My note to state reps

(To Rep. Brian Gosch, Rep Kristen Conzet, Rep. Phil Jensen, Rep. Donald Kopp, Rep. Jackie Sly, Rep. David Lust -- who ALL co-sponsored or voted for this bill, which attempts yet another runaround of the wishes of the people of South Dakota who want this nonsense in Pierre to stop. They should be ashamed -- both the RC Journal and both the Sioux Falls Argus Leader agree with me.)

I understand HB1217 is coming up for consideration tomorrow morning in the Senate HHS committee, and certainly could pass, sending it to the full Senate and approval.

I write to voice extreme disappointment in your support of this bill in committee and on the floor, which allows the Government to interfere in private medical decisions between a doctor and patient. South Dakotans have voted twice and both times resoundingly sent a message that the government has no business in personal health care decisions.

Curtis Price
Rapid City

If you can, please contact the members of the Senate HHS committee TONIGHT and urge them to stop this legislation in committee tomorrow.

Rep. Conzet goes to summer camp!

Our newly minted Representative has been selected by our Republican Legislature's leadership to go to a legislative training. According to Kristin Conzet's Facebook page, she is on her way and very excited about it!

She breathlessly announced:

I was fortunate to be selected to attend the 2010 Program for Emerging Political Leaders.

Class discussions will examine qualities and characteristics of leadership including: ethical leadership, the art of compromise and coalition building and the philosophical underpinnings of representative democracy.

This program sounds kind of cool, but I would hope someone who has been chosen to serve in the Legislature would have some clue about such things already.

But I digress.

This event is held at the Darden School at the University of Virginia. (No gays need apply I guess.) But okay, it's a neat program and I hope she comes back with lots of great ideas about democracy and stuff.

There are other opinions.... A friend muses:

Anyway, the fact of the matter is I have watched outstanding candidates run against the Republican machine in Dist. 32 who campaign their hearts out, send out literature, door knock, forum, letters to the editor – only to lose to appointees with no experience and who never made an attempt to campaign...

I find it sad that Conzet has to attend a “leadership course”(per her facebook) to gain credibility.

My friend certainly has a point in that Republicans have typically been showing the kind of "leadership" that has really taken this country in the wrong direction: bennies and tax cuts for their friends, with "trickle down" the rule for everyone else. Hopefully Conzet will get a clue to avoid that "ethic" -- though she sure didn't show it with her party-line vote against basic fairness in South Dakota.

What I love is the conservative meme of self-reliance, and the trust that America is a "level playing field" without intervention, when contrasted with the life story of our conservative icons (Bill Kristol, John McCain, Bill Frist, President(s)s Bush, and, yes, our own District's Reps. Conzet and Gosch -- they are where they are because of their family and personal connections put them at the head of the line. Frankly I'm amazed that Conzet STILL refuses to publicly admit that her relationship with Gov Rounds had absolutely nothing to do with her selection, that she was "very qualified" for the position when her main political experience had been fundraising among the moneyed Republicans of South Dakota.

We have other candidates in District 32 that may give Rep Conzet a run for her money -- both registered Republicans BTW... more on that later.

Kristin Conzet rubs it in with the voters of District 32

We in Robbinsdale received a friendly Independence Day postcard with pictures of watermelons, flags, and balloons -- paid for by "Kristin Conzet for House."

There are also pictures our good-looking, well-connected Pierre-political-class legislators, both appointed by Gov. Marion Rounds, with the statement:

On this Independence Day, let us never forget the sacrifices and principles of our founding fathers
[sic - they forgot the caps].

Like, fr-instance, their refusal to accept taxation without representation?

I think the voters of District 32 should ask some questions and consider why they shouldn't be looking at their options (namely, the independent candidates running for the seats). We aren't all Republicans, and we have needs from the Legislature outside of the political gamesmanship.

To Reps. Conzet and Gosch: instead of complaining about being "attacked" by bloggers, I ask you please to use this election season to inform us what you've done for District 32. We're all ears.

- What do you think about RCRH's responding to a 50 million dollar surplus (earned by stiffing their care-giving staff BTW) with a 5% rate increase on their services? Since we taxpayers are the #1 payer of health care in this State, what do you think the Legislature should do about it?
- Do you support talk in Rapid City of Home Rule? Why or why not?
- How should the Legislature close their widening budget deficits?
- Why did the Republican legislature stiff the Sanford lab last year -- when the educational investment there would benefit the state's students and keep them here?
- Why is it in District 32's interest that the Legislature hasn't seen fit to support the Regents in developing a Physics PhD program in our state -- which would bring important new blood to SDSMT and the rest of our University science programs?
- Why, in the name of all that is holy, did you both vote for promoting the giving astrology equal time in our high schools? Could we send a louder message to scientists across the country warning them not to bring their families while they work at DUSEL?

I mean, check out Kristin Conzet's Facebook page:



Nothing there about the interests of District 32 - all the wall posts are about electing Republicans and Republican political events. (OK, time for a pot-shot, based on my experience: For someone who has no time for meeting with constituents during the session because of her family commitments, she sure seems to get out a lot.)

I think this screen shot says it all:


So let's have some discussions! That's what the political process should be about, not who's in and out in the Republican Party.

We need another candidate in District 32!

I think it's very unfortunate that we have no Dems running in District 32 and therefore no primary choices for Legislature. As a matter of fact, This is the sum total of my ballot for the primary election in June:



Yup, that's it. Although I will get to vote for my friend of the citizens Patti Martinson (one of the FEW that refused to censure Sam Kooiker for having the audacity to look into city business on our behalf), that's it. Heck— it's enough to make me register Republican so I can vote for Gordon just to give Dennis Daugaard a headache. (You can't dance with these people without consequences!)

To see what's on YOUR ballot (and check your voter registration) -- click here.

PLEASE, someone, register as an independent candidates so.. we an have some independent legislators! Both Reps. Gosch and Conzet have pretty much voted with the Republican leadership on everything (with a notable exception for Rep Conzet - THANK YOU for breaking ranks and voting for the women of South Dakota). It sure would be great to have a real race in 2010, where issues get discussed. Without a challenger, why would our incumbents even show up this year for their job evaluation from the voters of District 32?? As a Federal employee, I get evaluated twice a year; having to face questions from the voters every two years isn't too much to ask.




Even if they are not challenged, I really hope someone shows up and asks them about things like this:

But with no challengers, why should they even show up?

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.