Let's Wake Up South Dakota

Munsterman Calls for Changes in Government Budgeting

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

From the Aberdeen American News:

BY BOB MERCER, American News Correspondent

FORT PIERRE - The governor and the Legislature should limit the growth of state government to the rate of inflation and no longer use one-time sources of revenue to cover increased ongoing costs, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Munsterman said Monday.

Munsterman said those two principles were keys to the city of Brookings eliminating its 10 percent budget deficit and turning surpluses the past five years during his time as mayor.

If elected governor, he said, his chief of staff would be a former chief executive officer from a company which used performance-based budgeting and accountability. He said state government's approach to budgeting hasn't changed significantly in at least 30 years.

“We have not been fiscally responsible with the state budget,” he said.

Munsterman made his remarks during a campaign stop which focused primarily on government's role in health care coverage. He is one of four Republicans seeking their party's nomination for governor in the June 2010 primary election to succeed Republican Gov. Mike Rounds, who is term-limited.

Munsterman said many features of the health-insurance legislation being considered in Congress would “wreck” the rural health care system, including rural hospitals which already operate on what he described as “paper-thin margins” in South Dakota.

He suggested the entire Legislature should take a trip to Washington, D.C., to make clear to Congress what could happen here. “We are definitely at risk in South Dakota with the federal legislation being proposed,” he said.

He later added, “I believe as governor of a state you have to camp out on the door step.” He said Congress should give states an opportunity to opt-out of the changes if there are better ways to respond to the conditions in a state. He said South Dakota ranks 24th nationally in health care costs, which he said is a sign that all sides are doing a good job.

“The hope I want to give you is we can do it here,” he said.

Munsterman says Medicaid eligibility must be scaled back in SD

2009-10-28T11:37:00.001-05:00

From the Pierre Capital Journal:

Munsterman says Medicaid eligibility must be scaled back in SD

By David Montgomery
Capital Journal staff

FORT PIERRE — Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Munsterman told a Fort Pierre audience he wants to scale back Medicaid eligibility in South Dakota, but cover more people with catastrophic health insurance.

Speaking at an event at the Pizza Ranch in Fort Pierre Monday, the ex-Brookings mayor said health care reform is needed at both the state and federal levels.

In South Dakota, Munsterman acknowledged he was constrained by federal laws but said Medicaid reform is vital for the state’s budget as well as public health.

“We have to get a handle on unfunded mandates,” Munsterman said. “I believe that is a big portion of what is wrecking our budget.”

Medical expenditures cost the state $128 million in the most recent budget — 11 percent of the $1.1 billion budget. The federal government contributed $335 million toward South Dakota medical services.

Munsterman said the state should scale back Medicaid eligibility and provide vouchers to purchase health insurance for catastrophic events.

He also called for more personal responsibility on the part of Medicaid recipients.

“We have a higher rate of medical care within our Medicaid system than other people do who have their own insurance,” he said. “We need to look at deductibles, we need to look at co-pays. We need to have a program that they can engage in, and become responsible, too.”

Though Munsterman called for federal health care reform, he blasted Democratic health reform packages being debated at the federal level as a “double-barrelled shotgun point right at us” and said he would make sure South Dakota’s voice is heard in Congress.

“It’s going to be very important from a political leadership standpoint that as your new governor, I stand up in Washington,” Munsterman said. “If I have to, I would bring the whole legislature with me to voice the opinions of this state so we can protect our individual rights and our state’s rights.”

Munsterman is one of three declared Republicans running for governor. The others are Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson and Buffalo Gap rancher Ken Knuppe.

Ten people — including two reporters and Secretary of State Chris Nelson, a Republican candidate for Congress — turned out to Munsterman’s event Monday, the 17th in a planned series of 42 events around the state focusing on health care. Munsterman said he is planning to start a similar tour soon focusing on education.

“The benefit is to come up with a good plan for South Dakota,” Munsterman said. “I can come up with ideas and do all the research that I can — but that’s one person. So I’m out listening and testing those ideas in front of people.”

Pierre resident Bob Parsons said he found the event informative — but that not yet persuasive.

“I thought it was very interesting,” Parsons said. “We’re here to find out what these guys are up to — then we’ll decide.”

Speaking in Rapid City

2009-10-19T16:30:00.003-05:00

Check out footage from a recent stop in Rapid City:

50 Years of Tradition

2009-10-13T11:14:00.003-05:00

South Dakota has a many great traditions. But one that comes to mind over and over again is how we, in this state, value family traditions.

Having known the Carr family for the past 25 years, I am very proud of the service this family has provided in quality health care to the Miller and Huron region. I know from both a personal and professional level, these doctors are compassionate and committed to not only their patients but also to the people in their respective communities demonstrated by their public service. Drs. Nickelson and Hartung, doctors practicing in the Carr Clinic group, carry out this established tradition with honor and professionalism.

I am privileged to call them all trusted colleagues.

Voters Say No to Opt-out

2009-10-12T17:37:00.003-05:00

Right or wrong, the people of Roberts County are for sure about one thing - now is not the time to raise taxes.

What people must wake up to is the fact that, if our state doesn't balance our budget soon, we will be completely out of reserves (due to our structural deficit the past 7 years) and an automatic increase in property taxes will kick in.

Now is the time to re-prioritize and tighten our belt: at home and in government.

From the Sisseton Courier, 10-6-09:

Change in Health Care Approach is Needed

2009-10-07T13:10:00.003-05:00

From the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan:

Still On The Campaign Trail

2009-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

From the Brookings Register:

Balancing Our Budget

2009-10-01T18:03:00.004-05:00

I appreciate columnist Bob Mercer's keen interest in the looming $200 million budget deficit for the State of South Dakota. The unnamed state bureaucrat he quoted saying my ideas would have to close universities, state prisons, and state courts is totally out of touch with taxpayers and reality.

The two major culprits that have caused our budget problem are:

A. The worst recession in modern history. We had "rainy day" funds, but instead we got a 100‑year flood.
B. Unfunded state mandates. The current the proposed federal health reform law could place up to a $60 million unfunded mandate on the taxpayers of South Dakota.

We will have to factor into future state budgets the hyperinflation which always follows runaway federal spending such as 16 percent during President Carter's administration.

If South Dakota does not have a balanced budget, our State Constitution provides for an automatic statewide real property tax increase until the budget is balanced. This is totally unacceptable to all but a handful of very liberal politicians who would like to force South Dakota into a state income tax.

This means every South Dakota taxpayer needs to be concerned about our state budget. And we need to help Governor Rounds and the state legislators solve this problem.

As a two-term mayor, I learned the principles of balancing government budgets: hold the line on spending, cut spending to match revenue and defer spending where possible until revenues catch up. Growing the economy with more to tax rather than taxing people more is a key strategy. This is not just my opinion, but the prevailing sentiment I found the past several months as I traveled to 137 communities across South Dakota discussing what taxpayers really want from state government. They want better government not bigger government, and for sure they don't want new taxes.

I have suggested starting on the 2011 state budget using the 2005 budget as a base then we can build toward actual revenues available to keep a balanced budget.

I would also suggest a freeze on state hiring, limiting travel and expenses, and cutting across the board similar to how Governor Janklow handled an inherited budget deficit. It worked then and it will work now.

We also need to redouble our efforts for growth, which increases revenue and provides new and better jobs.

The challenge of balancing our budget and providing for state government needs will continue. It is not a one person job. Meeting our challenges is the responsibility of about 800,000 citizens. We need a healthy debate on how we best provide for the basic needs of South Dakota and South Dakotans. I'm happy to have initiated this debate.

SD measure would ease stem cell research limits

2009-10-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Associated Press - September 27, 2009 1:05 PM ET

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Former state Treasurer David Volk of Sioux Falls, a cancer survivor, says a proposed ballot issue to ease restrictions on stem cell research will strike a chord with South Dakotans because nearly everyone has had a serious disease or knows someone who has.

Volk heads a group called South Dakotans for Lifesaving Cures. He says the state's ban on research involving embryonic stem cells should be thrown out so more work can be done to help find cures and treatment for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other diseases.

The group will have until April 6 to get the 16,776 valid signatures required to put the measure to a statewide public vote in November 2010.

An abortion opponent, state Rep. Roger Hunt of Brandon, predicts "considerable opposition" and says the Legislature might even try to deal with the issue before Volk's measure makes the ballot.

Stem cell research will provide a viable avenue to finding the cause and cure for disease processes. The increased attention given to this area of medicine is certainly understandable and of high significance. But what results has embryonic stem cell research produced to date? What is its true value?

Literally billions of dollars have been spent in the private sector on embryonic stem cell research. In fact, in 2005 the State of California alone took out 3 billion dollars in bond loans to fund embryonic stem cell research in that state. While adult stem cells have already produced therapies, embryonic stem cells have not. In addition, the most recent report from Israel published in PLoS Medicine in late February shows embryonic stem cells injected into patients can cause disabling if not deadly tumors.

It is important to understand adult stem cell research has scored major wins evident just in the past few months. Adult stem cell research involves human stem cells that are not derived from human embryos and occur in small quantities in organs throughout the body for natural growth and repair, and research has shown how to develop them into many cell types. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. As a result, adult stem cells have been used successfully for years in bone marrow transplants. The fact remains most of the stem cell triumphs that the public hears about today involves adult stem cells.

One of the key arguments for embryonic stem cell research is that this cell has the flexibility to virtually turn into almost any type of cell in the human body. But a recent development in 2007 discovered the same capacity of adult stem cells to be created into what is called induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS). It involves reprogramming the DNA from adult skin, and they can turn into any cell in the body, bypassing the need for embryos. As of February, scientists have reported iPS cells can now be transformed into mature nerve cells. The cells also have a significantly lower cost, ease of production, and have an important genetic identity with the patient. They also bring unique application to medical and pharmaceutical research, because cells cultivated from patients with certain diseases readily become laboratory models for developing and testing therapy.

In addition, according to a January 9, 2007 Daily Telegraph (London) article reporting on a statement by Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University, the fluid surrounding the fetus has been found to contain stem cells, that, when utilized correctly, "can be differentiated towards cell types such as fat, bone, muscle, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells", according to the article. The extraction of this fluid is not thought to harm the fetus in any way. "Our hope is that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well," said Dr Atala.

It is often claimed by pro-life supporters that the use of adult stem cells from sources such as umbilical cord blood has consistently produced more promising results than the use of embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, adult stem cell research may be able to make greater advances if less money and resources were channeled into embryonic stem cell research.

But as we talk about this issue across the state (should the petition become circulated and end up on the ballot) we will certainly be faced with the question my wife asked, “Why is my life more important than someone else’s?” The ending of a human life to potentially serve the medical needs of another should not be a tough choice for the people of this state. At least it isn’t for my wife, a stage 4 breast cancer survivor.

Ethanol Byproducts

2009-09-30T13:48:00.002-05:00

The Argus Leader recently ran an article about some exciting research going on at SDSU.

Researchers are working to utilize dried distiller’s grain—the byproduct of ethanol production—for human consumption. They hope to use distiller’s grain as a high-protein, high-fiber additive to flour to improve the nutrition of flour based products.

Projects like these are great, in that they help maximize the value of our agricultural crops. Not only do we obtain renewable fuel from the corn, but we can potentially reap even more benefits from a bushel of corn in the form of improved nutrition and higher prices for distiller’s grains.

South Dakota and Medicaid

2009-09-29T15:19:00.004-05:00

One of the biggest challenges for South Dakota's next governor will be how we approach the health care issue. Not only are the costs to individuals going through the roof, but the cost to our taxpayers is also going through the roof, and it may become even worse if some federal legislation passes.

The Wall Street Journal yesterday did a great job laying out some of the repercussions new rules could have. Of most concern is Medicaid, which works through a state and federal partnership with each pitching in some of the cost. The legislation currently being discussed will increase Medicaid eligibility levels to 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL), or $30,000 for a family of four.

Medicaid already comprises a significant portion of our state budget, and increasing the federally mandated eligibility levels will compound the existing budget problems for South Dakota.

Our campaign is currently in the middle of a 42 community health care summit tour across the state. I have had the opportunity to talk to many people about their health care. These are people who are on Medicare, Medicaid, people who can afford/buy insurance and people who are unemployed and can't afford insurance. There is no doubt in my mind we need to have a plan for South Dakota to cover our uninsured population and take care of our elderly, but federal legislation geared towards a one-size-fits-all approach will not be best for South Dakota. Not when paying for it comes at the cost of reduced benefits for our elderly and higher taxes on our working people and small businesses. That is why I dedicated a chapter to health care in my book "A Vision for South Dakota". A better plan for our state will focus on tort reform, covering uninsured, improving disease management and promoting prevention strategies to lower costs in the long run. Getting our state's budget back to a position of financial strength will be essential to solving this problem.

Advancing Education

2009-09-21T15:19:00.003-05:00

The state can be applauded for working towards seeing the importance of distance learning and earning college credits prior to graduation. Now we need to get serious about creating significant partnerships with our postsecondary institutions, including our career and technical centers of education. By connecting our “kids to kareers” early on in life, we can hopefully instill an enthusiasm and a passion for their future.

