” begins with the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS). It is an initiative not of any state legislature but of a governors association, state school officials and private foundations. This push advanced when the Race to the Top Fund (RTTT, part of the 2009 stimulus) said that peer reviewers of applications for money should favor those states that join a majority of states in developing and adopting common standards. The 11 states and the District of Columbia that won Race to the Top funding had adopted or indicated an intention to adopt the CCSS, which will require changes in curricula.

An Education Department synopsis of discussions with members of the public about priorities in competition for RTTT money says “the goal of common K-12 standards is to replace the existing patchwork of state standards.” Progressives celebrate diversity in everything but thought.

The Obama administration is granting conditional waivers to states chafing under No Child Left Behind’s unrealistic accountability requirements. The waivers are contingent on each state adopting certain standards “that are common to a significant number of states,” or the state may adopt standards endorsed by its institutions of higher education — if those standards are consistent with the Education Department’s guidelines.

We have been warned. Joseph Califano, secretary of health, education and welfare in the Carter administration, noted that “in its most extreme form, national control of curriculum is a form of national control of ideas.”

Here again laws are cobwebs. As government becomes bigger, it becomes more lawless. As the regulatory state’s micromanagement of society metastasizes, inconvenient laws are construed — by those the laws are supposed to restrain — as porous and permissive, enabling the executive branch to render them nullities.

This is why I oppose Daugaard's education plan that will spend $8.4 million on training Common Core Standards, and then tens of millions more to set up a testing to give bonuses to the those teachers who implement the Common Core Standards. This is how we have increased the cost of education without any results in regard to academic performance over that last several decades. Daugaard is only doing what Obama wants, and that is to continue with the federal education agenda that the Bushs', Clinton, and now Obama have already pushed. It is not a change in status quo, and it is the anti-thesis to local control. Daugaard is blindly taking marching order from the National Governors Association whose agenda comes out of Washington DC.

The education issue clearly shows how the leadership of both parties are in the same bed. Their aim is control...control on how and what we think. Time for conservative Republicans, conservatve Populist Democrats, and libertarians to join forces and stand up to the leaderships of both political parties.

Side note: I bet Vehle is telling all his rich special interests that he is going to need a lot of money.

South Dakota legislative theatre includes Vehle playing stooge for big corporate welfare

The report is in regard to tax refunds to the largest utilities:

The state Senate argued politely Tuesday evening over tax rebates for wind energy projects and environmental upgrades at existing electricity production facilities that generate more than 300 megawatts.

The plan won approval with no votes to spare.

Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell, cast the deciding “aye” in favor after a pause to consider the tally. He was the 18th vote necessary for passage.

The measure now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The legislation, House Bill 1228, would apply to wind projects where investments exceeded $50 million and would apply to the Big Stone power plant, according to Sen. Tom Hansen, R-Huron.

“I think it’s very important for the state of South Dakota,” Hansen said.

Sen. Bob Gray, R-Pierre, amended the legislation to change the word rebate to refund. It also limits the tax refund for wind projects at $45,000 per megawatt, based on the number listed on the wind turbines’ nameplates.

For example, a 100-megawatt wind farm would see a $4.5 million refund.

The environmental equipment rebate for existing plants would be 50 percent of the sales and use taxes and the contractor excise taxes paid on the project. The legislation is written so that only the Big Stone plant currently would qualify.

“We need to offer some certainty in the marketplace,” Gray said. “I think this is common sense.”

Sen. Elizabeth Kraus, R-Rapid City, spoke against the refunds, which she described as “a special deal” for rate-payers of some utilities while others are left out.

Kraus said the refunds aren’t in compliance “with my conservative Republican values.”

Vehle was playing up to the deep pockets of those who fill his campaign coffers.

If Krause is right, then there are surprises among the 18 who voted Aye who perhaps too are looking for campaign contributions:

Yeas:
Adelstein; Begalka; Cutler; Frerichs; Fryslie; Gray; Hansen (Tom); Hunhoff (Jean); Johnston; Juhnke; Krebs; Lederman; Maher; Nelson (Tom); Rave; Rhoden; Tieszen; Vehle

SDGOP Senator Mike Vehle says we have plenty of money, but wants to increase taxes $20 million

District 20 Senator Mike Vehle says this about South Dakota's budget situation:

South Dakota's 35-day legislative session begins Tuesday at in the Capitol building in Pierre. Gov. Dennis Daugaard will present the State of the State address at 1 p.m.

