Too many times in the past years, the first blossoms of spring have ended up barely sticking out of snow or frosted with ice. Same seems to have been true for Pamida..now Shopko..getting in a bunch of cold-sensitive plants. I am hoping that the tulips in the photo below are true harbingers of nice spring weather and not omens of wet cold blizzard.
Very nice day in Winner, SD today. Not much wind and 66F degrees or so. Reliance weather radio is predicting rain and possible thunderstorms coming soon however. In any case, grass is growing and will soon have to be mowed.
It is a Sunday and sabbath gas bags are in full wind mode of course. Mostly what I am hearing is dispair over Trump and Trump Administration demonstrating dangerous ignorance and bravado in foreign affairs and promotion of truly idiotic economic policy which if enacted will greatly harm the very people who most strongly supported Trump in the last election. But, nothing much new in that. Some awareness from Democrats that they truly fowled up the last election....which has been obvious to many of us in the boondocks for months. Those on the coasts and flying the friendly skies have been a bit slower or more reluctant in that direction.
*** Stay tuned for whichever way the wind blows and how fast and how hot or cold---- Doug Wiken
This morning visibility was not good. Fog blanketed the area and apparently it was over enough of SD that transportation was interrupted. Some specialists did not make it into local hospital today. For some of the patients wuo made it to town, the video system apparently worked. I don't know any details at all about that, but weather was a factor for sure.
This evening, the setting sun is fiery red and haze is evident even if Wiley Field weather shows clear skies.
Meanwhile in the "news", The HARPERS magazine that came today has a couple pages of type analyzing if Trump is really a populist. The writer concludes that he is not even if he appeared to campaign as one. That what we really have with the Trump administration is plutocracy. Those who thought they were "forgotten" when they voted for Trump should already know that this Trump administration could care less about them and has not only failed to remember them, but also has forgotten everybody who isn't already obscenely rich and influential.
If we and the forgotten don't get a strong message to our congress critters, healthcare is threatened, education is threatened, world peace is threatened, and the economy will go bust, etc.
John Dean of the Nixon administration and Watergate testimony days, was on Charlie Rose a night or two ago. He said that Nixon and Trump share arrogance. Trump and Nixon differed in presenting it. Nixon was basically shy. Trump is not. Nixon did not make his arrogance grossly public, but it was apparent to his co-workers. Nixon was well informed and experienced. Trump flaunts his arrogance and ignorance. Dean and others have noted that Nixon could look you in the eye and lie and lie. Trump has been described by lawyers getting depositions from him as a liar..and a thief, a bully, and a crook. His business dealings reek of arrogance, deceptioon and dishonesty. Dean noted that Nixon's tendency to lie and not even regard it as a problem seems to be shared with Trump. Nixon's arrogance and too skillful lying got him and the country into serious trouble. Dean hopes that Trump will get his act cleaned up or the United States is in for another mess of trouble. And if we don't see Trump's income tax records, we will not know who he is actually representing. Congress is very remiss in not demanding those records immediately considering what appears to be a Russian connection to his election and administration members.
Trump is disgusting, but even more disgusting are the GOP) congress critters and voters who would criticize Obama and Clinton if they stepped on a sidewalk crack but are blindly supporting the Trump Administration as it stumbles from one lie and deception to another often with both BS-smeared feet in their mouths.. Their hypocrisy and willing blindness and deafness to problems, lies, and deception is even more disturbing in many ways than is Trump himself. By now they should know what he is and why he and his policies can be very dangerous both to the country and to the very Republicans supporting him as well.
*** Stay tuned for more "weather reports" on smoke and mirrors-- Doug Wiken
I watched Jason Miller ?? verbally dance around facts and opinion and dodge questions with typical Trump boilerplate bullshit today. I frankly don't remember if it was ABC-TV or CBS-TV.
One of his claims was that Trump had accomplished more in 3 weeks than most presidents do in a year. That is the alternate factoid. Something closer to the awkward fact and awkward truth is that Trump arrogance and ignorance has generated more serious errors and bungles in 3 weeks that 3 other Presidents did in 3 terms.