From the Argus Leader:

State aims to boost Advanced Placement class rolls
Report ranks S.D. 34th in participation

Education officials hope online classes and cash incentives will increase the number of South Dakota high schoolers who take college-level Advanced Placement classes. The state ranked 34th in a recent report on AP class participation. The College Board said 9.8 percent of South Dakota's 2008 graduates passed an end-of-year exam in at least one AP class. The national average was 15.2 percent. It's largely a function of the state's rural nature: Small schools don't have enough students to justify face-to-face AP courses. The Sioux Falls School District said its students accounted for 44 percent of the AP exams taken in the state two years ago. But the emergence of online AP instruction has the potential to improve participation, especially in rural areas. The Department of Education has been offering online AP classes since 2002. For every student who earns a C or better, the state covers the school's $300 fee. Sarah Carter, who leads AP efforts at the Department of Education, said students in urban as well as rural areas have taken advantage. Some Sioux Falls and Rapid City students find they don't have room in their schedule for an AP class, so they take it online. The AP options make high school more rigorous but also give students a head start at the next level because colleges award credit toward graduation for high exam scores. "Financially, they're already that many credits into their college career," Carter said. One program run by Northern State University pays sparsely populated schools for providing AP courses. Another one funded by a federal grant pays students for doing well on any of seven online AP classes. Learning Power, which is run by Rapid City's Technology and Innovation in Education, is in its second year. Students who pass the final exam are awarded $100, and another $100 goes to their online teachers and local mentors.

Improving Health Care

2009-09-16T14:12:00.004-05:00

Here's a very interesting article by Lawrence Kudlow that was recently published in Investors Business Daily.

According to Kudlow, the day after President Obama's health care speech, the markets for private health insurers, hospitals, and drug companies all spiked dramatically--a strong indicator that the market feels that the so-called public option is dead in the water.

Why not talk about some GOP alternatives that could dramatically help the health care option?

Much of the criticism of the health care system is aimed at the free market and its alleged "failure" to bring down prices like the free market usually does.

What free market? Let's eliminate the red tape that prohibits individuals from going across state lines to find a better deal on insurance. Why not allow those already on government assistance choose their own plans, in turn reducing the cost to government (i.e. taxpayers) as well? The free market works. Critics have pointed to a steady increase in health care as a percentage of GDP, yet this is simply the market responding to increased (and future) demand in the marketplace. The market is accounting for increases in treatable diseases and demand, and is also preparing itself for the upcoming baby-boomer generation.

Let's encourage various forms of alternative care that are cheaper, proactive, and can survive in our smaller communities better than a full-blown hospital and can give quality advice on further medical care if needed.

Tort reform. The legal costs to hospitals/doctors for insurance and frivolous lawsuits are astronomical. Texas passed measures to limit malpractice suits to $250,000 or less, and malpractice insurance policy-holders are seeing rate cuts and dividends--savings that will be passed on to patients through market competition. Not only that, insurance companies are flocking to the state to take advantage of a safer malpractice atmosphere, also increasing competition.

With increased insurance competition--both through tort reform and creating interstate competition--South Dakota could become a leader in the health care industry. With our business-friendly atmosphere, insurance companies would find our state a welcome home to provide affordable insurance to the rest of the country.

Let's try some of these alternatives and see how they work, rather than completely gutting out the system.

Having a Vision for Life, South Dakota

2009-09-09T11:34:00.001-05:00

From the Pierre Capital Journal:

A New Vision for South Dakota

2009-09-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

For those of you on Facebook, click here...

GOP's Munsterman Stumps in Yankton

2009-08-26T13:48:00.004-05:00

From the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan:

Fiscal Leadership is a Must

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

It’s true that we were able to balance the budget this year during our legislative session, but at what cost? Balancing our budget required an infusion of $71 million of federal stimulus money from the national government. Crawling on our knees when times get bad is not a good sign of a healthy, fiscally responsible state that budgets for the future. South Dakota can take care of South Dakota. At present, it is becoming increasingly irresponsible and risky to look to higher powers to plug our budget shortcomings. The Congressional Budget Office recently came out with new numbers that put the United States’ budget deficit at $1.7 trillion. That kind of borrowing from other countries, mostly China, isn’t healthy or sustainable for the country or South Dakota, and we need to make sure we do our part to live within our means.

Creating a position of financial strength, through wise budgeting and a large pool of reserves, will help us to ride through the rough times and help us remain free of influence from higher powers, whether it be the national government or foreign countries.

As is Always the Case, Competition is Good

2009-08-20T12:40:00.004-05:00

Paramount to providing a quality education for our youth is also to provide parents the flexibility to send their kids to what they themselves feel is the best learning atmosphere for their children. The state can set standards for learning, but allowing the freedom for parents to send their kids where they wish creates a free-market, private-sector type of system where we can identify where improvements need to be made and discover what great schools are doing right more easily and learn from their ideas.

The cycle of school consolidation in recent years decreases the number of options parents have to send their kids. Like this article from the Pierre Capital Journal states, some parents prefer to send their children to smaller schools for the intimate atmosphere; others to larger schools. Shouldn’t that be up for parents to decide, and not be dictated by the state?

Collaboration is Key...

2009-08-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Collaboration is the key to success for communities both large and small. Projects such as the I-29 corridor help regional areas to maximize their resources and thus their potential for success. Communities that cut themselves off and do not collaborate must rely on themselves for resources, which is often difficult for them to do on their own. As with the theory of free trade, the idea is that different regions of the world specialize in what they are best at, then trade with other regions that specialize in other things. The process of trading freely results in more net product for all at lower costs.

The same applies to communities. Collaborating to decide which communities should specialize in what field, and then sharing these public resources allows local governments to minimize costs and avoid unnecessary overlapping of resources that could be shared.

For example, it would be senseless to have every university in the state to have a full medical school. It makes more sense to have one university specialize in medical school, another in engineering, and perhaps another in pharmacy to save resources within the state. Collaboration can save money in the field of research, too. Having everyone on the same page across the state ensures that resources are not wasted studying the same thing at two different universities.
Collaboration between the different regions of the state can help us maximize our resources and potential for success and help move our state forward in the most competitive way possible.

We Are Only As Strong As Our Smallest Community...

2009-08-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

Recent actions by the national government are increasingly endangering the viability of the smaller communities around the state. Possible policies, as outlined by Senator Thune, include cap-and-trade, bovine greenhouse gas emissions fines, and unfriendly attitudes toward our 2nd Amendment rights. Revitalizing our smaller communities is essential to the overall health of our state, and such policies will really hamper smaller communities’ ability to survive. Imagine how hard it would be for a small town, with already limited financial resources, to be expected to pay roughly 50% higher utility costs as a result of cap-and-trade policies (according to the PUC). Place on top of that the changes that are being enacted in the agricultural sector, as many small towns benefit economically from the surrounding farming community. Farmers who do not fully comply with cap-and-trade policies will have penalties levied upon them, and cattle ranchers will have to pay penalties for greenhouse gases produced naturally by their livestock. Adding in all these factors, communities will have a tough time making financial and budgetary ends meet with the decreased tax base, which severely hurts their solvency.

It will take strong leadership in the next few years to assert our state’s rights, particularly under the 10th Amendment, to fight back these taxing policies and ensure that our smaller communities are able to survive, flourish, and grow into strong and vibrant places once again.

Open Records Law a Good Start

2009-07-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

The open records law that took effect at the beginning of July is a great step forward for our state government.

Open government has many benefits. First off, as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” to quote President Lincoln, it seems only reasonable that a government of the people should allow the people that it represents know what goes on within state government.

Open records also help make government more responsive and efficient. When more eyes see what actions are being taken within the state, better ways of doing business and cost savings can be found, which helps government be more responsible and accountable to taxpayers.

In addition, open records help prevent corruption in government. When we minimize the amount of closed doors in government, it’s very hard to cut back room deals when all the deliberation is out in the open for all citizens, media, and bloggers to see.

From the Vermillion Plain Talk:

Communities Respond Responsibly to Economic Climate, Shouldn’t the State?

2009-07-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

Local governments and cities like Belle Fourche seem to be the model example for how a government should operate during tough times. This article shows that Belle Fourche is budgeting for the worst, cutting the fat, and yet still manages to keep essential programs such as education and emergency services free from any cuts…even in tough times.

Local governments have to operate within their budget and stay within the black, for the most part. Our constitution requires the state to have a balanced budget as well, but recently we’ve seen fit to run off to the national government for help to fill our budget holes created by a structural deficit. And we all know that the national government has shown minimal financial responsibility, as there is no constitutional requirement for a balanced budget and they do not mind just printing money to make fiscal problems go away.

Local governments are the model for what we should be doing on a statewide and national level to create a position of financial strength and a strong economy.

From the Butte County Post:

Tech Schools Have Unique Purpose for South Dakota's Future

2009-07-28T09:34:00.004-05:00

Technical schools play a very critical role in the state's post-secondary structure. While our state universities focus more on the 4-year degrees and all the careers fields opened up by a 4-year degree, technical schools offer critical post-secondary education in the areas of computer information, diesel technology, financial services, medical assisting, and many others.

Much focus has been placed on attending 4-year universities, but often forgotten are the numerous opportunities these institutions offer. Talented individuals may find that a technical school provides adequate credentials to advance a worthwhile and promising career at an affordable price.

Moreover, we have significant workforce needs in the near future that our technical schools will continue to play a leadership role in fulfilling. Key to ensuring the success of these important institutions is to have some form of standardization in order to measure performance and more efficiently allocate state dollars to fit the individual school's needs. We must continue to allow our technical schools the opportunity to collectively and individually partner with the private sector under the current model. As a state we must recognize the funding needs to enable proper capitalization to afford these institutions with state of the art equipment and technology to help move our state forward in the future.

Here is a recent article from the Aberdeen American News:

Incorporate the 2nd Amendment

2009-07-22T15:03:00.002-05:00

Thank you attorney general Larry Long for joining 33 other attorneys general in support of our 2nd Amendment rights.

The attorneys general have issued a collective request for certiorari to the Supreme Court seeking their review of the case of NRA v. Chicago. Hopefully a review of this case will result in the Supreme Court selectively incorporating the 2nd Amendment, ensuring that the right to bear arms applies to everyone in their respective states as well as on the federal level.

Competitive Education

2009-07-17T08:46:00.001-05:00

According to the Argus Leader, teacher firing is a rare event in the Sioux Falls school district.

Teaching is one of the noblest professions, and Sioux Falls has a teaching staff with some of the best qualifications (69% of educators have a master’s degree or higher according to the article). Many of our educators deserve the tenured positions they enjoy, and perhaps even a pay raise.

Considering that the United States is lagging behind the rest of the world in education, even though it spends more than nearly every other country in primary and secondary education, perhaps it may be time to re-evaluate our education structure.

If we were to treat education like we would treat a successful business, it only makes sense that we would let ineffectual and under-performing employees go. In the case of education, this is even more important, in that the goal is not simply business profits, but the education and futures of our youth.

A more business-like structure in education that pays and employs educators according to their merits and abilities would allow us to maximize the education dollars we have, reward our thousands of excellent teachers with higher wages and benefits, as well as giving us the ability to make enticing offers for highly-qualified new hires. A refined education structure, as well as measures such as merit-based tenure like the Department of Education supported two years ago could make great strides to better public education for South Dakota’s talented youth.

Bob Mercer Article

2009-07-06T15:33:00.002-05:00

From the Aberdeen American News:

Will candidate's book aid run for governor?
By Bob Mercer

2009-06-27 PIERRE - Scott Munsterman is the first candidate for governor in recent memory, if not also in our state's entire history, to have written a detailed book specifically linked to his campaign, outlining what he sees now in South Dakota and what he'd like to see in the future.

The book, “A Vision For South Dakota,” took him a few months longer to complete than he expected. But its release this month, in softcover and on his campaign's Internet site, comes nearly a full year before the 2010 Republican primary election.

Munsterman has been a chiropractor in Brookings since 1985. His standing in his profession is reflected by his service as a president for the South Dakota Chiropractors Association and the honor he received as South Dakota chiropractor of the year.

He's been a member of the Brookings City Council and a two-term mayor. Now he's putting his ideas out for voters statewide to consider.

Munsterman made clear with his weeks-long campaign kickoff tour of South Dakota that he was willing to work hard and to spend time visiting communities, no matter how small or remote.

The book leaves no doubt that he is a serious candidate for governor whose approach far exceeds what might be commonly expected from the mayor of a mid-sized South Dakota city.

He sets 10 specific goals, each with an action plan. The top five goals in order are stronger communities, a new approach to economic development, an internationally competitive education system, limiting the growth in health care costs and sustaining the environment.

The next five are becoming a leader in research and production of renewable energy, linking transportation planning and economic strategy, bringing state government to a position of financial strength, developing what he calls “communities of purpose, on purpose” and promoting “proactive policy development and leadership.”

Each of the 10 goals gets one page in the introductory section. He follows up with detailed chapters for each goal. Each chapter has a conclusion summarizing his thoughts.

Plan for government

The chapter on his policy development and leadership is revealing about how he would want a Munsterman administration to function.

One of his ideas is to use the months of April through June each year to bring together high-performance teams to focus on policy development. Then he would present the policy plans to the Legislature's Executive Board in draft form by June 1.

He also wants to open the budget planning process during the months of July through September to hear from legislators, local leaders and members of the public.

Going much further, he would deliver draft legislation by Sept. 1 for legislators to start considering. He also would present a five-year operational and capital improvement budget for consideration by legislators no later than Sept. 1.

Then he would meet with Republican and Democratic leaders of the Legislature in November for a review of the proposed policies and budget.

Munsterman also offers a much larger and more significant role for the lieutenant governor.

He said the specific duties would be matched to the person. But in general, he wants the lieutenant governor to “become the catalyst and advocate for movement of policy and budget through the legislative process.”

He also wants the lieutenant governor to serve as chairman for high-performance teams and work with administrative staff during the months outside the legislative session.

As for the governor, Munsterman sees the chief executive focusing on building public and private partnerships for advancing initiatives.

“The governor has access to forums and meetings no one else has the position to call forward for the good of the state. We must utilize the governor's position and access to key players to strategically grow on a national and international level and promote our state's domestic and energy products,” he writes on page 151.