"I think it's going to be a lot more pleasant than it was last year," said Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell. "There'll still be money issues, but last year it was where to cut and how much. This year we have more money so it's going to be, 'How do we divvy up the money we have?"

Reps. Lance Carson, R-Mitchell, and Tona Rozum, R-Mitchell, agree this year's session will be much less stressful and allow legislators to better focus on how to move the state forward.

Vehle said since legislators won't have to cut so much from the budget, they can spend more time on where to place extra funds.

But then is says this:

Vehle said he's working on bills about sexting and enhancing the state transportation system. He introduced a bill about sexting last year, but is working to improve it. He said a subcommittee made up of state's attorneys worked on the specifics and "I think we've got something for this year."

He's also advocating for matching the 3 percent excise tax on vehicles to sales tax, which is 4 percent.

"Cars should be taxed at the same rate as everything else in the state, which is 4 percent," he said. "It raises about $19 million to $20 million, which is way short of what we need to put in every day."

Next thing he will push is to increase the 2% excise tax to match the 4% sales tax. Typical tax and spend liberal, but in GOP clothes.

 

Missouri River flood "entirely preventable", and Mike Vehle's "perfect storm"

The Bible is clear that God created nature for man. But this country is controlled by those who believe they are above God and nature is above man. So instead of the hierarchy being God-Man-Nature, for the pantheists the hierarchy is Nature-Man-Maybe God. Here is the result:

But after about thirty years of operation, as the environmentalist movement gained strength throughout the seventies and eighties, the Corps received a great deal of pressure to include some specific environmental concerns into their MWCM (Master Water Control Manual, the "bible" for the operation of the dam system).  Preservation of habitat for at-risk bird and fish populations soon became a hot issue among the burgeoning environmental lobby.  The pressure to satisfy the demands of these groups grew exponentially as politicians eagerly traded their common sense for "green" political support.

Things turned absurd from there.  An ideato restore the nation's rivers to a natural (pre-dam) state swept through the environmental movement and their allies.  Adherents enlisted the aid of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), asking for an updated "Biological Opinion" from the FWS that would make ecosystem restoration an "authorized purpose" of the dam system.  The Clinton administration threw its support behind the change, officially shifting the priorities of the Missouri River dam system from flood control, facilitation of commercial traffic, and recreation to habitat restoration, wetlands preservation, and culturally sensitive and sustainable biodiversity.

Congress created a committee to advise the Corps on how best to balance these competing priorities.  The Missouri River Recovery and Implementation Committee has seventy members.  Only four represent interests other than environmentalism.  The http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/../2011/06/the_purposeful_flooding_of_americas_heartland.htmlrecommendations of the committee, as one might expect, have been somewhat less than evenhanded.

The Corps began to utilize the dam system to mimic the previous flow cycles of the original river, holding back large amounts of water upstream during the winter and early spring in order to release them rapidly as a "spring pulse."  The water flows would then be restricted to facilitate a summer drawdown of stream levels.  This new policy was highly disruptive to barge traffic and caused frequent localized flooding, but a multi-year drought masked the full impact of the dangerous risks the Corps was taking.

This year, despite more than double the usual amount of mountain and high plains snowpack (and the ever-present risk of strong spring storms), the true believers in the Corps have persisted in following the revised MWCM, recklessly endangering millions of residents downstream. 

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt agrees, calling the management plan "flawed" and "poorly thought out."  Sen. Blunt characterized the current flooding as "entirely preventable" and told reporters that he intends to force changes to the plan.

Perhaps tellingly, not everyone feels the same apprehension toward the imminent disaster.

Greg Pavelka, a wildlife biologist with the Corps of Engineers in Yankton, SD, told the Seattle Times that this event will leave the river in a "much more natural state than it has seen in decades," describing the epic flooding as a "prolonged headache for small towns and farmers along its path, but a boon for endangered species."  He went on to say, "The former function of the river is being restored in this one-year event. In the short term, it could be detrimental, but in the long term it could be very beneficial."

