Well-attended crackerbarrel in Rapid City

I caught most of the West River Cracker barrel today at the South Dakota School of Mines this morning and had a chance to ask a question. Sort of.

One of my Reps, Kristin Conzet, said in response to another question that the Governor's budget recommendations were solid because he had been working on his budget "for some time."

My question was (expanded here):

Rounds and Daugaard during 2010 firmly explained to their political opponents that there is no budget [C]risis in South Dakota, although there was lots of evidence and many other leaders (including Republicans) were making noises about it. In December, Rounds, and then in January Daugaard have been running around the State House in Pierre with their hair on fire,(hat tip to Lewis Black) using the "C" word and promoting "ripping off the band-aid" during a time of economic hardship.

There was no crisis until well after Election Day, when in December, Gov. Rounds, and now, Gov. Daugaard are for taking an ax to everything the State (along with certain matching Federal funds that go with some of that spending).

The question is: what happened?

Rep. Conzet's brief response: "Daugaard starting working on the budget the day he become Governor" -- so the former Governor kept him in the "Cone of Silence"?




And the Dems are accused of "playing politics" with the facts...

Furthermore, the new Governor's rhetoric sure seems disturbingly aimed at a certain classes of people:

...it’s important not to abandon hard work because our ability to care for ourselves and our families, that is dependent upon work...
(Daugaard inaugural address)

You know - those food stamps and other assistance for the disabled, and of course those shiftless working poor who clean our houses, prepare our food, educate our children,and serve the public in state government.

It should be noted that there are other, better, ideas out there than indiscriminate, across-the-board cuts. Since the Dems are so outnumbered, hopefully there is room for a little bipartisanship?

Heidepriem defends Rounds against CREW

Well, Scott Heidepriem certainly is calling 'em as he sees em, I guess:

RCJ: Democratic candidate for governor defends Rounds' ethics

Democratic state Sen. Scott Heidepriem defend the ethics of Gov. Mike Rounds on Thursday, in response to a report by a liberal Washington, D.C., watchdog group listing the South Dakota governor as one of the nation's worst.

Heidepriem, a Democratic candidate for governor, said he didn't pay much attention to the report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington once he realized the political leanings of the group.

Of course CREW is citing many of the very same concerns (resistance to open records, closed spending decisions, etc, etc.) that Heidepriem is talking about, but, okay. I agree with Heidepriem that rating systems (livable cities etc) leave much to be desired, especially if you don't read beyond the headline to what the rating is actually based on.

I absolutely disagree with Scott's characterization of CREW, since they have gone after plenty of folks on the left.... but the Rep's perception issues on how they run Pierre are real, and the Republican candidates are going to have to address them if they are going to make headway against Heidepriem, who has good cred from R's and Dems.

Governor Rounds' cronyism puts Rep. Conzet in the national spotlight

CREW, a bipartisan government watchdog organization, just released a list of the eleven worst governors across the Nation. Prominent on the list is our own Gov Marion M. Rounds.

In compiling Worst Governors, CREW reviewed the job performances of all 50 U.S. governors before identifying the worst 11. Though ethics laws, campaign finance rules and financial disclosure regulations vary from state to state, CREW found these governors’ proclivities for corruption, cronyism and self-enrichment outweighed their competency, integrity and commitment to transparency.

I guess googling "Kristin Conzet" will no longer harvest so few results, not because of anything she did (or didn't do in) in Pierre, but instead because she gets honorable mention in CREW's "worst Governor" rating for Rounds:

Gov. Rounds rewarded a business partner when he appointed his partner’s daughter, Kristen [sic] Conzet, to an open seat in the state legislature. In late 2009, state Rep. Brian Dreyer of Rapid City, S.D., resigned his seat pending his deployment to Afghanistan; Gov. Rounds then appointed Ms. Conzet to fill his seat. Gov. Rounds and Ms. Conzet’s father, Karl Fischer, run insurance and real estate agencies together.

I'm so proud.

South Dakota didn't get the memo...

AP story from the RC Journal today:

Gov. Rounds, AG Jackley study legal challenge to health bill

PIERRE -- South Dakota officials are studying the possibility of joining other states to challenge the constitutionality of the federal health care overhaul, Attorney General Marty Jackley said Monday.

Jackley said the measure could violate states' rights to govern and would aggravate South Dakota's budget problems by forcing it to spend even more on Medicaid, the state-federal program that covers health care for low-income people.

and....

Joe Kafka, press secretary for Gov. Mike Rounds, said the governor and attorney general will meet to decide whether the state should take legal action.

Kafkaesque, adj., marked by surreal distortion and often a sense of impending danger....

The adjective refers to anything suggestive of Kafka, especially his nightmarish style of narration, in which characters lack a clear course of action, the ability to see beyond immediate events, and the possibility of escape. The term's meaning has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, or illogical.

Kind of like Republican ideas about health care?

Gov Rounds lobbies Radical for "equal time" for fake science

I guess the good Governor thinks those scierntists that want to build DUSEL should give Intelligent Design another look too, instead of wasting their time looking for dark matter to explain the origins of the universe....

---

Update (March 9): The Argus Leader editorial board chimes in about this nonsense.