In concluding the leadership chapter, he adds, “In review, South Dakota does not currently have a plan in place that makes efficient and effective use of limited resources within a strategic framework for growing the entire state. Our current approach neglects long-term planning, while simultaneously not facilitating ideal outcomes.”

What does he propose to do instead?

“To reform this process, we must utilize a new planning strategy, making full and efficient use of all offices of the executive branch as well as the legislative body through high-performance teams. These teams will research and develop policy and budgets, as well as measure ongoing performance, thereby making best use of the 40-day legislative session through a proactive model of governance,” he writes on the same page.

The word “proactive” came into South Dakota's political vocabulary in the 1980s via George S. Mickelson, who happened to come from Brookings and was twice elected governor in 1986 and 1990. South Dakota lost George in the 1993 plane crash.

Setting himself apart

We've had widely differing governors since voters changed the state constitution in 1972 to give four-year terms for governors and limit them to two consecutive terms.

There was progressive Democrat Dick Kneip, who left office early and was succeeded by Democrat Harvey Wollman.

There was tax-cutting and efficiency-driver Republican Bill Janklow, elected in 1978 and 1982, and elected to two more terms in 1994 and 1998.

There was George Mickelson, who famously said he didn't plan to manage misery and developed many of state government's approaches to economic development that remain in use.

And there was Walter Dale Miller who was the state's first and only full-time lieutenant governor. Miller became governor after the plane crash and was turned into a lame duck in June 1994 by his primary defeat by Janklow.

We are now in year seven of Gov. Mike Rounds. One of the four Republican candidates running to succeed him is his lieutenant governor, Dennis Daugaard. The others are Senate Republican leader Dave Knudson, rancher Ken Knuppe and Munsterman. No Democrat has entered the race.

With his book, Munsterman has set himself apart from the other candidates, as well as from Rounds, Janklow, Miller, Mickelson, Wollman and Kneip - the governors of the four-year-term era.

The questions now are whether voters will take the time to look at what Munsterman is planning to do and decide whether that's what they want from South Dakota's next governor.

A Call to Greatness

2009-06-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Fiscal Leadership

2009-06-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

The City of Sioux Falls looks to be in great financial shape, according to the Argus Leader. A recent audit showed that Sioux Falls is sitting in a comfortable position, with a good reserve fund and a manageable amount of long-term debt. The city has budgeted conservatively in order to maintain a position of financial strength for tougher economic times. City leaders have even managed to decrease the city’s operating costs to levels lower than in 2004.

Leadership starts on the local level. Smart budgeting on the local level eliminates the need to ask more assistance from the state. Likewise, asking less of the state reduces the need for the state to ask the national government for assistance in tough times as well.

The leadership of Sioux Falls has done great work in maintaining the city’s financial strength…keep it up in the future!

KSFY Interview: Education and Economic Development

2009-06-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

On States' Rights and Financial Independence...

2009-06-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

Click here to see the video

The Employee Free Choice Consequences

2009-06-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

Senator Tim Johnson recently let business leaders know that he would allow a Senate floor vote on the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, essentially lending his support of the bill by working towards a filibuster-proof majority cloture vote.

It can’t be stressed enough how much of a detriment this bill will be both to South Dakota businesses and workers alike. Here’s how:

The secret ballot, a fundamental element of a working democracy, is eliminated, which does not necessarily allow employees to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to or see a need to unionize. They are opened up to pressures from both union officials and employers alike—skewing how they would truly vote.

Unionization would become much easier, granting more power and money to union bosses who often devote dues to political slush funds that often don't reflect the views of the employees that were in the minority who did not vote for unionization, yet are required by law to be represented by the union regardless.

The bill also calls for binding arbitration. When the union and management cannot come to an agreement, a third party comes in a determines what is best for both parties…and their decision is final and binding despite what each side thinks. Labor agreements often involve an arbitrator as last resort, but that should be up to labor and management to decide in their negotiations--not through government mandate.

Overall, the Employee Free Choice Act grants too much power to appointed bureaucracy and unelected arbitrators, undermining the rights of both employees and employers and needs to be opposed. Hopefully Senator Johnson will reconsider his position.

Personal Responsibility

2009-06-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

KSFY reports that South Dakota has some of the lowest credit card delinquency rates in the nation, which is great news in this rough economy.

Individuals within this state are living within their means, cutting back appropriately, and not living to excess. Our culture of personal and fiscal responsibility is helping deaden the effects of the national financial crisis. Keep it up South Dakota!

We intend to bring the same kind of fiscal responsibility to Pierre. We cannot continue to spend every dollar we earn, fund ongoing expenses with one-time money, or look to the national government for help. We need to spend less than we earn, put some away for tough times, budget for desired expenditures, and cut back in areas that are ineffectual, wasteful, or can be better served through the private sector.

None of the state’s spending practices would work for us as individuals…so why should we expect a different outcome on a governmental level?

On Education and Community...

2009-06-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

On Republican Leadership...

2009-06-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

KOTA Interview

2009-06-07T12:12:00.003-05:00

We were recently interviewed by KOTA in Rapid City, check out that interview here.

Scott at Kiwanis Club Meeting

2009-06-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Conservation vs. Environmentalism

2009-05-28T11:03:00.003-05:00

Tony Dean was recently awarded the Conservation Achievement Award by the National Wildlife Federation, according to the Argus Leader. Tony devoted much of his life to addressing issues of preservation, erosion, and conservation issues.

Tony makes a great point in an article on his website in reference to grazing land, but it really applies everywhere. He said that “Used properly, this is good land. Abused, it becomes poor land.”

Moderation is key in anything we do. Pursuing purely economic goals must be weighed against its impacts, lest we risk losing valuable natural resources and beauty that we may never be able to get back. Conservation is important, but should not be confused with environmentalism, which is extreme, such as when it goes so far as to keep us from eating beef, and meat in general.

But we do need to be conscious of how we go about our economic development in a sustainable way. For example: how we develop wind energy. We need to do so in a way that we preserve our natural assets (such as wetland habitats valuable for hunting and waterfowl populations), as well as maximizing our economic potential for this resource.

To quote Teddy Roosevelt: "We of an older generation can get along with what we have, though with growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted...So any nation which in its youth lives only for the day, reaps without sowing, and consumes without husbanding, must expect the penalty of the prodigal whose labor could with difficulty find him the bare means of life."

Graduation and the Economy

2009-05-26T14:34:00.001-05:00

Recent college graduates are finding it harder and harder to find jobs in this rocky economic climate, according to the Argus Leader. Businesses are in economic lock down; hiring only as necessary and looking to more experienced, trained individuals who know the ropes to decrease new hiring costs.

Luckily, recessions are part of a cycle and are only a temporary setback for graduates. If South Dakota as a whole can maintain or improve its business-friendly atmosphere, businesses will regain their confidence in the system more quickly and be ready to progress sooner…thus opening up the job market faster for fresh grads to get their foot in the door of a long and successful career that they have worked so hard for.

KSFY Interview

2009-05-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

Supporting Non-Profits

2009-05-09T06:25:00.002-05:00

Non-profit organizations are groups that really do not receive enough recognition for all their hard work and the good that they do to help out our friends and neighbors. These private organizations provide assistance in various areas of need more efficiently and at lower cost than if taken care of by expensive, complex government bureaucracy.

Sportsmen Against Hunger is a great organization that helps feed the hungry by bringing charitable hunters and hungry families together for mutual benefit. Hunters are able to shoot deer, and a needy family receives a freezer full of venison…everybody wins.

Farm Rescue is another great non-profit organization. Serious injury or illness can put farmers out of action, and a farmer out of action during the warm months means crops may not be planted or harvested. This non-profit helps out-of-commission farmers by assisting in planting/harvesting crops free of charge, so the farmer can have income for the year.

Many of these kinds of organizations exist to help out those of us that have come across hard times and have been less fortunate. Habitat for Humanity would be another good example. All these organizations have materialized through the decency of private individuals…not through government action. Neighbors helping neighbors strengthens the moral fiber of our communities in a way that government helping neighbors never could.

As a state, we need to encourage the growth of non-profits and minimize the red tape in the way that may hinder the development of these fantastic organizations.

Tweet Tweet

2009-05-05T18:30:00.003-05:00

We've added a new feature to my blog! We're now using the social networking service Twitter, and I update it frequently on our travels around the state with information about what we're currently doing. It's a great way to keep up with us in real time as we travel around. The Twitter updates appear on the right side of my blog, http://scottmunsterman.blogspot.com/, so even those of you without a Twitter account can follow what we're doing. Check it out and see what the campaign is doing and where we're at as it happens!

Securing Voting Rights

2009-05-01T11:15:00.003-05:00

I applaud the efforts Joel Dykstra for taking the initiative to put an initiated measure on the ballot that would ensure use of the secret ballot in election activities, including union establishment elections.

According to the Capital Journal, this amendment to our state constitution would ensure that our states’ employees retain the right to choose for themselves whether to unionize within the workplace or not and remain free of outside pressures, harassment, or coercion.

Secret ballot elections are fundamental to a working democracy, where individuals are free to vote their own mind free of outside influence, and this initiative is a great response by our state to the Employee Free Choice Act, which is being pushed on us by the national government.

Keystone Update

2009-04-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

Hearings started today over the new proposed Keystone pipeline in the western part of the state, according to the Mitchell Daily Republic, and residents will be able to come and voice their concerns or support for the project.

The new pipeline would be a great way to supply the region with much needed oil resources from a friendly nation—Canada—and also provide many new jobs for South Dakotans.

That benefit must also be weighed against other costs. Residents of the area must have their property rights respected as much as possible in this process, and we also must make sure the pipeline follows a safe path over the easily-erodible soil of the western part of the state and avoid adverse environmental impact as much as possible.

Brookings Leadership: State of the City Address

2009-04-22T13:13:00.005-05:00

Here is my recent state of the city address to the City of Brookings:

State of the City
2008
Mayor Scott Munsterman

The City of Brookings is committed to providing a high quality of life for its citizens, and fostering a diverse economic base, through innovative thinking, strategic planning, and proactive, fiscally responsible municipal management

2008 recorded another banner fiscal year for the City of Brookings. Our total governmental fund revenues of $ 19,563,286 exceeded projections in our balanced budget of $ 19,145,228. During the course of the year, we were presented with some purchases we could not avoid: the purchase of two homes along the rail line at the 22nd avenue intersection, land that became for sale within the new proposed RPZ area at the airport and in addition, we paid off the infrastructure costs for the new industrial park. These expenditures totaled $ 903,935, which we were able to use the increases in our sales tax over and above our budgeted amount, to pay for. Our ability to tackle these types of projects financially is the result of our city’s financial policy and the dedication of the city administration to hold the line on expenses and increase efficiencies within each department. Brookings is in a position of financial strength due to this teamwork, allowing us to make strategic investments in the future.

Sales tax receipts increased 4.01 % as compared to 15.42% in 2007. Our 3B taxes generated $643,394 in 2008, holding relatively stable with a small decrease of $10,723 or -1.64% from 2007. Our 1st and 2nd penny sales tax revenue and our 3rd B revenue for the first quarter of this year have been up 2.79 % from last year this time. In light of the recession and economic cycle we are in, I have only one thing to say: Thank you. Thank you to the people of Brookings for shopping at home and supporting their local economy.

Employment in Brookings has remained strong as well. Brookings added 715 total employees in 2008, ranking us tied for second in total job growth in the state with Rapid City. Sioux Falls added about 230 more total employees to the economy. Brookings also exported a number of jobs to Sioux Falls via Daktronics and VeraSun, some which were relocated jobs and some which were jobs we just could not accommodate due to labor shortages, we - for all practical purposes - are number one in job generation for the state of South Dakota. The total number of employment opportunities listed in SDWORKS, the Department of Labor’s online job database today is 589, with a 2.2% unemployment rate; the lowest in a state that ranks third lowest in the nation. Unemployment rate in the nation now is at 8.9% as of February. We can be grateful to our diversified economy and the ‘yes we can’ attitude we have cultivated in our community over the years. This attitude continues to show through in our strategic planning over this past year… On May 12th I will be swearing-in our new mayor, Tim Reed. I am excited to help kick off a new era of leadership for Brookings. And I am looking forward to watching our success continue as we move into our future. Mayor-elect Tim Reed will provide a look ahead when he officially takes office, but today I would like for us to celebrate a look back to see how far we have come over the last 8 years:

Words do not express enough the pride and honor I have felt having been elected by you to serve as your mayor. You have elected me three times over the last 8 years. I do not take that for granted. We have made significant progress together and here are some highlights:

-We reformed the way we did business in the city and have a successful financial policy which has brought Brookings to a position of financial strength.

-We capitalized on the 3rd B tax (which now totals more than $600,000 in 2008) and we put to work some creative minds on the Brookings Visitor/Promotion board to help promote and bring more people to Brookings for events and to shop.

-We have created new energy in our retail market as evidenced by the expanded retail development efforts with the addition of Lowes, the formation of TIF districts for further business and retail development and the new developments occurring in the area of the University Mall. There is a new enthusiasm for retail in Brookings!

-We established South Dakota’s first research park, the Innovation Campus, through a unique partnership effort between the city, county, SDSU, SDSU foundation and the business community in Brookings. This will prove to be one of the best investments we will have made in the last 8 years for the future of the Brookings region. It will also pay dividends to the rest of the state as the 125 acre park spins off research and technology businesses over the next several decades, providing high paying jobs and opportunities for our young families.

-We developed a regional partnership with the smaller communities around Brookings and have embarked upon a larger regional collaboration with communities along the I29 corridor, aligning our resources within a regional growth strategy. In 2002, Senator Dorgan of ND brought UND and NDSU together to build the Red River Research Corridor; and as a result have amassed in attracting over $300 million in research dollars to the region. We will bring that type of success to the I 29 corridor and Brookings will be a key player in the game. Partnerships pay dividends.