And Pavelka is not alone. Senator Mike Vehle also celebrates man being destroyed by flooding. It provided him an excuse to raise our taxes. From the web siteof the international organization whose purpose is to destroy state sovereignty and implement the one-world government:

One of the lawmakers featured in the brief is South Dakota State Sen. Mike Vehle, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee in Pierre and who is a member of CSG’s Transportation Policy Task Force. While Vehle was unsuccessful in his effort to raise his state’s 22 cent-a-gallon tax by 6 cents over two years, the legislature did approve an increase in license tag fees that will help fund maintenance of county, township and municipal roads and bridges.

...

Vehle describes the confluence of events that allowed the measure to succeed even over the Governor’s veto as a “perfect storm.” One significant factor was the condition of the state’s infrastructure.

“For about four years, myself and a few others have been talking about the need to fix our roads,” Vehle said. “County and township roads are in mostly fair to poor condition and local officials were getting more and more vocal on the need for assistance for their roads. We’ve had several wet years and township and county roads were taking a real beating. Heavier farm equipment and grain loads were taking their toll. Instead of some paved roads being repaired or resurfaced, some were being ground back to gravel and gravel roads were returning to dirt.”

...

Vehle said throughout the winter as the measure was considered in committee and on the floor of the House and Senate, the snow falling outside provided a constant reminder.

“Everyone knows when all this snow melts it’s going to make those local roads even worse,” he said.  

...

Vehle summed up what it took to get the bill done this way: “Especially in these times, if you want to increase funding, you must establish a real and recognizable need, get solid grassroots support, and then get lucky and have a perfect storm.”

Yes, Senator Mike Vehle loves big government and could care less about the suffering of people in South Dakota. Vehle is with those who could care less about those being flooded out of their homes...as long as it feeds their big government agenda. Vehle's main concern regarding the flooding is that it may lower property assessed valuations and property tax revenues. Yes, he said that!

And this is for the Cory Heidelbergers of the world:

In recent decades, many universities have steeped their Natural Sciences curriculum in the green tea of earth-activism, producing radically eco-centric graduates who naturally seek positions with the government agencies where they can best implement their theories.  Today, many of these men and women have risen high in their fields, hiring fellow travelers to fill subordinate positions and creating a powerful echo chamber of radical environmentalist theory. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a victim/tool of the above-described process.  The horrifying consequence is water rushing from the dams on the Missouri twice as fast as the highest previous releases on record.  Floodgates that have not been opened in more than fifty years are in full operation, discharging water at a rate of 150,000 cubic feet per second toward millions of Americans downstream.

This is a mind-boggling rate of release.  Consider that 150,000 cubic feet of water would fill a football field instantly to a depth of four feet.  This amount of water, being released every second, will continue unabated for the next several months.  The levees that protect the cities and towns downstream were constructed to handle the flow rates promised at the time of the dam's construction.  None of these levees have ever been tested at these levels, yet they must hold back millions of acre-feet of floodwater for the entire summer without failing.  In the flooding of 1993, more than a thousand levees failed.  This year's event will be many orders of magnitude greater.

There are many well-publicized examples of absurd obeisance to the demands of radical environmentalists resulting in great economic harm.  The Great Missouri River Flood of 2011 is shaping up to be another -- only this time, the price will likely be paid in lives lost as well as treasure.  Ayn Rand said, "You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."

We need to begin the investigations immediately.  It seems that it is sanity, and not the river, that needs to be restored.

Sibson vs Vehle on the city manager issue

Saturday's Mitchell Daily Republic has this from Senator Mike Vehle:

I want to thank everyone that was involved in the city manager issue, from those in Focus 2020, the petition carriers, the Government Affairs Committee Forum, to all those who researched the issue and voted.

Although I was very disappointed about the election results in the city manager issue, I was more concerned that over 75 percent of the registered voters did not vote.

Change is always difficult, but never be afraid to search for new and better ways to be more effective or efficient — whether it is in your business, home, church, our community or any organization. The saying, “If it’s not broke don’t try to fix it,” can stymie invention and innovation.

We’re fortunate Henry Ford did not say his horse and buggy was not broke so why build a car, or Thomas Edison say that about his gas lantern, or that Alexander Graham Bell did not say “The telegraph is just fine, we don’t need to actually talk to people.”

