Sioux Falls Argus Leader paints unflattering picture of Kristi Noem

Rep. Kristi Noem (earth hater-SD) is in trouble:

In many ways, Noem has brought this problem upon herself. She’s part of the group of House Republicans who in September refused to fund the federal government unless the Democrats agreed either to defund or to delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Now that Noem appears to see the benefits of federal spending for ranchers when they are suffering, perhaps she’ll change her vote on the farm bill and allow federal spending for the safety net that provides needed food assistance to millions of low-income Americans when they’re suffering.[Joanne Weiner, Washington Post]

Noem is on the conference committee for the food/farm bill languishing in the religionist and oligarch-owned US House.

Post-Rehab Trey Radel Still Wants Drug Testing for Food Stamp Recipients and Legislators http://t.co/34LyZV8JAP via @TheWire
— interested party (@larry_kurtz) January 2, 2014

Through November, approximately 45,000 households a month have received assistance in 2013 through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in South Dakota. In November alone, approximately $12.4 million in federal funds was awarded to 101,403 individuals throughout the state. In the region, South Dakota is behind Montana and Iowa in terms of the percentage of the state’s population that received SNAP benefits in August 2013. About 13.7 percent of Iowans received SNAP benefits. Montana had 12.4 percent of its population receive food stamps while South Dakota had 12.3 percent. In total, more than $165 million in federal funds was allocated to households throughout South Dakota in 2012. As of November, nearly $150 million in federal funds has been allocated in 2013. [Joel Ebert, Pierre Capital Journal]

The US Department of Agriculture has permanently eased restrictions on the National School Lunch Program:

Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., applauded the department for making “much-needed administrative changes that will give our school districts the permanent flexibility they need to keep our kids healthy and successful.” He said in a statement that the original guidelines were too strict. [Aarian Marshall, Agri-Pulse]

The Rapid City Journal is reporting that Canadian Pacific intends to liquidate portions of its rail holdings:

The deal includes 660 miles of rail between Tracy, Minn., and Rapid City, north of Rapid City to Colony, Wyo., and south of Rapid City to Dakota Junction, Neb. Also included are connecting branch lines and track from Dakota Junction to Crawford, Neb., currently leased to the Nebraska Northwestern Railroad. [AP, CP selling DM&E west end to Genesse & Wyoming, RCJ]

The announcement comes after a recent CP derailment north of Rapid City. Stock in CP lost 1.4% today.

EPC Recommends Albuquerque Rail Yard Master Plan for City Approval - PRunderground http://t.co/vQIWN7lN18
— Urban Design news (@UrbanDesignnews) January 3, 2014

Mike Rounds wants to end civil rights for women. A member of the Church of the Holy Roman Kiddie Diddlers, Rounds believes that most of the church's sacraments only apply to men. The retirement of a Jewish state senator, Stan Adelstein has put Rounds in a difficult box:

Regardless of whether he was liked or loathed, Rounds isn’t sure that South Dakota politics has seen the last of Adelstein. [Jonathan Ellis, Sioux Falls Argus Leader]

Rounds repeatedly violated the civil rights of American Indian families by selling their children to white foster homes, including one occupied by Rounds friend, Ted Klaudt, a GOP legislator who raped two girls.

Under Republican governors Rounds and Dennis Daugaard, South Dakota has become an increasingly dangerous place especially to raise children:

A recently released FBI crime report shows violent crime in South Dakota rose 96 percent between 2005 and 2012. State statistics put that figure at 44 percent. Krista Heeren-Graber, executive director of the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, agreed that prevention can be difficult, especially with “limited” funding for prevention programs and crisis servicing. The number of meth labs and arrests also has been growing at an alarmingly high rate, authorities say. [Mark Walker, Sioux Falls Argus Leader]

Hardly surprisingly, South Dakota is being led into the dustbin of history by Republicans:

The crime rate has increased in only five states since 2007, the FBI said. The situation is getting worse in New Hampshire, where the rate is up 17 points in the last five years, and South Dakota, where crime is up 20 points over the same period. [Reid Wilson, Washington Post]

Brian Rounds is the son of former earth hater Governor Mike Rounds.

The junior Rounds' plan accepted by the South Dakota's Public Utilities Commission, where he is an analyst, forcing NorthWestern Energy to buy power from a local wind farm, where the elder Rounds sits on the board, did not immediately feel like a conflict of interest to Argus Leader reporter, David Montgomery in response to a question submitted at a 100 Eyes webcast.

Jamie Rounds was appointed to lead economic development by his brother, former governor Mike Rounds, one of many moves that the Sioux Falls Argus Leader called, "ethically confused:"

From the Wikipedia entry:

During the 2006 legislative session, Governor Rounds signed House Bill 1233, entitled “An Act to provide for the establishment and operation of artisan distillers and to revise certain provisions concerning farm wineries.”[6] This bill, proposed by Jamison Rounds (another of Gov. Rounds' brothers), changed state law to allow for operation of small-scale (50,000 gallons/year/facility) liquor distilleries in the state.[7] At the time, Jamison Rounds testified before the legislature and explained that he was advocating the change so that he could open a distillery in the state.[8] The bill passed the state house 60-5 and the state senate 33-2; among those voting in favor was another Rounds brother, Representative Tim Rounds.

I attended SDSU with Randy Brich, in fact: we have shared bongs on more occasions than can be recalled.

Gov. Mike Rounds says there's nothing improper about his sister and brother-in-law working as consultants for a company seeking state permits to mine uranium in the southern Black Hills. Rounds said he knows little about the work his sister, Michele, and her husband, Randy Brich, do for Powertech Uranium Corp., through their consulting company, Diamond B Communications of Pierre. During an interview on the issue this week, Rounds had to ask to have the Diamond B name repeated when it was first mentioned.--Kevin Woster, Rapid City Journal.