-We studied our housing market needs and this past year we saw action on that front. Housing developments in a more ‘affordable’ range have begun. SDSU is also in the planning process of designing residential opportunities for their student population as they continue to grow in enrollment. As a result, pressure for student housing will lessen in our family neighborhoods improving the quality of life for those neighborhoods from less density.

-To help in our city planning needs, we hired our first community development director, to focus our efforts more keenly in planning for the future and providing a unique interface between our public and private sector as we continue to grow into the future. This will be a valuable investment for our city.

-We championed efforts to bring people together as a team: public and private partnerships are alive and well and growing; improving our quality of life in Brookings. The Aquatic center, the Boys and Girls Club and the new downtown streetscape all came about through the collaboration of key people in the community coming together to get the job done. The Children’s Science Museum, in my opinion, will tag Brookings as the ‘Wall Drug’ of eastern South Dakota. People will come to downtown Brookings.

-We started wellness programming into our park and rec system and through a unique partnership with the SDSU wellness and health promotion students, our community will have an opportunity to be ‘coached’ to health, providing these students with a purposeful internship program and our citizens with the help they need to regain their health.

-We stepped forward together as a community and as a county, towards a long term solution to rail safety in the region. Through the newly formed Brookings Regional Rail Safety Authority, the city, county and other interested communities or townships along the rail line can participate in the long term planning of rail safety in the region. And we will come up with a long term solution over time. Together.

-We established a transportation board that will continue to monitor and assess the needs of our mass transit system (BATA) and provide a valuable service to not only in-city transportation but also rural transit solutions for years to come.

-Along those same lines, we have and are continuing to invest in more bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways for the growing number of people interested in the enjoyment of biking and walking.

-We invested in our downtown streetscape and infrastructure and now we hope for the downtown businesses to reinvest in their storefronts like many have to make our downtown a truly historic and authentic attraction.

-Those of you at home are enjoying the televising of our council meetings. We made investments in technology to bring government closer to the people and the success speaks for itself.

The Brookings region is growing and thriving. One can’t help but get excited when you take a tour around the community to see what is all going on. It didn’t happen by accident. It took vision, planning and good decisions to bring us to this point. It will continue to take these very same components to carry us well into our future.

When you elected me in 2001, we had the daunting task of shoring up a long list of needed improvements, we had a 20th century economic plan and a city budget that was losing money; leaving us in a very poor financial position. Today, significant investments have been made in restoring our city services, preparing our community and the region for a knowledge-based economy and bringing the City of Brookings to a position of financial strength. It wasn’t easy making these strategic moves, but we are in a good place now as a city because of the dedicated people, both elected and administrative, who faced the challenges head on.

We have come to a point in time in our community where we must be prepared to make significant long term investments: investments in our airport, railroad safety, water and sewer infrastructure for new housing developments to name a few. We have set a strategic direction for investment in our community for the next decade to lead us well into the 21st century that Mayor-elect Reed will address in the near future.

Brookings is known for its leadership role in innovation and creativity across the state. We must continue to forge ahead with new ideas and sensible decisions that will bring a higher quality of life. As we grow, please keep in mind that your city leadership, from the city council to the volunteers who serve on our city boards as well as our city staff; are dedicated to serving out the mission of the city. A mission “committed to providing a high quality of life for its citizens, and fostering a diverse economic base, through innovative thinking, strategic planning, and proactive, fiscally responsible municipal management”.

Please remember your elected officials and city staffs’ motives and intentions are noble. So, please give them your support.

Our mission (and let me emphasize our collective community mission) is committed to a common cause, a common goal, and a common purpose. We can be proud of Brookings’ successful formula of leadership and teamwork. Thank you for your support over the last 8 years. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to our collective mission. Nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without challenges and nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without the combination of vision with courage. There is no doubt in my mind our better days are ahead. But it will continue to take a culture of creativity and the understanding of the importance to always look for a better way to address our challenges. Let’s not rely on our past successes in our leadership or how we have done things, but rather let’s rely on refining our vision and revising our plans together as we move ahead.

By working together, let’s continue to make ‘significant’ impacts on the lives of people in our community and the surrounding region.

Thank you.

(The Brookings Register contributed to this document)

Employment Stability

2009-04-16T15:14:00.002-05:00

I can’t quite say it enough, but once again, the economic opportunities that our tax and business environment afford us as individuals is really a great thing, and it’s giving us great publicity during these tough economic times. A recent article in the LA Times displays the headline “What Recession? Places like Sioux Falls, S.D., Prove Resilient.”

During good times, many other states have chosen to tax their citizens and businesses more and more and set up extensive and inefficient social welfare programs. When rough times hit, states find they do not have the tax base to afford all the programs they have promised to their citizens. Oppressive business taxes also cut into business’ ability to hire more people and also avoid layoffs. Whereas we had a unemployment rate of 4.6 percent (February 2009), states like Michigan and California are around 12 and 10 percent, respectively.

Our modest social services, combined with a business-friendly environment, low taxes, and a very neighborly attitude have given us the means to help us help ourselves and our neighbors, as well as limiting how high our unemployment rises in bad times.

To put it in perspective, even during the peak of the United States growth and good times over the past few years (2005, 2006, 2007), national unemployment fell to a low of 4.6 percent, which is what South Dakota’s ROSE to in the midst of a severe recession.

Brookings Register: "City's Financial Health Sound"

2009-04-15T14:25:00.002-05:00

From the Brookings Register:

City's financial health sound
Posted: Sunday, Apr 12th, 2009
BY: Jill Fier


Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman gave his final State of the City address to the Council this week.

Mayor Scott Munsterman says the City of Brookings is in great financial shape considering the state of the economy, thanks to the efforts of city officials and residents.

That was just one of the messages Munsterman delivered Tuesday evening during his last State of the City address.

"Brookings is in a position of financial strength due to teamwork, allowing us to make strategic investments in the future.

"Our first- and second-penny sales tax revenue and our third-B revenue for the first quarter of this year have been up 2.79 percent. In light of the recession and economic cycle we're in, I only have one thing to say, and that's thank you.

"Thank you to the people of Brookings for shopping at home and supporting their local economy."

The mayor said Brookings gained more than 700 employees in 2008, and added some to Sioux Falls as well because of labor shortages in Brookings. There are still nearly 600 jobs available here and only a 2.2 percent unemployment rate, the lowest in the state.

"We, for all practical purposes, are No. 1 in job generation in South Dakota."

Munsterman said the city was not in a good position financially eight years ago, but things have changed.

"When you elected me in 2001, we had the daunting task of shoring up a long list of needed improvements. We had what I call a 20thcentury economic plan and a city budget that was losing money, leaving us in a very poor financial position. "¦

"We reformed the way we did business in the city and have a successful financial policy, which has brought Brookings to a position of financial strength."

He also highlighted additions to Brookings over the past few years, including more retail options for citizens, affordable housing and TIF districts, and the SDSU Innovation Campus.

"This will prove to be one of the best investments that we have made in the last eight years for the future of the Brookings region," he said of the research park.

"It will also pay dividends to the rest of the state as the 125-acres park spins off research and technology businesses over the next several decades, providing high-paying jobs and opportunities for our young families ."

Munsterman says partnerships with neighboring communities pay dividends, and it's only a matter of time before the city and the region see the benefits of developing the I-29 corridor.

And the now under-construction Children's Museum of South Dakota and a renovated downtown Streetscape will draw more visitors here.

"The children's science museum, in my opinion, will tag Brookings as the Wall Drug of Eastern South Dakota. People will come to downtown Brookings."

He added that long-term investments in the city are still needed, especially at the airport, railroad safety and water and sewer infrastructure .

Munsterman is stepping down from his post next month when Councilor Tim Reed becomes mayor of Brookings.

The current mayor decided to not run for re-election as he considers a run for governor.

Cap-And-Trade?

2009-04-04T15:49:00.002-05:00

A recent article in the Argus Leader discusses the effects of the cap-and-trade carbon emissions program that the new administration wants to implement. According to the article, South Dakotans in residential areas can expect to see their electricity bills increase by a minimum of 41 percent under this plan.

The goal of cap-and-trade is to limit carbon emissions by taxing industries that produce more than a set quota of emissions and rewarding those who produce below that threshold.

We all want a cleaner environment that relies more heavily on renewable sources of energy that are produced here at home, rather than purchased from enemies abroad.

Rather than tax the problem (coal, natural gas, etc.), which happens to be the most affordable option for consumers today, why not focus more on developing alternative energy technologies to the point where they become economically competitive? Wind, hydroelectric, clean coal, cellulosic ethanol, nuclear, or even garbage can all be practical forms of energy if done correctly.

Otherwise, are you prepared to pay almost 50 percent more to heat your home, in addition to higher fuel and business costs?

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words...

2009-04-01T15:00:00.001-05:00

From the Argus Leader:

Why The Increased Spending?

2009-03-30T15:22:00.001-05:00

The Pierre Capital Journal reported that the legislature actually increased its spending for the 2010 budget by $6.8 million. Much of this spending has been spurred by the federal stimulus money coming into the state, as well as some alleged “cuts” to the state budget. Some of these cuts were in actuality just a cut to proposed spending, not actual spending…so in reality these were not really spending reductions. More details here…

In times of economic turmoil, sacrifices must be made both by us as individuals and by the government as well in order to maintain a stable spending structure in both government and personal life. Relying so heavily on one-time stimulus money requires no sacrifice by anyone and refusing to make some tough budget cuts perpetuates deficit spending and unsustainable funding practices, which will cause even more budgetary problems next year and even more problems down the road.

The article also states that one specific area that spending was actually cut was in the area of education, specifically in the areas of teacher-improvement bonuses, test score analysis, and teacher training. Education is an investment in the future, and these were worthy areas of education dollars that were axed by the budget.

We need to take a serious look at our state’s spending practices and create a more reliable structure that will help the state live within its means, while at the same time providing critical state services, such as education.

Small Community Sovereignty...

2009-03-26T20:56:00.002-05:00

The residents of Wayne Township (west of Sioux Falls) voted on Monday to remain independent of Minnehaha County control after losing most of the elected township board to resignations and lack of term-renewal interest, according to the Argus Leader. The rest of the story here…

Smaller communities all around the state and the country often find themselves in the position of being swallowed up by a larger community or decision-making body.

Even though it would be easy for the township to cede its sovereignty to the greater Minnehaha County authority, many residents showed up in refusal of that suggestion. Examples such as this really go to show how important local sovereignty is to a community, where citizens feel that decisions are best made through local leaders and local input. And so it is: government removed from the people that it serves soon becomes ineffectual and self-serving.

To quote the Republican Party platform, “I believe the most effective, responsible and responsive government is government closest to the people.”

Fighting Against Homelessness...

2009-03-22T15:02:00.001-05:00

KELO reports that South Dakota ranked 12th in the nation for recognizing the homeless within our state. Through many different means, whether it be government, local associations, or private organizations, we have been doing great identifying and helping out those less fortunate, something critical during these rough times. Read more here…

In addition, another article discusses how the child homelessness part of the study takes into account different categories, including homelessness per capita and state policy and planning efforts. Our characteristic concern for our neighbors, as well as a state that allows families more means to raise themselves out of poverty and better their own condition has helped create an environment here that helps keep our homeless rate lower.

Hopefully we can expand on these community-based efforts through partnerships to help raise South Dakota even higher than 12th in its efforts against homelessness.

Plugging the Budget Holes...

2009-03-10T20:39:00.002-05:00

With recent news of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as the stimulus bill, the budget situation is quickly changing in our state.

Many of the dollars coming in have strings attached, where certain dollar amounts have specific sectors where the money is required to be spent. Here is a brief overview of some of the different areas where our stimulus check will be required to be spent, click here. Areas where money will be directed include water and highway infrastructure development and many various areas of temporary assistance.

In light of this, the Argus Leader reports that our state budget situation is looking a little brighter. Many of the cuts to state programs Governor Rounds proposed will not necessarily have to happen. Read more here…

Although it is great that the stimulus is allowing us to keep some good state programs, it is uncertain how much of a “stimulating” effect this will have on our economy. Using stimulus money to plug budget shortfalls might save some jobs associated with those programs, but it certainly isn’t creating any new ones the best I can see. Furthermore, where will this put our structural deficit in 2011? $100,000,000 or $150,000,000? If we do not get ‘projected’ sales tax revenue increases to ‘bridge’ to, we will be left with a much larger hole than we saw this legislative session. What is our plan or strategy to boost sales tax? Is this a bridge to nowhere?

It is time to prioritize our needs and pay for what we can within our means. Budgeting for outcomes through the use of benchmarks and performance measurements are essential tools and need to be used.

Smoking and Public Health...

2009-03-05T20:45:00.002-06:00

Wednesday the legislature placed its seal of approval on a statewide smoking ban in most public places in the state, and the bill is ready to be sent to the governor’s desk, according to the Argus Leader.

Although there is little debate remaining about the dangers of smoking to an individuals’ health, there was heated debate over what the government’s role should be with regard to smoking in public places.

A ban will minimize the public’s exposure to smoke, sending a clear message: smoking is a public health risk. Rules are needed, at times, to protect people. And in the case of smoking, health consequences and their costs to the public are good reason to sign this bill into law.

Fortunately, many places have already taken this initiative and willingly banned smoking on their premises, which has also increased their business due to many people preferring the smoke-free environment. Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill here in Brookings has seen increased business since it went smoke-free and many people are attracted to the smoke-free environment. Other businesses are also following suit, including O’Hare’s, in an effort to compete with Cubby’s. Buffalo Wild Wings in Sioux Falls has also voluntarily gone smoke free as well.