Trump seems insane in his failing to distinguish his own BS from reality. His spokesliars aid and abet his lies and distortions acting as if Trump is somehow normal. I know nobody else who is so completely separated from reality as is Trump..that is from the lowliest manual laborer to the best professors.
Repel and Replace the GOP Congress Critters who are complicit with Trump's smoke and mirrors incompetence, lies and deception, and political nightmares.
** Stay tuned even if politics has become almost too dreadful to view. Remember, Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.--- Doug Wiken
Bernie Sanders has a message for all his faithful supporters and those like myself who would have much preferred him to Hillary as the Democratic Presidential candidate. His letter also indicates the relative delegate counts of Hillary and himself. I did not hear or see those totals in the convention coverage on TV. The letter is below. Worth reading as a relatively short but good summary and explanation. We Democrats need to do our best to hold Hillary to Sanders positions. Trump is making his appeal on ending the SOS. Hillary will not get elected if she pushes the same old same old crap.
Bernie Sanders Letter to LA TIMES
[ The LA Times published a beautifully written opinion article by former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. He felt the need to explain to his millions of loyal fans that letting Donald Trump win the Presidency was just not an option. Below is the Bernie Sanders letter.]
The conventions are over and the general election has officially begun. In the primaries, I received 1,846 pledged delegates, 46% of the total. Hillary Clinton received 2,205 pledged delegates, 54%. She received 602 superdelegates. I received 48 superdelegates. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee and I will vigorously support her.
Donald Trump would be a disaster and an embarrassment for our country if he were elected president. His campaign is not based on anything of substance — improving the economy, our education system, healthcare or the environment. It is based on bigotry. He is attempting to win this election by fomenting hatred against Mexicans and Muslims. He has crudely insulted women. And as a leader of the “birther movement,” he tried to undermine the legitimacy of our first African American president. That is not just my point of view. That’s the perspective of a number of conservative Republicans.
In these difficult times, we need a president who will bring our nation together, not someone who will divide us by race or religion, not someone who lacks an understanding of what our Constitution is about.
On virtually every major issue facing this country and the needs of working families, Clinton’s positions are far superior to Trump’s. Our campaigns worked together to produce the most progressive platform in the history of American politics. Trump’s campaign wrote one of the most reactionary documents.
Clinton understands that Citizens United has undermined our democracy. She will nominate justices who are prepared to overturn that Supreme Court decision, which made it possible for billionaires to buy elections. Her court appointees also would protect a woman’s right to choose, workers’ rights, the rights of the LGBT community, the needs of minorities and immigrants and the government’s ability to protect the environment.
Trump, on the other hand, has made it clear that his Supreme Court appointees would preserve the court’s right-wing majority.
Clinton understands that in a competitive global economy we need the best-educated workforce in the world. She and I worked together on a proposal that will revolutionize higher education in America. It will guarantee that the children of any family in this country with an annual income of $125,000 a year or less – 83% of our population – will be able to go to a public college or university tuition free. This proposal also substantially reduces student debt.
Trump, on the other hand, has barely said a word about higher education.
Clinton understands that at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, it is absurd to provide huge tax breaks to the very rich.
Trump, on the other hand, wants billionaire families like his to enjoy hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax breaks.
Clinton understands that climate change is real, is caused by human activity and is one of the great environmental crises facing our planet. She knows that we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move aggressively to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.
Trump, on the other hand, like most Republicans, rejects science and the conclusions of almost all major researchers in the field. He believes that climate change is a “hoax,” and that there’s no need to address it.
Clinton understands that this country must move toward universal healthcare. She wants to see that all Americans have the right to choose a public option in their healthcare exchange, that anyone 55 or older should be able to opt in to Medicare, and that we must greatly improve primary healthcare through a major expansion of community health centers. She also wants to lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs.
And what is Donald Trump’s position on healthcare? He wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act, throw 20 million people off the health insurance they currently have and cut Medicaid for lower-income Americans.
During the primaries, my supporters and I began a political revolution to transform America. That revolution continues as Hillary Clinton seeks the White House. It will continue after the election. It will continue until we create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent – a government based on the principle of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.
