Those Democrats... bringing up the facts again

The Capital Journal welcomes a home-town girl back...
(REAL PEOPLE: SC native returns as lawmaker, Jan 11)

“[Rounds] asked me if I would be interested in the position, and I gladly accepted,” she said. “Now I am back in Pierre and Fort Pierre, and it’s going to be my residence. It’s a little surreal.”

Conzet’s father, Karl Fischer, is Rounds’ former business partner. Conzet rebuffed criticism from some Democrats of nepotism and said she is independent and qualified for the position.

She's missing the point as far as I'm concerned.

And I don't think this is a partisan issue. It's a question of whether we are being fairly represented.

The voters of my District, 32, now have BOTH our state representatives selected by Rounds and his friends in Pierre, apparently eliciting utter surprise from them AND the Rapid City community of you believe the news stories. Both were pretty much unknown, with little local (if any) political experience.

Some Democrats have an assignment for you:

1. Google "Brian Gosch" and "Kristin Conzet".
2. Google District 32 Dem challengers "Eric Abrahamson" and "Suzan Nolan"
3. Compare how many hits highlight their service to the Rapid City community and the state. Count 'em.
   

Brian Gosch was selected to fill Alan Hanks' seat in 2007.) At the time, Gosch was also surprised, nay, shocked, to be selected by Rounds.  Yes, another Cinderella story in Rapid City.

"It was the last thing on my mind, the Legislature," [Gosch] said.

Gosch's only qualification apparently was that he also had Pierre connections:

Gosch was a volunteer on Rounds' campaign in 2002. He also was an intern during a legislative session in Pierre when he was in college.

Some Democrats ask: Is it too much to ask to have local community leaders have a chance to represent us in Pierre?

In my opinion, Brian Gosch has clearly demonstrated he isn't that interested in the job, just in in the position.  (He has sponsored a minimal amount of legislation and his commitment to get out in the community is suspect -- I've never seen him at a public event except the cracker barrel-- and even there he is often absent. I'm NOT making this up. Check his record.)

And, worse, he made fun of my car. But I'm not bitter -- let's let that one go for now.

I really hope Ms. Conzet doesn't follow the same path as Gosch has, and takes the job seriously. But I'm not holding my breath.

From the Jan 11 Capital Journal:

This session, Conzet said she wants to balance the budget without raising taxes, and if possible make reductions for future years. But she’s also interested in finding ways to give state employees a raise and to increase state aid to education.

“I know how important those employees are,” Conzet said. “I’m very keen to get started on that debate.”

What debate? Who is against any of those things?

Some Democrats ask: OK, what are your ideas to accomplish this?

Is this some kind of honor society club for former Pierre interns?

Some Democrats have the audacity to want Rapid City's issues represented in Pierre.

We hear very little from our current reps, in fact, sometimes they don't even show up.

In January 2008, the Republicans were blaming Abrahamson (who was in the minority block on the school board anyway) for our Rapid City funding crisis, but the truth was interesting, I think:

Gosch and Dreyer were briefed on the funding crisis in our schools in January, 2008. They were told then that unfunded state and federal mandates, especially No Child Left Behind, were fueling the crisis. They did nothing to support a Republican-sponsored bill in the Senate that would have provided a 4.25 percent increase for K-12 education. Gosch cast the critical vote to ensure passage of a bill that shifted the burden of paying for NCLB testing to property taxpayers.

The nerve, I mean really.

Some Democrats in District 32 wonder ...

    if some Republicans even care who we're sending to Pierre.