All have done so without government telling them to do so. So, you ask, why does state government have to put this into law? Because these model businesses are the exception. Please sign the bill, Governor. Thank you.

A Place To Retire...

2009-03-02T15:09:00.002-06:00

Sioux Falls was recently rated one of the United States’ top places to retire, according to KELO. Thanks to our non-existent state income tax (and low taxes in general), retired folk have found Sioux Falls and greater South Dakota a great place to retire when drawing upon retirement income.

The U.S. News & World article cited several other cities, all with similar low-tax burdens on the retired community. Of particular concern to us, though, is that this influx of older, retired persons combined with the outflow of younger, working individuals creates a vast need for retirement homes, with a shrinking productive tax base to help support such projects. We need to keep our youth here in order to minimize the age gap, enabling us to care for our senior citizens who find South Dakota a perfect place to retire.

We need a proactive strategy to show younger individuals all that South Dakota has to offer…it seems that our youth realize the benefits of our state in their later years, when they eventually return here, creating the void between the numbers of younger and older generations in our state.

Big Stone II Update...

2009-02-26T18:05:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has thrown up some possible roadblocks to the much-anticipated Big Stone II project. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling last year that carbon emissions can be regulated by the EPA, the EPA under the new administration is considering limiting carbon emission by coal plants such as Big Stone II through tax penalties, which may lead to much higher electricity costs for customers, according to the Argus Leader. Read more here…

The enactment of such a policy has a few negative impacts and shortsightedness. First, according to the Argus article, the Big Stone II plant would be 20 percent more efficient than coal plants of similar size, which reduces our impact on the environment by utilizing cheap, low-sulfur Wyoming coal in a much more efficient manner. Second, holding up such projects decreases our chances of cost-effectively installing a framework of electricity transmission lines…a crucial part of any wind development within South Dakota. And finally, all the customers utilizing the electricity provided will pay a much higher cost for their needed energy, as the power companies will be required to pass on the cost of an even more efficient plant or costs of carbon-taxes on to their customers. Let’s look for some middle ground here where we can be environmentally friendly and also keep energy costs low.

A Look At Personal Wind Energy...

2009-02-19T12:51:00.002-06:00

One of the largest hurdles to large-scale wind farms in South Dakota is the cost of transmission lines, lines that can be helped along by new energy projects, such as Big Stone II, which I talk about in a previous post.

Another possible way to avoid the transmission line hurdle may be to utilize residential wind turbines. These are smaller turbines designed to supply power to individual homes or businesses, which can reduce electricity costs by up to 80% once the turbines are in place.

According to KELO, recent tax credits encourage these types of wind generators, providing a tax cut of $1000 dollars per kilowatt of capacity up to $4000. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) states that residential turbines cost anywhere from $3000 to $5000 per kilowatt of generating capacity, and around $40,000 to install the whole system. The PUC also states that these turbines last from 10 to 20 years, with proper maintenance.

Although these turbines may not be a feasible option for many, the PUC suggest that if an individual has an adequate amount of wind and electricity bills over $150 per month, residential wind turbines may be smart option. Read more here…

Large scale wind farms and expensive transmission lines are needed to sell all our wind potential to other states and large cities, but these smaller, cheaper options may help us provide electricity to our smaller communities. All these options help us harness our wind energy potential and reduce our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.

Seat Belts And The State Budget...

2009-02-04T23:05:00.002-06:00

Faced with an ever more dire looking budget situation, the state is turning to different sources of funding in an attempt to raise the necessary funds to meet budget requirements. South Dakota, along with other states, is weighing the costs and benefits of mandatory seat belt laws. Read more here…

A recent proposal (SB 79) suggests making non-seat belt compliance a primary offense for everyone in the state. Much of the motivation for this proposal stems from the fact that doing so qualifies South Dakota for a one-time payout of a few million dollars of federal money. Making seat belts mandatory will also create additional revenues from traffic tickets.

Although we can have the debate over the merits of mandatory seat belt laws, doing so should not be motivated by promises of one-time federal payouts, as it is not good policy to fund ongoing budgets with one-time dollars. Criminalizing current freedoms simply to raise more funds for the state coffers through ticket revenues is also not a course of action that should be taken lightly.

Our budget woes would best be dealt with in the long run by using more stable sources of funding and putting more focus on our general taxation structure. We also need to use more responsible, conservative accounting practices to provide the needed funds for worthy projects during good times and provide leeway in emergencies, rather than resorting to one-time money to fund ongoing needs, which creates problems during rough budget years.

Cooperation for Sustainable Energy…

2009-01-22T13:10:00.002-06:00

The Big Stone II power plant project has been in talks with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, as roughly half of the energy produced from the coal plant will be sold to Minnesota and new transmission lines will need to be built. Details here…

The PUC placed some stipulations on approval of the project, citing caps on greenhouse gas emissions and constructions costs, specifically.

Moving away from fossil fuels is a piecemeal process that will not happen in an affordable fashion overnight. A promising and untapped source of energy here in South Dakota is of course wind energy, and one of the biggest costs and roadblocks to wind energy is the cost of transmission lines. Big Stone II provides another vein in our regional network of transmission lines, and for wind energy to take off projects like Big Stone II may prove invaluable to future green energy projects.

Creating regional agreements between the windy states in our area and the states who require our excess supply of energy, we can utilize the resources we have now, both natural and monetary, to provide a necessary framework for green energy in the near future.

A Place Of Opportunity...

2009-01-19T17:48:00.001-06:00

Once again, South Dakota ranked as one of the top states that people are migrating to. According the Argus leader, inbound moves to South Dakota were at 57.3 percent, whereas outbound moves were at 42.7 percent. Compared to other states, we ranked sixth in the nation for inbound migration. Read more here…

Much of South Dakota’s attractiveness can be attributed to our low tax burden and lack of an income tax. There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal that compared North and South Dakota. Both states are very similar in resources, jobs, population, etc., but while we have many people coming into our state, North Dakota finds its residents leaving. Both states are similar in many ways, with the exception that we do not have an income tax here in South Dakota.

They say people vote with their feet, and people are leaving states with high taxes, despite the public luxuries those taxes fund, in favor of states like ours that offer greater individual economic opportunities rather than public assistance.

In essence, we are actually increasing the amount of dollars we can bring in as a state by keeping taxes low. Attracting more people to our state with low taxes increases our tax base, since we will have more people here to tax with the existing tax structure.

Practical Education...

2009-01-12T16:08:00.002-06:00

Lutheran Social Services has seen a 25 percent increase in demand for their credit counseling services, according to a report by KSFY. Money is tight and all of us are trying to make the right choices, whether it is managing credit card debt or our retirement accounts. Read more here…

Part of the reason that we as a society make poor economic decisions is rooted in our education system. Many of us find ourselves in tough economic situations simply because we are not taught the fundamentals of smart money management. High schools require four years of English, three to four of math, and around 3 years of science, but where are the requirements for an economics or financial class? Economics affects us every day, and as we’re seeing now, we as a country do not make wise economic decisions. I do not think it is too much to ask to require one to two years of classes that guide students in wise decision making and will help them in their everyday decision making for their entire lives.

South Dakota currently only requires 0.5 units of an economics/personal finance class as a graduation requirement, compared to 1 unit of fine arts, 0.5 physical education, 3 of social studies, etc. Click here for the full list…

English, math, and science are very critical classes to be competitive in the 21st century economy, yet a tremendous amount of creative individuals outside those fields will innovate and utilize new discoveries and technology to create small businesses. Others find themselves working for these small businesses. Either way, three years of science will not help small business individuals much when they do not have the knowledge to manage accounts or invest wisely. More entrepreneurship, the spirit that makes this country great, would be possible if schools would also, in addition to the critical fields of math and science, teach competencies needed for wise economic decision making in personal and business life.

Wasted Material...

2009-01-10T14:40:00.002-06:00

An article by the Rapid City Journal states that last-minute changes to a federal energy bill would disqualify cellulosic ethanol created using waste plant matter collected from national forests toward filling ethanol mandates. Read more here…

In a time of volatile fuel prices and dependency on foreign fuels, it seems crazy to not utilize and encourage use of the resources we have, particularly in the promising area of cellulosic ethanol, which is packed with much more energy than corn-based ethanol. If we can turn waste material into fuel to power our state, we should not be throwing up senseless roadblocks in the way of that goal.

We need to incentivize new and better ways of producing energy, not generate loopholes that create barriers to progress in nonsensical ways. Black Hills National Forest and other national parks have the opportunity to contribute toward weaning the country off of fossil fuels, but not if we do not maintain an environment that encourages alternative fuel production.

2009-01-08T13:02:00.001-06:00

The Argus Leader reports that the jobless rate in Sioux Falls has increased to 2.9%, a report that shows that some of the economic woes plaguing the nation as a whole are starting to hit home a bit. In addition, the state’s unemployment rate as a whole is up to 3.4%.

In times of uncertainty, I always find it helps to look for good in any situation. Notice that our state unemployment rate increased to 3.4%. Many states would give anything make their unemployment rate go down that far even during good times.

Here in South Dakota, we need to count our blessings, as things could be far worse. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.7%, as of the end of November. We’re fortunate to be better off than the rest of the country, thanks to our low tax burden and a friendly business environment.

Finding Funding...

2009-01-02T13:12:00.003-06:00

Debate continues over how we’re going to find the resources to take care of our infrastructure needs in South Dakota. Legislators are now proposing raising fees on vehicle registration, as well as increasing gas taxes, according to the Argus Leader. Read more here…

Rather than increase fees on the citizens of our state to find needed funds, why not make sure that all our dollars being spent are being spent wisely? Online databases of government expenditures are great resources for ambitious individuals and press to go and look for wasteful uses of taxpayer dollars. Some states have implemented use of these databases to great success. As part of their state website, Alaska uses “Checkbook Online” to show where tax dollars are spent in the state.

Missouri found many different areas where the state was wasting millions of dollars. Through their site, concerned individuals were able to point out to Missouri that the state was spending $1.6 million at coffee shops, $278,053.46 at floral shops, and $70,849.02 at doughnut shops, among other things. All in all, over the past 8 years the state found more than $2.4 million dollars worth of wasteful spending. Read more here…

Utilizing the technology we have now, we can increase the efficiency of government, rather than increasing fees and taxes on the state’s citizens. The OpenSD site is a great start, and it could be expanded upon to allow watchdog groups, press, bloggers, and concerned taxpayers alike to hop on the internet and discover wasteful spending, and as a result help cut down on wasteful use of resources and allow us to divert them toward more worthy projects for the state.

The 21st Century Economy...

2008-12-30T11:08:00.002-06:00

The next hundred years will require drastic changes in the way South Dakota conducts its economic activities. With the expansion of globalization and the internet, our major competitors are no longer the shop across the street, nor just neighboring states…a small, internet-based company in New Delhi, India can now prove itself just as stiff of competition for business as your competitor across the street.

The Rapid City Journal carried a story about a new Internet shopping mall, where a Chinese company sells Japanese goods to its citizens. Not only is this story important because it shows the increasing competitiveness of China, but it also shows how non-producers can become profitable in the Internet marketplace. South Dakota and the United States as a whole are moving away from being manufacturing-based to information and service-based, and we must be aware of how we can remain competitive in these changing times.

Although South Dakota now has increased competition from abroad, there is another side to this economic coin: we also have vast and new markets opened to us as well. We have a chance to prove ourselves as the most worthy of international business, just like our competitors. One great example of South Dakota marketing itself is the South Dakota Certified Beef Program. The program adds value to our product by going through extra steps to ensure that our beef is safe and free of things such as mad cow disease, etc., which allows us to target a niche market of countries abroad that have concerns over U.S. beef in general. Similar programs will help South Dakota market itself to the international community and help us forge ahead into the 21st century.

A Look At Highway Funding...

2008-12-26T10:21:00.002-06:00

KELO reminds us that once again, highway funding will once again be a topic of great discussion in Pierre this legislative session. Legislators are proposing increases in gas taxes and licensing fees to help find the desperately needed funds to ensure our roads are up to par.

According to the South Dakota GOP platform, Government’s responsibility and priorities should first be directed toward projects and endeavors that individuals and private organizations cannot accomplish on their own. Highways and public infrastructure would fall under the category of things that must be provided by government, yet we struggle every year to find funding for these needs?

We need to refocus our budget concerns toward providing first for the “needs” of the state, after which we then move on to providing for the “wants” of the state; activities which are not essential functions of government, but can be provided once critical functions are carried out.

Senate Bill 183 from last year was a step in the right direction. Hopefully the legislature will take a hard look at this one again.

Ranching And Climate Change…

2008-12-23T11:08:00.002-06:00

Rumors have been flying about recently over proposed taxes on emissions by cattle and pig farms. In July of this year, the Supreme Court ruled that methane is a greenhouse gas and falls under regulation by the Clean Air Act. In response, the President recently signed a regulation exempting farmers and ranchers from reporting their methane output, although with the new administration this is subject to change.

Although the EPA says that this is not a tax, per se, farmers and ranchers who find themselves out of compliance with Clean Air Act regulation are subject to fines and penalties, up to $175 per head of cattle, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Read more here…

It’s easy to see how regulations like these can have drastic implications for South Dakota’s Farmers and Ranchers, whose very livelihoods depend on raising these animals and using methane-producing machines for harvest. Coupled with high and unpredictable feed prices, ranchers especially may have difficulty breaking even with additional environmental regulations on their livestock. Hopefully the new administration’s pick for Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, will be able to stress these concerns to the new president.

Healthy Living...