In a move akin to creationists calling the theory of evolution into question, the resolution's authors and supporters -- even in HCR 1009's amended form - are using ideology-based distrust of the environmental movement to spread dangerous myths about the threat we face.

---

(The links are mine, of course -- apparently the Governor's Office hasn't learned how to save paper and trees by using the inter-tubes yet.)

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA

M. MICHAEL ROUNDS, GOVERNOR

March 2, 2010

Curtis Price
108 East Centennial Street
Rapid City, SO 57701

Dear Curtis,

Thank you very much for contacting me about House Concurrent Resolution 1009- calling for balanced teaching of global warming in the public schools of South Dakota.

As governor, I do not vote on concurrent resolutions, because they are expressions of legislative opinion and not proposed laws or constitutional amendments.

However, I agree with "balanced" teaching on subjects where the available information is conflicting and confusing. Global warming is one of those subjects.

Facts are facts, and should be taught as facts. But, when scientists and experts disagree on data collection processes and on theories, I believe a "balanced" presentation of different theories and different supporting information gives teachers a great opportunity to teach students research skills and critical thinking skills.

This can be done with many current event topics, and global warming is certainly one of those topics. Thanks again for writing.

Sincerely,

M. Michael Rounds

MMR:ls

STATE CAPITOL • 500 EAST CAPITOL • PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA 57501-5070 • 605.773.3212

Scott Heidepriem has an answer for the annual Rounds doom and gloom

Learn how to spell it, friends: Heid-e-pri-em

Heidepriem: State Should Cut Spending to Balance Record Budget Deficit

Calls Governor’s Record Deficit “Irresponsible”; Caused by 5.5 Percent Annual Budget Increases, 7 of 8 Budgets Out of Balance, Lack of Fiscal Discipline – Not Economic Downturn

Sioux Falls – State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Scott Heidepriem today called Governor Mike Rounds’ record breaking budget deficits “irresponsible” because they have been caused by “a history of bloated budgets – 5.5 percent annual budget increases, wasteful spending, and a total lack of fiscal discipline” rather than by the current national economic downturn.

Heidepriem further took the Governor to task for attempting to address the record $107 million budget shortfall by raiding the state’s relief funds, increasing taxes and using federal stimulus money instead of taking responsibility and changing the spending culture in Pierre.

“Today the Governor announced a record state budget deficit. He blamed the national economic recession of the past year. Yet, this budget marks the seventh of eight budgets he has submitted that spent more than the state collects in revenues. In these eight years, state government has grown at a staggering pace, spending is out of control and governmental accountability is at an all time low,” Heidepriem said.

“Yet to solve this out of control problem, the Governor proposes to balance the budget by raiding relief funds, wasting stimulus dollars, raising taxes and balancing the budget on the backs of our children by making cuts in education. Where is the responsibility? Where is the accountability? This is wrong and South Dakotans should be outraged,” Heidepriem said.

“The Governor should do the responsible thing and slash his massive budgets of all fat, reign in all spending, cut unneeded state employees, cap spending, and open all of our state’s 1800 contracts to open bidding. To paper over these structural problems by first using relief funds or one time money is irresponsible and does nothing to solve the culture of bloat and waste in Pierre. South Dakota deserves better and South Dakotans should demand better,” Heidepriem said.

Kristin Conzet, where are you?

Updates from the RR research department:

• Conzet (nee Fischer) was acquainted with PP (of SDWC) in school; PP's assessment: "nice gal."
  
• Conzet was recently the executive director of Storybook Island as early as 2005, and made press in that position in this RCJ report on Storybook's celebrated 2008 Easter Egg hunt.
  
• Enquiring minds want to know: do the Pierre Fischer's have any relation to Bob the Rapid City furniture mogul/RCJ benefactor/anti-woman-anti-LGBT political activist? Or my friend David on the board of Equality South Dakota?
  
• Republicans are having a field day responding to questions of Conzet's qualifications to represent District 32 by (frankly) whining about the nomination (not appointment, nomination) of Sen Johnson's son Brendan for SD US Attorney. Note that Mr. Johnson was nominated after consultation with both parties (Former Rep. Bill Janklow endorsed the nomination), and Johnson is extremely qualified. It's not clear from reports that Rounds talked to anyone about this appointment, and did not disclose his long-time relationship with Conzet when he nominated her.
  
• Update: Epp noticed that this is a second Rounds appointment for Conzet.

  (UPDATE (4/25/2010): Conzet sent me a note that this was not an appointment; she interviewed for this grant writing position several times and that connections had nothing to do with it. My response: (a) I would take this up with Epp -- (b) this is about perception not reality, sure, but why was this not mentioned to the press in December? It would have been good to know about this part of your background up front -- and it actually reflects well on what you offer as a legislator!)

  
  
• Conzet's father (a very close long-time business partner) and and mother have given thousands to Round's gubernatorial campaigns, according to reports filed with the Secretary of State. These folks are close business, family, and political associates.
  

The jury is out on Conzet and we'll learn more about her. Reports are she's planning on running for re-election in 2010 which means she will have to stand very soon, so it's not something the RR staff are upset about -- Rounds has this power and he used it; we just wish we knew more about our new Rep.