This post may seem a bit "Janklowvian" because it has too much in common with kicking somebody when they are down. That behavior was one of the less attractive features of Janklow in government and politics. Even though I have sympathy for Bill Janklow and his family in this terrible situation, I do not think it is a reason or excuse for rewriting history. In any case, the poisonous political environment in South Dakota is at least partly the result of Janklow and cohorts viewing political and partisan competition as justifying only the rules that characterize bayonet warfare. I am sure that Janklow supporters will expect courtesy to Janklow that he himself never offered his political "enemies" and victims.
The Janklow apologists are on TV already. Janklow former staff member Dave Knutson rambled on a bit with a general statement about all Janklow did for the common people of South Dakota. I guess I was a common person who missed that. Seemed to me Janklow always had some special interest in mind, banks, fossil fuel industry, prison industry, Mexican cement company, etc. I do remember farm loan interest rates jumping from around 4% to something like 23% almost overnight. I never did figure out how that helped me.
Jokers around here claim that if Janklow could have gotten the US Government to transfer the Badlands, or Mt. Rushmore to South Dakota, Janklow would have sold them to the friendiest bidder (foreign or otherwise).
Politicos who may retain hopes of political advancement are saying nice things about Janklow or at least only slightly damning him with faint or hedged praise. We can expect that, but should not assume that reflects reality. As a very astute long-time observer of Janklow said here today, "We should not confuse real progress with frenetic activity that bulldozes people and politics."
He was also adept at demonizing common people. He blamed juvenile delinquency on School administrators and mothers. He enabled a system that punished minor juvenile offenses with military discipline…and which ultimately killed a girl. Then Janklow in his typical fashion, took no responsibility for it blaming it all on “rogue employees”. Then he killed the school and the employee jobs. Of course, then all those judges who were hot to dump kids into the equivalent of prison camps suddenly could again find other options.
When I called SDPB-Radio noon forum, and suggested to Janklow that his getting credit card businesses into South Dakota was not all benefit, that removing usury laws cost farmers millions and probably bankrupted hundreds. Janklow's response, "It is guys like Doug in Winner who prevent South Dakota from progressing economically." Up until then, I was unaware that I had more power to cause damage than a 4-term Republican governor.
I have heard Janklow claiming something to the effect he left high school a juvenile bully and got into the US Marines. He claimed he came out a changed man. It always seemed to me he went in as a bully and came out as a bully who knew how to spit-shin shoes and boots. I have heard too many state employees claiming that all they did when Janklow was governor was to keep their heads down and not do anything beyond the minimum. Sticking your head up was to make it a target of the Janklow hammer. Even idle talk in a cafe or bar was handled as if Pierre and Ft. Pierre were in the Soviet Union during the worst of the Stalin years. Others have claimed Janklow called them in the middle of the night after they criticized South Dakota Government or behavior and were told he wanted their resignations immediately, or "Nobody with your family name will ever work in the state of South Dakota again."
Those stories may have been exaggerated or even false even if I heard too many of them. But, the current influentials trying to make Janklow into an angel seem a bit beyond logic, reality and history. But then, my recollection may also be faulty.
In any case, neither Janklow nor anybody else deserves brain cancer and again, I wish him the best in his terrible situation. Maybe now the Republican establishment will consider the need for good medical insurance coverage for all those common South Dakotans Knutson claimed Janklow policies helped. Incidentally, one of those policy ideas was to add sales tax on medical care.
Sen. Tim Johnson who benefited greatly from his nearly free government medical coverage, could also get more vigorously behind expanding affordable medical insurance.
*** Stay tuned even if your Politically Correct yearnings are hurting-- Doug Wiken
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