2008-12-18T20:29:00.002-06:00

KSFY reports that obesity rates in South Dakota have nearly tripled over the past 18 years, rising from 10.7 percent to 27 percent today. Rising obesity rates are alarming, as they say a great deal about the general health of a population.

Many of the leading causes of death and leading diseases treated by prescription drugs are diseases directly related to lifestyle choices, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer (lung cancer from smoking, for example). Shifting our focus away from treatment and more toward prevention is crucial for lowering our health care costs and creating a happier and healthier population.

A Virginia Tech researcher is working on a study on workplace workouts, where employees are given the opportunity to walk, run, or jog during work breaks. Regular workouts at work would help both employers and employees, as working out both relieves job stress and gives employees a higher-level of self-esteem and accomplishment; as a result they become happier, more productive workers.

Currently, much our view of workplace breaks seems a little off-base…as Mike Huckabee put it, we have 15 minute smoke breaks at work, but heaven forbid we have a 20 minute exercise break! Encouraging bad habits and discouraging the good ones doesn’t help our health care system out one bit.

Small Communities...Big Success

2008-12-16T15:07:00.002-06:00

December 10th saw the 40th anniversary of the Brookings-based electronics giant Daktronics. Al Kurtenbach and Duane Sander were both professors of electrical engineering at South Dakota State University who turned their ideas into a multi-million dollar company that has earned contracts worldwide, everywhere from Dolphins’ Stadium to Olympic scoreboards abroad.

Daktronics is a great example of how even South Dakota’s smaller communities, with a little innovation and creativity, can have an impact in the global marketplace. The information age brings enormous opportunity to each and every one of South Dakota’s communities as we move into the larger technological world of the 21st century.

Meeting Our Energy Needs…

2008-12-08T10:36:00.001-06:00

As has happened in many other areas of the country, the lawsuits are just beginning over the proposed Hyperion oil refinery that was approved by the voters of Union county. Many proposed solutions to reduce dependence on foreign oil, like the Hyperion refinery, get caught up in environmental lawsuits. In fact, should Hyperion get off the ground, it will be the first oil refinery built in the United States since 1976.

Increasing our refining capacity is crucial, as we are not even able to meet our gasoline needs with the current refining capacity of the country and actually have to import refined gasoline (not just crude oil). Currently, we pay foreign countries a premium for gasoline that we could be refining right here in South Dakota, with South Dakota workers.

The reality is that we are tied to oil for several years to come. Hyperion needs to be part of the all-of-the above option to our energy needs. As cellulosic ethanol is on the brink of becoming a viable option for fuels, combined with oil refining capacity and our vast wind energy resources, South Dakota could very well become a major supplier of the energy our nation so desperately needs…so let’s not rule out any options while we perfect the technology needed to move on to cleaner, domestic forms of energy and away from fossil fuels.

Re-establishing priorities…

2008-12-04T13:43:00.001-06:00

Today Governor Rounds announced his budget proposal for next year, which included tapping into the general reserves, and—more importantly—the property tax reduction reserve. Read more highlights here…

Dipping into the property tax reduction reserve is essentially a property tax increase on the citizens of South Dakota who are already weighed down heavily with property tax burden.
Over the past several years, the South Dakota Legislature has had the practice of using reserves to balance the budget. Now, during tough times, our reserves are in great jeopardy; as is our commitment to education and other areas of need.

So what do we do?

Unfortunately, we must endure some pain. And it will take a keen eye towards establishing high performance teams in our administration to develop benchmarks and performance measurements to get the job done. It will take strong leadership to bring us out of the structural deficit we are in, to bring this state to a position of fiscal strength once again.

Thinking Ahead...

2008-11-29T00:15:00.003-06:00

Governor Rounds announced Tuesday that he is placing a hold on executive branch spending, including a limit on out of state travel, new office purchases, and new hires within the executive branch. All this is an effort to prepare for an expected lull in sales tax revenues, 20% of which the state receives around the holiday season. Read more here…

Preparing for the worst and conservatively estimating revenues is crucial toward creating a sustainable budget and keeping the state out of the red. We went through this very same thing in 2001 and 2002 with the City of Brookings. Tough times call for tough measures, and that includes reducing expenditures rather than using reserves. For the past several years, our state has been liberal in using reserves to ‘balance’ the budget. It is times like these that previous poor fiscal practices catch up with us.

Governor Rounds is doing the right thing, and we need to support him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:41:00.003-06:00

I hope all of you are thoroughly enjoying yourselves today with family and friends and are experiencing safe travels. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is my Top 10 list of things I am thankful for:

1. Faith
2. Family
3. Friendships
4. Health care: Especially advancements in cancer therapy for my wife
5. Education: My professional education has brought my family and I many
opportunities and a good living
6. Freedom: Being American brings opportunities
7. Economy: We have it good here in our state in comparison to other states
8. Brookings: A great place to live and raise a family
9. South Dakota: Being a South Dakotan equips us to take advantage of our
opportunities
10.Dreams, idealism and vision in our lives

Helping Your Neighbor...

2008-11-24T16:01:00.002-06:00

KSFY recently came out with a story saying food pantries across South Dakota are seeing record amounts of donations coming in. Even with all of the economic turmoil on all of our minds, South Dakotans are more willing than ever to do what they can to help out those around us that are less fortunate. Read more here…

Our long tradition of helping out our friends and neighbors really speaks to the character of people we have here in South Dakota. According to Forbes.com, in 2006 South Dakota ranked 12th in the nation for charitable giving. In addition, almost 40% of South Dakotans volunteered in one way or another over the course of the year.

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, let’s not forget that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a turkey with all the fixings. Economic times are tough, and many hardworking folks have lost their jobs and are trying to make ends meet. We all have something we can do to help, whether it is through our time, talents, or wallets in order to help those of us that have come on hard times.

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” –Ronald Reagan

Scott Announces His Exploratory Committee!

2008-11-21T15:32:00.004-06:00

Munsterman for All South Dakota

Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman has filed a statement of organization of his candidacy for Governor of South Dakota in 2010. The Brookings Mayor and businessman explains he has developed policy drafts in the areas of economic development, education, the environment, health care, energy, policy development and community development strategy. “My leadership experience as mayor and my solid background in business and health care have validated a passion to serve. I am convinced in order for us to provide solutions to the problems we have today, we must develop a new strategy. Forward planning and innovative ideas are imperative to moving us ahead in the new economy of tomorrow.”

Under Munsterman’s leadership, Brookings has experienced sound, vigorous growth over the last eight years. “I have been very fortunate to be part of a successful team. Our strategic approach and the partnerships we have developed in our region are paying consequential dividends and will for years to come.” Under Munsterman’s mayoral leadership, the City of Brookings has experienced strong increases in sales tax revenue and, with a conservative fiscal approach to spending, Brookings has experienced surplus budgets. “Communities need to have the opportunity to have more local control to improve their future. No one knows what a community needs better than those who live there.”

Scott developed these stimulating, proactive policy drafts to encourage in depth reflection so he can listen and learn from the people of South Dakota as a way to craft the direction and strategies of tomorrow’s South Dakota. To provide broad perspectives in these early stages of his campaign, Scott has formed a non-partisan group of advisers from all walks of life.

“Politics is traditionally considered a partisan environment. I am dedicated to getting the insight of Republicans, Democrats and independents alike as I explore the best strategy to develop our state from a community perspective,” says Munsterman. “The Governor must lead all of South Dakota, not just one party. We are only as strong as our smallest community. It is time we do everything we can to grow our whole state.”

“I urge South Dakotans to visit my web site and give me a “shout,” says Scott. The Munsterman for Governor website is located at www.munstermanforgovernor.com.

Investing In the Future…

2008-11-20T00:01:00.003-06:00

The Argus Leader Reports that Senator John Thune has received the number five spot in the United States Senate Republican Leadership. From the report:

"I think we have to define more clearly what we're for," Thune said of his party. "We can't just be against what the Democrats are for. We have to offer positive alternatives."

Thune said his priorities will be pushing legislation to boost renewable fuels, infrastructure development, rural technology and energy issues.

Read the Rest Here...

Senator Thune wants to bolster efforts in renewable fuels, infrastructure and rural technology. Do you suppose that is because he is from South Dakota, and we are a rural state? I don’t think so…

I believe Senator Thune realizes the significance of rural America and its future role as a region in the United States. If you stop and think about issues the United States is facing… foreign oil, renewable energy, food production, climate chance, etc., the Midwest is the primary driver for solutions.

Agricultural production for food and fuel and major developments in wind energy are happening here in South Dakota. We have large oil reserves to meet capacity in the short-term while we transition to more renewable methods, and studies are being conducted to integrate a more promising cellulosic ethanol industry with our natural resources and wildlife populations… something we pride ourselves on.

I believe South Dakota is in a great position to become leaders in providing solutions, and Senator Thune is a shining example. We shouldn’t neglect rural regions by facilitating their decline. Rather, we should invest in them to produce opportunities for renewable energy development and jobs, agriculture production, and above all… to keep the number one resource of this state: South Dakotans.

An Update on The I-29 Corridor…

2008-11-18T00:01:00.001-06:00

I was interviewed by the Argus Leader for updates on the I-29 Corridor. I wanted to emphasize participation and the fact that Sioux Falls is important to the overall study. Two key points from the article I would like to point out:

Slater Barr, president of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, said, "Anytime you are trying to do some strategic thinking as a region, that is a good thing.''

And Dwaine Chapel, executive director of the Lake Area Improvement Corp."We felt the regional approach to economic development made a lot of sense,'' he said. "Instead of working against communities, work as a team to create regional opportunities.''

Read the rest of the article at the Argus Leader online…

As the article states, we hope Sioux Falls comes on board because they are a key player in this region. I believe strongly that by forming partnerships among our I-29 communities, we can effectively bolster economic development in the region, subsequently providing benefits for the State of South Dakota as a whole.

Once everyone is on board with this strategy, it will be possible to realize the cumulative benefits of every community working together… and by utilizing this mentality, every community wins.

Corridors have been effective tools in economic development strategies, some of which I wrote about in a previous post.

South Dakota’s Long-term Care Crisis… Critical for Two Reasons:

2008-11-13T00:01:00.002-06:00

There is a lot of buzz around South Dakota’s long-term care situation and what the ‘crisis’ means as far as healthcare for aging South Dakota residents. According to yesterday’s Argus Leader…

“A rapidly aging population in South Dakota faces serious shortages of long-term care in the next 15 years because of several problems, a state report concludes… Money also will be a problem. An aging population requires more resources, the report said. However, task force members could not "reach consensus" on a source of revenue.”

Read the Rest of the Article Here

As a health care professional I have been especially concerned about this issue for sometime. But as a concerned citizen, I also ponder the second half of the above quotation, and what it means for South Dakota.

If we have an aging population and the youth are migrating out of state… where will the resources to care for these individuals come from? The article suggests we have a growth rate of people over the age of sixty-five twice that of the national norm.

It is in the best interests of South Dakota to strategically realign healthcare delivery to make services more affordable for all South Dakotans, as well as implement a vertically aligned economic development plan focused on education and retention of youth in South Dakota.

More Wind Energy for South Dakota…

2008-11-12T00:01:00.003-06:00

Energy remains a major issue… South Dakota is bolstering its efforts in renewable energy from wind through a proposed 306 Megawatt wind farm in east central South Dakota in Brookings and Deuel counties.

Projects like this around South Dakota are valuable for a multitude of reasons namely, increased energy production via sustainable and renewable generating mechanisms, decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels, and acting as the front line of defense in combating climate change due to global warming.

I would like to point out though that sustainable energy projects like this around South Dakota have the added potential to attract jobs, families, and individuals to small towns across the state. In the article on wind energy from the Argus Leader on November 10, 2008, the town of White could see the potential benefits of alternative energy production in their area…

The project would create about 100 temporary construction jobs, as well as 18 to 23 permanent jobs - welcome news to the 550 residents of White.

"Were always open to economic progress," said Mayor Randy Brown. "We've got new home lots being developed, a great school system, just a lot of good things happening in White."

Read the Rest of the Article Here…

Our rural regions stand to benefit greatly from the movements in alternative energy. Here in South Dakota we are 4th in the nation for wind power capacity, but 18th as far as production. Currently there is a biofuels study underway analyzing the benefits of harvesting cellulosic ethanol feedstocks from wildlife production areas, leading us to possibly new avenues for harvesting feedstocks from non-agricultural landscapes while at the same time safely and adequately managing our wildlife populations.

Our challenges as a state must be attacked from all sides and all angles. With the bolstered efforts in renewable energy, we can increase the benefits to our rural regions while meeting our demands for energy production as South Dakota progresses into the future.

One thing to remember is that these efforts to bolster rural regions are not to the detriment of our larger urban centers. South Dakota is an agricultural state… and as the agricultural sector goes, so goes the rest of the economy. An effort to become a leader in renewable energy is a strategy the entire state can benefit from…

An Update On Plants As Biofuels…

2008-11-12T00:01:00.002-06:00

National Public Radio ran a story the other morning on the future of plants, biofuels, and cellulosic ethanol. I have written on this topic before but I feel it very necessary to remain current. According to the article…

Part of the answer could be fuels made from the plant material cellulose. Researchers at the new Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California-Berkeley are working on a recipe for this biofuel.

"It's not like fusion," Somerville says, "where it really doesn't work. This is something that works and just needs to work a bit better in order to make it compete with fossil fuels."

Read the whole store story or listen to the NPR radio broadcast here…

The Future of Education in South Dakota…

2008-11-10T00:01:00.002-06:00

Now that Election Day has come and gone, we can focus on the future of our state as we await the budget proposal by Governor Rounds early next month.

There has been much buzz recently in newspapers and blogs about education spending… and before we even begin to debate increases and decreases we must first organize our thinking to better enable us in our approach to possible solutions.