We often forget the concept President Kennedy stated about 50 years ago. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country!”

So I encourage everyone to become involved and stay involved to help Mitchell seize those opportunities, whatever they may be, for a bigger and brighter future.

I love this community and Mitchell has a lot of potential and a great future. However, people need to become involved so we can seize those opportunities and build that future. Don’t be afraid that one of your ideas may get shot down, because your idea may just stimulate an even better idea.

And when you do become involved, please don’t worry about being criticized for being “a mover and a shaker,” as this country did not become great through armchair or Monday morning quarterbacks. Those that make a difference are those who suit up and play. So lace them up.

And like a game — if you lose, don’t throw in the towel; but learn from it and move on — no one wins them all.

My letter followed:

I agree that Mel Olson used a poor choice of words when saying those who are in favor of an unelected city manger hate democracy.

But it was wrong for Mike Vehle and Mark Buche to blame Mel for accusing those who signed the petition for hating democracy. I spoke with one who collected signatures and was told that around 75 percent of the signers on his petitions opposed a city manager, but they were urged to sign the petition in order to vote no.

This is the kind of deception the proponents of this dangerous idea of government used to mislead. Unfortunately this paper was a part of their deception. I spoke with the publisher and the editor about my research and was immediately told, “it was a stretch” and discounted the work out of hand without a serious look.

I then asked to write an op-ed, and was told no because I was not an expert. That attitude reflects the attitude of the ruling elite of this community, state, and nation.

Mel restated his position by saying that those, who I call the ruling elite, have lost faith in democracy. I would say that the ruling elite have lost faith in the people and believe that “experts,” beholden to the government, need to save them from their backward ways.

I disagree. If we want the city to become more efficient then we need to listen to those actually doing the work and the citizens. The job of management and our elected officials is to make sure the resources are there. Micro-management through bureaucracy is not efficient or effective. We need more delegation, not more centralization.

This lowly citizen provided this paper with 19 pages of research that details the real anti-American agenda of an international organization whose purpose is to destroy state sovereignty and link the cities to regions. Mike Vehle is a proud committee member of that Council of State Governments, whose Midwest “region” includes Midwestern Canada.

Too bad this paper refused to print one word of it before the people went to the polls. Perhaps the paper was concerned about what the “ruling elite” of this community would do to its advertising revenues.

The role of government in an efficiently run competitive free market is to prevent coercion and force in order to provide a fair and even playing field. It is not the role of government to interfere with the competitive free market and become a part of the coercion and force that centralizes the wealth into fewer and fewer hands.

Note that both Vehle and I addressed efficiency and effective. LIke economic development through government programs that are push by the GOP, the claimed efficiencies do not become realized. That is why we have the financial problems that we have today. The GOP is "not" about promoting a competitive free market. Neither is the Chamber of Commerce and the economic development organizations. Their systems create monopolistic economies. The governemnt controls the economy  based on the  wishes of those who control and own the monopolies and/or cartels.

Senator Vehle told me on Friday that he was going to the Council of State Governments meeting in Indianapolis during July. The change that Vehle is trying to make involves removing Mitchell from the state constitution so that the city can be connected to a federal district that is part of an international region. In other words, Mike Vehle is not defending South Dakota's constitution but instead is a part of an international organization that is about destroying the state constitutions. The question becomes; does he know that. He would if he would only look at my research and listen to people like me and Mel Olson.

Mitchell paper still does not get it, nor does Dusty Johnson or Mike Vehle

Today's Mitchell Daily Republic has a reflection on the results of the citizens of Mitchell overwhelmingly defeating Senator Vehle's and Dusty Johnson's big-government agenda:

We must say we were surprised to see the city manager issue overwhelmingly fail in Tuesday’s city election.

Although we hoped for a victory, we assumed a loss would have been close. Instead, the issue fell 66 percent to 34 percent, making us wonder why voters genuinely dislike the idea.

Next they provide their source of false confidence:

The issue was backed by all living former mayors of Mitchell. It was backed by seven of eight members of the City Council. It was backed by the governor’s chief of staff — who is a Mitchell resident — and this district’s lone member of the state Senate. At least one service club in town appeared entirely behind the idea. The idea was officially proposed by Focus 2020, a planning group made up of many city leaders, and The Daily Republic endorsed it.