I understand that many of my supporters are disappointed by the final results of the nominating process, but being despondent and inactive is not going to improve anything. Going forward and continuing the struggle is what matters. And, in that struggle, the most immediate task we face is to defeat Donald Trump.
*** Stay tuned and try to combine idealism with realism.--- Doug Wiken
I think Bill Clinton could sell ice cubes to freezing Eskimos. He is a combination car salesman, insurance salesman, preacher, and master of political processes, image making, and pro at easy BS. He is literally fun to listen to and watch compared to most politicians. He exudes warmth and just a wee bit of self-deprecation. In short, he did one heck of a job selling his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton as a capable candidate for the presidency.
And, I guess he might have some idea of what a good capable President must be and must not be. He also knows his wife as someone who wants to make things better and "get 'er done" as soon as possible. I am sure that both Clinton and Obama could say the sun would rise in the east tomorrow and hardcore GOP retrogrades would vehemently disagree and find another rock to crawl under, but perhaps I don't see many of the faults of the Clintons, Sanders, and the Democratic conventions. But, whatever, Clinton is more fun and more informative in fewer easy words than most of the presidents who preceded him or followed him. Below is a screen photo from SDPB-TV taken last night. As Clinton said, for him, giving speeches is fun, but being President is real complicated and critical work. Click image for slightly larger view. Bill Clinton painted a good picture of his wife's abilities as shown by what she got done prior to their marriage and after. Many of these accomplishments were some I had never heard and also some I had forgotten. I was not particularly impressed with her selling of a Clinton Health plan early in his administration however. But, she has done many things as both a private citizen and public servant and also as a mother and perhaps overly tolerant wife. I am going to quit hammering on this and go watch and record more of the Democratic Convention humbug. celebration, and more important programs and processes. So far, it has been a welcome event compared to the dark and grossly negative GOP convention.
I still would prefer Bernie Sanders to Hillary, but Hillary is what we have and she is a marked contrast to Donald J. Trump.
I do have a few words of advice to the Democratic candidates, speakers and convention delegates. Don't even mention Trump's name. Use something like "The GOP candidate". Make it as hard as possible for him to make his vicious kind of return attacks and name-calling even as the knife in his campaign humbug is stuck in and twisted. Also, no matter what Republicans say and media talkers say and apparently think, Trump's main appeal is his "Close the Border" kind of talk. People will listen to that and ignore the ludicrous economic propaganda. Many people including Hispanics who got here legally and speak English and function in legitimate business or work are not thrilled with millions of other Hispanics and illegal aliens coming across the border and loading the local and state systems with otherwise unnecessary costs and expense as well as making it harder for them to get and keep work themselves. Many people including lots of Democrats are appalled at our open borders and unfortunately indiscriminate immigration system. Allowing lots of illegal aliens to enter easily also allows lots of threats to society, life and limb, economy, and political system to also get in here. Ignoring this and spewing more of the pro-diversity clap trap which ignores costs will turn the election over to Trump no matter how well-qualified and able is Hillary Clinton.
*** Stay tuned even if your tolerance for any political convention is only about 15 minutes at the most--- Doug Wiken
The SD legislature is in session again. Out of Pierre comes a blizzard of sense and nonsense...unfortunately more of the latter. Taxes bring out all the social tribal thinking and both right and left political correctness.
Most likely what I write below will be studiously ignored in the spirit of intentional ignorance that is part of social tribalism, but anyway.
First, too many years ago, I worked with SD:ASAP which was the highway alcohol safety project. At that time I used data from an insurance database if my memory is correct on the social costs of alcohol-related highway crash fatalities, injuries, etc. Then I dug out all tax revenues that I could determine were collected by state and local governments. Those revenues did not even cover one-third of the social costs. I doubt the ratio is even that good now even if alcohol-related highway crash fatalities have been reduced. Now, SD counties are finally figuring out that in addition to the social costs, there are court, prosecution, treatment, etc. etc. that cost counties $millions. So, counties want a share of the existing alcohol taxes. A better option is to double the taxes on alcohol and put THAT extra revenue into the counties and city governments that bear the primary and completely unnecessary costs due to alcohol sales and consumption.