We must first define education in South Dakota. What is it for… why does it exist… and are we utilizing the best practices to ensure integrated alignment with the current economic circumstances of our age?

There is no guarantee of education in the Federal Constitution… such a guarantee lies within the constitutions of the individual states. For this we can be proud… but it also bestows on us a solemn obligation as residents of the State of South Dakota to support education and its purposes.

Because this is our obligation, we must ensure we are properly funding the system. Education doesn’t exist just-because. It has a special purpose and can be linked to a more affluent society, reduced crime and poverty, increased creativity, innovation, and an overall better quality of life. Essentially it is an investment, and one South Dakota should seriously consider. The knowledge economy of the future requires individuals to remain on the edge of creativity and “consistent change.”

It is in our best interests to promote learning, creativity, and opportunity to the residents of this state for both children and adults. We should look then at altering our current financing practices so education financing in South Dakota can remain viable into the 21st Century.

Exercise Your Right To Vote Today...

2008-11-04T00:01:00.003-06:00

I encourage everyone to make time today to exercise their right as citizens of the United States and residents of the State of South Dakota by voting in the 2008 Election.

There is much at stake in this election regarding the future... not only the United States, but perhaps the future of the free world.

As citizens it is not only our privilege to vote... it is our duty. Because of this solemn duty... the future holds for us only what we choose to make of it.

Cellulosic Biofuel and Wildlife Study to Begin in South Dakota

2008-10-31T00:01:00.002-05:00

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks issued a news release yesterday outlining future plans to study, monitor, and possibly implement biofuel production in wildlife conservation areas. I have posted on this subject before, but it is inspiring to see some action taking place. According to the release:

With the nation intent on discovering alternative sources of energy, research about to begin in South Dakota will provide the best management practices to maximize the production of cellulosic biofuel while taking into consideration the needs of wildlife resources.

Read the rest of the release on the GFP website.

Currently, cellulosic ethanol looks to be a promising source of renewable energy. If South Dakota can work to develop a model where wildlife and biofuel feedstocks can both be generated in the same area, we will solve multiple issues with one solution, while simultaneously bettering our future.

As an agricultural state, South Dakota is poised to become a leader in renewable energy. By segueing into cellulosic ethanol, we will be able to produce, according to a recent study, 540% more energy than what was used for production, as well as incorporate more regions of our state in the feedstock production process.

This is an excellent example of collaboration...

Education Opportunity…

2008-10-30T00:01:00.003-05:00

This year is a record breaking year in South Dakota for enrollment in our post-secondary institutions. We have more students attending public schools than we ever have before.

My question is then… why such a low increase in the amount of Opportunity Scholarships? Is no one applying for them because of the amount? Or are there not enough students who qualify because there are less students in the system overall (due to declining enrollments since 1997)?

Students wishing to get a scholarship must complete rigorous high school coursework and get a 24 on the ACT. Earlier this year there was talk of lowering the standards so more students would qualify.

I think $5,000 is an excellent incentive. Let’s open up the pool by bringing the score baseline to 22 on the ACT and give more of our hard working South Dakota kids an equal opportunity in this state to get a college education.

Corridors – Tools For Economic Growth…

2008-10-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

Corridors, or clusters of industry/innovation/creativity/retail along a certain route, are an excellent example of ways to attract business and residents to an area. The Red River Valley Research Corridor in North Dakota is a prime example of creative and forward thinking.

Currently, South Dakota is planning a corridor of its own, along I-29. This initiative aims to inter-connect our state's largest city, several research and teaching universities, and much of our population base.

Another corridor is in its nascent stages out west. The TRExpressway, part of the Ports to Plains Trade Corridor, looks to connect Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This move has the potential to accommodate a vast number of travelers through the western edge of South Dakota. This initiative, along with I-29 and I-90 systems will bolster South Dakota’s transportation infrastructure potential.

If completed, the TRE would be part of the Great Plains International Trade Corridor, a proposed four-lane divided highway system that promotes trade and transportation nationally and internationally, said Cal Klewin, director of the Expressway Association.

Read the Rest of the News Article from The Dickinson Press Here.

But recently, with budget constraints and virtually no highway money, can South Dakota afford such an endeavor? These initiatives hold an abundance of potential, but not if we are narrow in our thinking and un-sustainable in our approach.

It is important that we remember what our priorities are, and what is economically beneficial to invest our money in. Governor Rounds warned on October 23rd about the possibility of taxes going up. This is due to the fact that we aren’t reigning in our spending in good years. Subsequently, we get hit especially hard in less fortunate years. Our government should be prioritizing through a collaborative framework for sustainable development in South Dakota along all fronts.

That way, we can ensure appropriate investment in our infrastructure to allow for increased prosperity for South Dakota.

Cut Services, Raise Taxes, OR... Reorganize Our Thinking?

2008-10-28T12:01:00.001-05:00

Everyday I pick up the paper or read the news online and more often than not, I am reading about how state government has decreasing funds with which to provide services to the residents of South Dakota. This is aside from the lack of road money and a lawsuit over the adequacy of school funding. On Sunday, an article elucidating the potential turmoil of the upcoming budget prompted me to write this article.

Can we, as a state, continue to cut services that are already financially strained, such as roads, bridges, infrastructure, and education? What is the role of our government here in South Dakota and how does that role fit into the economic liberties we enjoy?

I believe there are three ways we can go about mitigating this obstacle. First, we can simply cut services to residents of this state. Second, we can impose new taxes and raise old ones to boost revenue. Third, we can reorganize ourselves to fit the 21st century. The same operating procedures and systems created over 100 years ago to meet the needs of industrialism are no longer adequate and our financial position reflects just that.

I cannot vouch for anyone else, but I would choose option three. Albert Einstein noted that, "We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." In other words... let's get a little creative...

One In Four... Really?

2008-10-27T00:21:00.003-05:00

I read an article in the Argus Leader the other morning that revealed a pretty sobering figure. According to data gathered by the Education Trust, the dropout rate for students in the U.S. is one in every four. In fact:

The United States is now the only industrialized country where young people are less likely than their parents to earn a diploma…

Anna Habash, author of the study “Counting on Graduation” stated,

“The U.S. is stagnating, while other industrialized countries are surpassing us… and that is going to have a dramatic impact on our ability to compete.”

This is simply not a good model for a knowledge economy as this article and a little common sense would point out. Habash further noted.

“It’s as if policymakers haven’t gotten the message that knowledge and skills matter more than ever, not just for young people, but for their states’ economies… and even national security.”

Read the rest of the release and download the full report here. Moving ahead in a knowledge economy will require advances in education… not stagnation. Upon reading the full report, you will notice that boosting graduation rates across the board is recommended by the Education Trust as well as the Graduation Counts Compact, as a mechanism to help in solving this challenge.

South Dakota data, on the Education Trust website (click on SD on the U.S. map), reveals on-time graduation rates in SD at 75% overall in 2003 (p. 7). In “Counting On Education” report, South Dakota’s goal was 80% in 2007 (p. 4)

Increasing graduation rates would be an excellent mechanism for boosting education and economic development in South Dakota. It should be within our vision to increase learning for all ages and professions… so we can raise the quality of life across the board. As these reports suggest, a standard is required by NCLB, but the standard levels are set by the states. As a state, we should consider every effort in increasing our standards for education… not only for our state economy, but for the youth and future of this state.

“With progress on all fronts, all students can enjoy independence and success, both of which begin with a high school diploma.”

It Is Our Responsibility Is To Live Within Our Means…

2008-10-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

Several newspapers this past week have reported the concerns facing the strapped budget in South Dakota. If you take time to review the last 7 years worth of state budgets, you will discover, like I did, that we have been already borrowing millions of dollars from our reserves to augment a longstanding structural deficit. And this is not all due to recent financial frustrations brought on by the morose news from Wall Street.

Our state ‘balances’ its budget every year… or does it? Does balancing your budget refer to making sure you have money covering your expenses, no matter where it comes from? Or does it mean only using recurring revenue for recurring expenses, and one-time revenue for one-time expenses? What is our state’s fiscal policy to insure we are not spending beyond our means? When we ‘predict’ our revenue, are we being conservative, or is this a projection determined by how much we want to budget to spend?

The duty of the government of South Dakota is to provide valuable services to the residents of this state. Abraham Lincoln once said: “The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do by themselves in their separate individual capacities.”(Lincoln On Democracy p. 64) In my mind, this would relate to services and infrastructure we determine we need over time. The question we have to ask ourselves in state leadership is what should government pay for and what shouldn’t it pay for? When faced with tight budgets, tough decisions must be made. Will we be tough enough to make them in hard times, when we apparently weren’t disciplined to do it in the ‘good’ times? Will we be willing to innovate and be creative in our approaches to long term solutions for our state’s development?

Making tough decisions involves prioritizing and creating efficiencies first and foremost. And at the same time, strategic investments of effort and finances must be piled into education and economic development (education is economic development by the way, another story for another time). Much like a family budget, if you want to get ahead you have to reduce expenses and increase income. Strong fiscal management and aggressive economic development win at the end of the day. Some say that sounds idealistic and it can’t be done. Well, yes it can. You can begin by researching the spreadsheets of the City of Brookings to see how we came out of a recession with reverse growth in sales tax revenue to surplus budgets the last 5 years, including one projected for the end of this year: to the credit of our city council, our fiscal policy and staff administration. One example: our budget fiscal policy grows government spending at the consumer price index. That way it won’t outstrip the economy and you make hard decisions along the way, instead of when you are way over your head.

I don’t mean to be critical, but it is time we started to think differently about how we ‘invest’ our money in this state. Idealism never hurt anyone, when it is followed by a good plan. We need a strategic development plan that will grow our whole state and bold action by our state leaders to carry it through. A balanced approach; will we do it?

Main Street SDSU

2008-10-21T23:47:00.004-05:00

Main Street SDSU….(I thought they did education & research)
Posted by PP at the SDWC October 18, 2008

I’ve caught wind in recent weeks of something that SDSU president Dr. David Chicoine is starting to talk to people in the community about. Allegedly, or so I’ve been told, he has a vision to create “a main street of businesses” somewhere on the SDSU campus.

Read the rest of the article at the War College:
_________________________________________

I can understand Pat’s concern but a trip to campuses across the nation would show you in order to be competitive, you need to be willing to move along with the times. Amenities are important to student life and SDSU understands the value of public and private partnerships to achieve results.

The day has arrived where government can’t be everything to everyone. That’s why we (Brookings and SDSU) partner with the private sector to create opportunities mutually in an innovative manner. An idea like a ‘mainstreet of businesses’ will attract people, and you can’t educate and promote research without people. I remember the businesses close to campus years ago that Pat is referring to. What exists in their place today is a much better improvement. I am grateful we can count on visionaries in our community to continue to make things better – in the camaraderie of true collaboration – the way of getting things done for the future.

Access To Hunting Land On Rise On Rise…

2008-10-21T00:13:00.003-05:00

On Sunday the Sioux Falls Argus Leader ran this story about increased hunting access for public hunting in South Dakota. The premise of the article was public/private partnerships among the state and non-governmental organizations like Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited, as well as grassroots efforts but private citizens have given rise to this extraordinary use of South Dakota’s landscape. Hunting is a multi-million dollar industry in our state, with numbers growing each year on what both in-state and out-of-state residents spend on hunting and wildlife viewing each year.

Thanks to these partnerships and grassroots efforts, South Dakotans can now enjoy over 4 million acres of public hunting grounds. Currently, there is 1.2 million acres enrolled in South Dakota’s Walk-In Program through the Department of Game Fish and Parks… up substantially from a first-year enrollment in 1988 of 23,000. But recently with skyrocketing grain prices, farmers have taken land out of habitat preservation and put it back into production. Over 300,000 acres was lost in 2007, with several hundred thousand more on the docket for the next few years. This is important to the future of hunting in South Dakota because, “Basically our program (SD Walk-In Program) lives and dies with CRP,” as noted by senior wildlife biologist Bill Smith.

The federal Conservation Reserve Program is vital to long-term efforts to keep public hunting access, as well as the biodiversity of the South Dakota prairie intact. We should make every effort to encourage public/private partnerships, grassroots efforts, and financial compensation for preservation and/or usage of the state’s natural resources. These resources are imperative both to the state economy and our cultural heritage. Working together on these programs I believe there is no reason why this cannot be a win-win for our land hunting as the article suggests.

Our efforts should focus on the integration of usage… putting cattle on CRP land, possibly harvesting switchgrass and other biomass off the same land for use in making cellulosic ethanol, enrolling in the Walk-In Program. Integrating all these systems will allow our wildlife and natural habitat to stay intact, while farmers and ranchers earn income to support their families, and both in-state and out-of-state hunters can continue to use our beautiful South Dakota landscape to participate in traditional past times.

I agree with Rick Herrold, President of Pheasant Country LTD… “In order to hunt you need to have birds, and in order to have birds you need to have habitat.” Using this mentality, we should create a path in which we will all benefit from the natural resources of South Dakota.

Wow… We Really Can’t Put It Any Better Than That!

2008-10-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

I always enjoy reading the De Smet News… there is something about the character of that community that resembles the pioneering spirit. Economic Development Director, Bret Gardella, wrote and article titled:

"Working Together, We Can Make A Lot of Things Happen In De Smet."

He is absolutely correct. A community creates itself. It’s actually pretty simple! This is the attitude we must work to develop in every community across South Dakota.

Keep up the good work!