What does the defeat truly say about Mitchell, local government and local politics?

The answer is that our governor's chief of staff is just as much of a big-government liberal as Senator Mike Vehle. It says that those two state level politicians along with Mitchell's mayor, seven of eight city council members, city business leaders, and the local paper are out of touch with the people. The only way these people are successful is on the backs of taxpayers. Unfortunately the silence from the apathetic majority gives these elites false messages. And when the silent do complain, the answer from our politicians is usually...we need more taxes and bigger government to fix it. And these are mostly Republicans. It took a Democrat to bring forward the limited government side of the debate.

Mike Vehle & Mitchell's Focus 2020 elite lost focus on what the people want and expect

In case you have not heard, Mitchell citizens saw through the deception of Focus 2020 lead by Mark Buche and Senator Mike Vehle and overwhelmingly voted down their idea of an unelected city manager:

Mitchell voters resoundingly defeated a proposal to add a city manager to the city staff Tuesday.

The initiated measure was defeated 1,486 to 782, a 65.52 to 34.48 percent margin. It was brought to the ballot by a petition drive that collected 1,707 names but received less than half that many votes. Voter turnout Tuesday was 23.4 percent.

Vehle and Buche tried to make it sound like all 1,707 of the petition signers were in favor of a city manager, but I learned last weekend while going door to door that most who signed were not in favor. This is just one of the many deceptions used by the ruling elite of Mitchell to gain further control over the citizens by fooling them into voting for an anti-American form of governmment.

Buche, who was the leader of Focus 2020, still is not in focus:

Mark Buche, chairman of Focus 2020, said the defeat was a major surprise.

“Obviously I’m disappointed,” Buche said. “I thought we’d done all the right things to get this accomplished.”

He felt getting current and former city officials to endorse the plan, holding forums and providing information to voters was the path to success.

“Obviously, we’re missing something,” Buche said. “I’m sitting here scratching my head. It’s obviously not something the community wants.”

You think? Buche does not have a clue on what the people want. Mel Olson does have the people clearly in focus:

Councilman Mel Olson, who led the opposition to the proposal, said he felt he represented the views of most voters.

“I think there’s something to listening to the common people and not just the elites and the movers and shakers,” Olson said.

“It’s not me that needs congratulating, it’s the people of Mitchell. I just really think people like having an executive who is responsible to people, and I think the other side glossed that over.”

Olson said he was encouraged by people he saw after he began speaking against the city manager concept.

“I heard people say, flat out, ‘We don’t need it,’ ” he said.

Olson said voters were concerned about the accountability of a city manager, the large salary, the at-times rapid turnover in city managers and other issues.

“If you’re going to spend your $100,000, spend it on Sanborn Street or something else,” Olson said people told him.

He said the landslide against adding a city manager, which closely mirrors the result of a Mitchell vote on a city manager in 1948, may mean the end of such a proposed change in city government.

“Well, I hope so,” Olson said. “I think it would have buried the issue if we had had a higher turnout.”

Yeah, I don't think Mike Vehle, who votes wrong regardless of what his constituents say, confirms Olson's suspicion:

Another proponent, state Sen. Mike Vehle, said the defeat was tough to take but he accepted the will of the voters.

“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” Vehle said when he stopped by The Daily Republic after the results were known.

He said the turnout was especially disheartening.

“Less than 25 percent of the voters came out,” Vehle said. “That’s truly the disappointing part.

“But I want to thank all the people that put this together,” he said. “I want to thank the voters that came out, that studied the issue and made the decision.”

Vehle said other initiatives proposed by Focus 2020 still deserve serious discussion and possible implementation. This election doesn’t mean the effort was wasted, he said.

“I would hope not,” Vehle said. “We’ve got a whole lot of civic-minded people that came together and want to push this community forward.”

So the New World agenda of the Focus 2020 ruling elite will continue, even though they don't have a clue on what the citizens care or want. Their use of deception in order to fool the people into accepting their tyrannical ideas is truly troubling. The only success they have is due to their money and control of the media, whose survival depends advertising revenues from the ruling elite's money.

And let us not forget that the Governor's chief of staff, Dusty Johnson, was also part of the city manager agenda.