Next, let us look at roads and bridges and the idea of wheel taxes, special taxes on electric cars, increased license and registration fees for cars and pickups, etc. These taxes are plenty high already for light weight vehicles. Where the taxes are woefully too low in that on heavy vehicles on the highways. Highway engineers and others have told me that a loaded semi-tractor and trailer do about 15,000 times as much highway damage per mile of travel as do light cars and trucks. People who apparently are not aware of this think that nothing could be fairer than wheel taxes and license fees on cars. This is logical and tax nonsense. We don't need heavier, better bridges because 2000 to 4000 pound vehicles cross them, we need them because of the trucks and buses moving many tons of load in addition to their own weight which greatly exceeds that of cars. Before another nickel should be mulcted out of the owners of small vehicles, the revenues from heavy trucks should be greatly increased.
And now to education and funding... The so-called Governor's Blue Ribbon commission on education missed several very salient facts and data bits or grossly underplayed them in their desire to get taxes increased for education. First of these facts are the huge unnecessary fund reserves most schools have languishing in bank accounts instead of paying teachers or otherwise improving actual education A recent Bob Mercer article about Gov. Daugaard's concerns noted that there was something in the area of $425 million in general funds and asset funds sitting as reserves in school accounts. . That is just in two of the school accounts South Dakota schools also have $144 million sitting in federal impact funds. The feds have dumped $155 million into SD schools in the last three years. Only about $13 million of that has done anything for South Dakota K-12 education. There are other funds, but I don't now have all that data, but have been told that the total is actually over $600 million. In short, we do not need a new tax for schools.
What do we need to improve K-12 education? Get school boards and administrators off their monument building project hobby horses and use the money to actually educate students. There is enough money sitting in South Dakota banks holding school funds to increase teacher pay for a few years. And, if controls are not put on property tax collections, those reserve funds will continue to increase.
In the way of controls that do nothing is one mentioned in Bob Mercer's article as being presented by Gov. Daugaard. That is limiting capital asset funds to $2850 per student. There are nearly 130,000 K-12 students in South Dakota. Multiply those two numbers and we get something like $370 Million. That amount is more than is now held in those overloaded accounts. This "limitation" is political theater or smoke and mirrors.
The Bob Mercer article also implicitly indicated that all the tinkering with school accounts and previous "caps" is part of past and current mess with school funding and accounts. The accounting system and structure needs to be changed before any more increases, decreases, or whatever. The accounts need to consider cash balances month by month in a more business-like manner. The Capital Assets account should become a Capital Maintenance account to show fuel, power, maintence, care costs. A separate Capital Acquisition account should be the only account that can hold or disburse funds for building or acquiring new assets. Tax revenue can only be collected and assigned to this account if district voters have voted prior approval for a new project of a specific estimated cost and need.
I am sure accountants can come up with much better ideas for adding teeth and transparency to education taxation and funding than I can. Legislators need to take note of failures of the current system and decide to clean up that mess before they dump a single dime more into K-12 education. In any case, the grotesquely large reserves mean that NO SALES TAX INCREASE is necessary no matter how Gov. Daugaard spins the issue or the Blue Ribbon commission story. Even if there would be no increase, there is so much slop in education that multiple approaches other than a tax increase should come first.
And, while discussing the unnecessary sales tax increase, let us note a bit of deception that has been used every time there has been a push for a sales tax increase or broadening. The argument intentionally mixes the tax rate with the tax increase. The rate increase may be "only 1/2 percent", but the actual tax increase is 12.5% . The Democrats are pushing for even more. A so-called "1% increase" is the rate increase. The actual tax increase would be 25%. You can dig up the information in state data, but do not be deceived, either of these is an unneeded tax increase and selling it as a one or two percent increase is just plan deceptive. Either of these poorly thought-out increases is completely unnecessary until school reserve funds are first used and in the meantime, real caps or limits on property tax increases are put into place.
And to add a little more something else to this, Mexico has found that higher taxes on soda pop reduces obesity and diabetes. If any other tax should be increased, it is that tax on soft drinks. Soft sweet drinks, whether sweetened artificially or "naturally" are all actually hard on your health and add a truckload of unnecessary social and medical costs as a consequence. If any sales tax should be increased, it should be the sales tax on soft drinks. Other ideas for increasing it are specious.