Al Neuharth: Small Town Had A Big Influence…

2008-10-16T00:00:00.005-05:00

Al Neuharth, journalist and founder of USA Today, was a guest of Eureka School and the featured speaker at the University of South Dakota career fair last week, sharing his thoughts and opinions with some of South Dakota’s brightest young minds. Among the topics of discussion were the U.S. presidential race, his favorite memories of growing up in Eureka, SD, and the most interesting people he has ever met. He also noted some of his advantages in life were due to the small town atmosphere and sense of community. From the Aberdeen American News…

What influence did Eureka and South Dakota have on you?

People from small towns like Eureka and elsewhere in middle America have an advantage over those from the coasts. And people at schools like Northern State University, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota are better off than those who go to Ivy-League schools.

“Because you know what people are like. And people in larger towns and at upper-echelon schools don’t. They have blinders on,” Neuharth said.

After reading this I was discussing what Neuharth had said via email with a friend of mine who is a retired Superintendent of schools. His email reply to me contained a comment regarding closure of small town schools, which I would like to share…

Someday the powers that be will realize that students need a sense of community in order to develop completely. Yet we continue down a road contrary to what is best…and then they wonder why kids don’t care much about learning.

This is exactly what we need to foster in South Dakota. Students here are among the best and brightest in the nation… our communities have the capability to provide a strong social fabric that cannot be replicated anywhere else… and the sense of community in South Dakota, the same sense of community that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about De Smet, can be engendered once again.

Instead of managing community decline simply because that’s what is happening, let’s put together a course of action that can help all of our communities, large and small, continue to grow and prosper. In doing so, we can grasp the opportunities we have today, in order to build an even better future for tomorrow. After all… isn’t opportunity for a better future something we wish to leave for our children?

Road Shortages Are A Symptom of A Deeper Issue...

2008-10-15T00:02:00.004-05:00

It is time for us in South Dakota to talk about innovation; except this time we need the conversation to focus on how we are going to solve our challenges. This transportation issue is only on the front burner today… but education and economic development for the new economy are also hanging in the balance.

How about a plan with strategy developed to grow our whole state? Maybe a fair tax system not based upon income and a more efficiently run system? Could local control/authority to solve these issues on a regional and local level be the answer?

Last year our legislators in the Brookings area introduced Senate Bill 183, better known as the Transportation District Bill. This bill allowed local communities to partner together and gave them taxing authority allowing them the ability to develop and pay for a long term strategic plan for transportation improvements within their district. It brings assurance to the local citizens for referral measures to be allowed and in essence brings the transportation funding issue to a close. I would love to hear what you think about SB 183.

This way of thinking may just be the avenue to a better future for South Dakota…

When Set Revenue Meets Increasing Costs…

2008-10-14T00:05:00.003-05:00

With the closing of the school funding lawsuit, and the commencement of committee meetings to study highway and transportation issues, we are left wondering about the future of education and transportation infrastructure in South Dakota.

In the Argus Leader on October 1st, Sanborn Central Superintendent, Lori Whitney, testified that in a few years, after the school has expended its savings trying to stay afloat, the school will be broke. Then it will no longer be a question of hiring teachers and buying laptops, it becomes a question of keeping the facility and the education system alive in the community.

Bob Mercer, in the Pierre Capital Journal, notes that highways in South Dakota face some serious challenges in the future. In his article on September 29th, he explains the highway funding system in South Dakota, and also why the State Highway Department will need an additional $128 million in operating funds to keep up annually. Is such an increase a possibility for South Dakota?

Many factors play into these issues, but I can see none more obvious than a set revenue stream colliding with operating cost increase (as illustrated by my rudimentary illustration above). In recent years, the energy costs for bussing students, heating and cooling facilities, lighting, road construction, fuel for machinery, etc. have shot through the roof across the United States. We have been able to shoulder the majority of this increase due to savings, subsidies, and tax credits. How long until those programs are no longer sufficient? As a result of these diverging streams, South Dakotans left in the middle are stretched and strained.

We need to actively work together to alleviate that stress. I believe we will need: a diverse and sustainable energy portfolio in South Dakota, an altering of our tax structure to keep the burden low but allow for increased revenue to be put to work by local governments, and an economic development plan specific for all regions of our state.

It will take some hard work and dedication, but those are not new concepts to South Dakotans.

What About K-12 Enrollment?

2008-10-13T00:10:00.007-05:00

I am certainly excited about increased enrollment in the South Dakota University system. The research and development done by these institutions will act as a lead factor in guiding South Dakota’s future. We have much to be excited about in this state. We have an influx of bio-fuel plants, the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory, possibly a new oil refinery, and increased graduate programs in science, math, engineering, and technology.

However, I came across this chart which depicts South Dakota’s falling K-12 enrollment, as noted by the article below from the Webster Reporter and Farmer. This should be of concern to us because the K-12 system drives higher education in our state. More facts from the Board of Regents website reveal that in-state students make up the vast majority of students going into higher education… while out-of-state students comprise about one-fourth (26.45% in 2007).

Looking at the chart we can see South Dakota lost approximately 10,000 K-12 students from 1997-2007, a short ten years, with only a slight increase from 2001-2002. This is a trend which we cannot let continue.

I interpret this graph as loss of schools and communities across South Dakota which punches holes in the economic, social, and educational fabric of our state.

While we celebrate the success of higher education in South Dakota, let’s continue to work for the schools and communities that are struggling to survive, because of they fail, the future will look bleak for higher education as well.

Cellulosic Energy…

2008-10-09T00:03:00.006-05:00

Corn-based ethanol is the bridge to reach cellulosic ethanol production. I think the recent move by Poet and the federal government will help narrow the gap in corn-based vs. cellulose-based energy. I think cellulosic is the way to go in the future... and it includes other benefits that accompany production.

A study done by the USDA and the University of Nebraska reveals that ethanol produced from switchgrass generates 540% more renewable energy than non-renewable energy consumed for production.

Cellulosic ethanol can also be produced from many things such as corn cobs, wheat straw, timber scraps, and citrus peels… as this article points out. This has the potential to incorporate many regions of South Dakota that are unable to grow corn.

Using switchgrass, as done in the USDA and UNL study, also provides a possible avenue for farmers and ranchers to harvest switchgrass on their fields which they have kept in the Conservation Reserve Program or other conservation trusts. This enables farmers and ranchers to benefit South Dakota’s wildlife habitat and hunting industry while generating income for their families. To my knowledge, studies on this particular mode of operation are still underway, and I look forward to the results.

One issue that concerns me about cellulosic ethanol, however, is extraction of nutrients from the soil when removing cornstalks, etc. Apparently, according to Poet, cellulosic fodder can be removed without diminishing soil nutrients. This is an important factor in the future of cellulosic ethanol in the future of South Dakota and look forward to learning more about this particular topic in the future.

Where Is All the Money Going?

2008-10-08T15:59:00.005-05:00

If the recent article: "State Raids Funds For Deaf," didn’t catch your eye as a fiscal conservative, then nothing will. A closer look at the last 7 years of state budgets will show you a pattern: a growing structural deficit and spending of not only general reserve funds but also department reserve funds. Before I took office in Brookings as a city council member back in 2001, I analyzed the previous 12 budgets. It is an interesting exercise, much like the spending you do in your own home, you can figure out the priorities and fiscal philosophy. What I noticed was our city spent the money at the same rate of pace as our sales tax revenue generated.

Upon taking office, the City of Brookings was faced with not only a recession and stagnant sales tax revenue, but also a major drop in revenue from our utilities transfer. We were faced with a decision: do you spend reserves or do you make the cuts you need to truly balance the budget. Fortunately we made the right decision and we cut our budget by nearly 10%. And then we did something huge – we set into policy to only grow government at the rate of the consumer price index. The result - budget surpluses and an enviable financial position of strength for our community.

It comes down to this for our state: we must make the decision to reign in our spending and regain a strong financial position, especially in light of the federal funding declines. And we must be willing to be innovative and creative in our approach.

Caring For An Aging Population...

2008-10-08T00:35:00.006-05:00

Nursing homes in South Dakota are currently doing a good job at providing for our elderly population. This is an area where we must continually work to keep up with the changing demographics in our state in order to continue to provide comprehensive services. Healthcare in South Dakota faces serious challenges. We are pressed for physicians in some of the more rural regions of our state and the growing gap between the youth and the elderly leaves many asking who is going to take care of our aging population?

In a recent study, Aging and Health in South Dakota: Who Will Provide Care, authors Diane K. Duin and De Vee E. Dykstra cite a passage from Our Aging Population by Ellen Lanser (2002): “As a result of demographic trends in our country, we face an insufficient supply of nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, physicians, to name a few… the senior population uses healthcare services at a much higher level than the rest of the population.”

We realize, from recent articles in newspapers across the state, that South Dakota faces shortages in the healthcare industry, especially in rural regions of the state. If the other states across the country will be competing for these professionals in the future… how will South Dakota fare? How will we entice students and professionals to our state? The answer lies in our ability to realize these challenges and act on them.

The changing demographics of our workforce in South Dakota indicate we should seriously consider these challenges while we are able to directly do something about them. As Duin and Dykstra point out from the Report of Nursing Workforce Supply in South Dakota, the number of RNs and LPNs in our state has declined. They also delve into education for future RNs and LPNs, pointing out that students entering these professions in South Dakota schools have decreased in recent years. The study reveals how magnet counties play a role in the unequal distribution of healthcare professionals in South Dakota… very similar to many other economic and professional shortages we are facing.

How long will it take before we as a citizenry and as a state act on these issues? To better this situation for the future we must look after the well being of the entire state, we must work progressively to provide opportunities and education to our youth, and above all we must look to the well being of our communities, as they are the backbone of the economic fabric in South Dakota.

South Dakota Energy Potential

2008-10-07T09:58:00.004-05:00

South Dakota is poised to become a leader in energy development, both renewable and fossil fuel based. We can all appreciate the imperative task of reducing fossil fuel consumption and at the same time realize we cannot make the leap to zero in one attempt.

Looking ahead optimistically, Tom Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, stated, “South Dakota has tremendous opportunity to create clean energy on its farms and ranchers that is good for the environment.” These types of opportunities will help create financial incentive for our farmers, in lieu of conversion of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land into crop production.

South Dakota has already lost 300,000 acres of CRP last year, with the possibility of a few hundred thousand more in coming years. This is important because South Dakota’s Pheasant hunting industry, which relies heavily on CRP land, generated $219 million last year. Also to note from the article, a study by the University of Minnesota and the Nature Conservancy concluded that converting CRP to crop production increases carbon dioxide emissions.

These issues are often complicated, yet we must keep our eyes on the future of what is best for our state, our families, and our communities. In implementing policies and ideas, we must ensure they are both sustainable in their approach and economically beneficial for South Dakota. And that means we must have a sustainable plan for the future; one that balances the social fabric, economy and environment – strategically.

Let’s Create Opportunity Through Education…

2008-10-07T08:34:00.006-05:00

Representative Hills has it right in a recent article from the Argus Leader titled: "Opportunity Knocks For State Program." He states,

“We have to consider education as economic development.” Art Rolnick, Senior VP for the Federal Reserve in Minneapolis also opined at a conference on poverty in Aberdeen, "Education is an imperative form of economic development... especially in a knowledge economy." I completely agree with these statements. In a knowledge economy, the most important tool people have to succeed is right between their ears. Education plays a very important role in development of our intellectual capacity and our ability to create.

South Dakota needs to re-consider what economic development actually is. Often we get caught up in the model of “job transfer,” where chain businesses are brought in that put a variety of local shops and stores out of business. Jobs are not created this way… they are transferred. The revenue of those businesses is also transferred out of our state, whereas the revenue from the local shops stays and turns over in the community. I don’t know about any of you… but I would prefer to keep my money in my community.

Representative Hills also notes that development of South Dakota’s educational system can help spur the growth of scientists and entrepreneurs in this state. Why Not? I am optimistic about the ability of our students. Let's not settle for transfer of opportunity in South Dakota... let's create it!

Yes… Coordination Is the Key to the Future…

2008-09-25T08:39:00.005-05:00

As a strong advocate for partnerships in just about every sector: business-education, environment-economy, environment-energy, and so on; I believe the article by Bob Mercer in the Aberdeen American News of September 20th hit the mark. He focused on his perspectives for the future of education in South Dakota… which coincidentally, hold coordination as the goal to be attained for the future of education in our state.

Partnership, or as Mercer puts it – coordination, is the key component and the critical action step for the future of education. In South Dakota, we are blessed with a low tax burden; however, this also means we have limited financial resources in our state government. We need an alternative strategy to solve this statewide crisis: Collaboration for a common purpose. We all agree a good education is necessary for our children as well as the future of our state. Education is economic development.

So what can be done?

We as South Dakotans must begin to recognize we are in a new era, a new economy. This new economy is based on knowledge. To compete with the rest of the world we need to reinvent our education or ‘knowledge system’. Our knowledge system redefined and on purpose must be delivered effectively to our people. Our people, in a return on this investment, take their ideas and their creativity and they pioneer new developments, commercialize new products and services and they project our state economy into a new frontier.

Our young minds are the greatest asset in our state. Based on the trend of rural community decline and school consolidations, one would have to admit we have not placed our investment in our greatest asset. Are we ok with this? Can this trend continue forever?

Our common purpose as South Dakotans should be for a better tomorrow. We should recognize potential issues and minimize their impacts. In the case of education, there is only so much financial support available from the state. Collaboration and coordination are vital efforts that will dictate where we stand as a state decades from now. And the standard of living as well as the quality of life in our state will be directly dependent upon our success at capturing the wealth of the new economy.

I am optimistic about our future because South Dakotans work hard and are excellent problem solvers… both excellent characteristics of the old pioneering spirit. But as Mr. Mercer alludes to in his column, our leadership in the Governor’s office over the next several years will make or break this attempt. It will take bold and visionary leadership to not only bring people together but to also get things done.