The Rapid City Journal reports today that finally someone is calling the knuckle-draggers out for sitting on their butts and criticizing those that have done so much to make Rapid City better.

Aldermen fire back at city travel critics

Rapid City Council members who attended a National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., last month fired back Monday at critics who said they should not have gone on the taxpayer-funded trip.

Malcom Chapman and Karen Gundersen Olson have faced considerable criticism for the trip, because neither is running for re-election in June. Chapman, Gundersen Olson and Alderwoman Deb Hadcock traveled to Washington, D.C., in March for a weeklong National League of Cities Congressional City Conference at a cost of about $8,629.

But in the late night hours of Monday’s council meeting, the aldermen defended their trip during a heated discussion of city travel, outlining the numerous classes attended, the congressional lobbying done and its value to the city as a whole.

“Believe it or not, Rapid City, we don’t own every great idea that’s out there,” Chapman said. “Somebody outside of Rapid City might have a good idea as well.”

(I think it should be said that we DO own many, many bad ideas, and that the only cure for that is to educate ourselves -- travel being a sure way to help with that.)

(More at the RC Journal site)