***Stay tuned and ignore the social tribal political correctness nonsense--- Doug Wiken
Just what we need is another acronym, but I woke up a few mornings ago thinking about the need for an organization with more innovative ideas about society and economy. The name for such might be "Economic Fairness is Essential" or EFIE.
One idea to consider is indexing salaries of SD Governor, college presidents, legislators,etc. on some fixed multiple of the minimum wage. Fixed so that the only way these currently overpaid in relation to their work can only get more increases by increasing the minimum wage.
Surely others can come up with ideas which might be more logical or more likely to gain political support in the fight for economic fairness.
*** Stay tuned and think about your own ideas for EFIE--- Doug Wiken
I have caught a lot of flack for not being sympathetic with special pleas for special pre-election voting facilities in sparsely populated areas when a 49 cent letter can get you a ballot by mail and another 49 cents or so can return the ballot.
I voted today and while at the auditor's office asked how many mail requests for ballots they had received. Tripp and Todd counties together are not a lot of voters. She said so far only 50 such requests and few of those requests came from Todd County. On that small number, it would cost the county less than $100 to pre-pay the return postage.
I mentioned this idea to a friend and he suggested a much better idea. The US Post Office should provide free mailing for requesting ballots and for returning ballots. With all the subsidies for things less important to democracy than voting, this would be a powerful indication that our government values voters and voting. Even if the US Post Office claims they can't afford this, it would be appropriate for our US Senators, US Representatives, and our US President to provide funding to the Post Office for handling ballots by mail. For some homebound people with minimum income, this might be the difference between voting and not voting.
This would be a relatively inexpensive but meaningful policy. If you agree, let your candidates and Congress Critters know about it.
A comment at Madville Times suggested getting organizations involved. These might find this idea worthwhile.
And, both the Democratic and Republican Parties should support an idea like this, but we best not hold our breaths waiting for common sense from current Congress Critters and their parties.
*** Stay tuned, maybe somebody else with come up with other interesting ideas-- Doug Wiken
A couple hours ago, KELO gave Larry Pressler, Rick Weiland, Gordon Howie, and Mike Rounds a chance to push their ideas and campaigns for election to the US Senate.
I think Gordon Howie is the best communicator of the bunch. Unfortunately, mixed in with a couple half good ideas are some of the TEA party lunacy and mythology that makes his well-communicated message also the worst of the bunch. However when he was attacking Mike Rounds, he stuck the knife in and gutted poor Mikey. Rounds failed to answer any of Howie's tough, but pertinent questions and comments on Mike's nonsense retrograde GOP irrelevant, incorrect talking points against Obama and for the XL Pipeline.
Pressler was busily defending his old reputation and bragging up his seniority. He did effectively criticise the XL pipeline as a pollution threat designed to "move oil to Louisiana". Pressler did OK only. Nothing terrible or nothing great.
Mike Rounds talks fast spewing his tired support for the XL pipeline as a huge jobs creator and way to reduce US fuel prices. Both claims are just plain lies and Rounds knows it. Rounds is all about ending "Obamacare" and you guessed it, replacing it with something pushed by insurance company executives making tens of millions per year off their policy holders. Rounds refuses to meaningfully discuss the problems with EB-5, the Benda suicide, the state money he dumped into his own companies, etc. etc.
Rick Weiland did better than he has in the past, but he needs to get more into the 1, 2, 3 points that can be remembered and hammered quickly. I suspect that Rick Weiland will be the primary beneficiary of the KELO-LAND debate if it wasn't kind of a 4-way draw. Of course, YMMV.
[[Note: This morning, KELO had their take on the debate story: KELOLAND--Senate Debate. As usual, Cory Heidelberger has some interesting perspectives on the debate at Madville Times. Link in list to left.]]]]
***Stay tuned and look for a video of the KELO debate if you missed it. Probably no more face-to-face debates between these candidates before the election--- Doug Wiken
Residents of South Dakota. Check your broadband speed with the SD Speedtest. Your test will both let you know how speedy is your ISP and also help get us better service in South Dakota.
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