West River tourist traps struggling to find white workers

"They treat us like dogs."

One of Betty Olson's Facebook friends is lamenting that half of Huron's residents are in the United States illegally. Recall that in 2012 in the park named after a war criminal, a Custer State Park resort was fined for abusing workers in the US under the H-2B immigrant worker program. Krull's Market in Hill City has had one H-2B worker this summer instead of the four they requested.

At the peak season at Mt. Rushmore, Xanterra needs 255 employees. Xanterra manages the retail space, cafeteria, parking lot and is also in charge of cars entering the facility at Mt. Rushmore. There are around 120-140 people hired at Mt. Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch for the season. A quarter of those workers are foreign help, a quarter is work campers and the other half is local students or other locals. [Challenges with finding employees cause employers to advertise often]

As Region 8 Administrator for the Small Business Administration Matt Varilek did far more for South Dakota than Kristi Noem has.

U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., said her brothers used the H-2A program to bring in workers during planting and harvest season. Lately, farmers - particularly those using the H-2A program - have been a target of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [Sioux Falls Argus Leader]

What’s not to like about six month winters, rampant racism, chilling effects on civil rights and an extremist legislature?

South Dakota is graying fast and nursing beds represent economic development. The Janklow-owned Riverside Manor in Flandreau is overwhelmingly staffed by Filipinos and Filipinas as are most facilities for the elderly in South Dakota.

Any registered nurse with half a brain will leave for Minnesota, Colorado or the Southwest the instant they graduate so the work force in South Dakota will just get stupider and more Republican.

Here's one more consequence of failed GOP leadership in Pierre: SD is the state with the worst student debt burden in the country. Just one more reason to vote for Democrats this fall who will work to make college and technical education more affordable! https://t.co/S20JqWHs1H

— SD Democratic Party (@SoDakDems) August 1, 2018

South Dakota relies heavily on H-2B workers for tourism, any change there? Why don't they pay enough for SD workers to fill those jobs? https://t.co/UbX5QkGxxi

— copper dog (@copperdogsd1) April 19, 2017

@martyjackley We need your help to get the Dept of Homeland Security to act at once to raise the H-2B cap to the maximum level allowed by the new Omnibus bill! The tourism industry in South Dakota is in serious trouble without H-2B Cap Relief Now. Please #SaveH2B

— Mark Aftanski CB (@ChrisbroCOO) March 26, 2018