On Tuesday Governor Rounds will deliver his annual Budget Address and present his 2009 Budget.

Money is always the most important issue during the Legislative Session. This year will be no different but this year the Money Chase will be far more intense than usual.

The Governor will propose a balanced budget and we shall see if reserves will again be used to fund any structural deficit.

State Revenues will grow but because of the slowdown in the National economy at perhaps a slower rate than in the recent past. Our farm and ranch economy in South Dakota is excellent. 2007 has been an excellent year for ag income. However the outlook for other sectors is not as bright. Weakened consumer confidence, the weak dollar and energy prices all contribute to a slower economic growth rate.

The battle lines will be drawn over who gets any new money. The Money Struggle will be marked by an intense competition between K-12 and Higher Ed for any new money.

The recent news coming from the Board of Regents is that they need $115 million for increased infrastructure improvements and additions. Each year the K-12 community claims they are not getting enough State money (despite the fact that the State’s share (%) of School funding continues to rise even with decreased enrollments.) Many School Districts currently are suing the State for more money claiming they are constitutionally entitled.

The Governor who has made Higher Education, Research, and investing in Human Capital one of the Hallmarks of his governance and he can reasonably be expected to side with Higher Ed in getting any fresh dollars.

Democrat Legislators in the last session wanted to tap reserves by over $100 million to dramatically increase K-12 funding while Republicans have had the more prudent approach of increasing K-12 aid over the mandated 3% or the rate of inflation whichever is lower with new money as it becomes available. The Republican Legislature de facto is committed to using new money as available for K-12.

It is reasonable to assume that if the Governor comes forth with new revenues that the GOP Legislators may have promised themselves into the box of siding with K-12.

Sidebar - The Regents who are claiming that infrastructure is now substandard and otherwise inadequate have been the custodians of these same facilities. It is on their watch the facilities declined. Perhaps past Higher Ed revenues were put into new projects while repair and maintenance items were deferred.

The Governor’s proposed Budget will be the first indication how this Money Battle Royal shapes up politically. Consider 2008 is an election year (meaning not a year that you want to raise taxes), the 35 day, 83^rd Legislative in 2008 will be more interesting than usual.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

Straight Talk Commentary - FishbowlNY blog reports today on an upcoming story in “TV Guide” on what the Presidential Candidates watch on television. Neal’s post follows.

Really who cares?

This may be a great way for “TV Guide” to fill the editorial content in their listings mag but do people believe this and more importantly vote for someone because they like the same shows they like.

What would be far more interesting is to know about the polling the candidates did before their campaigns responded to the magazines inquiry. Surely the pollsters must have asked what shows the candidate should respond with in order to appeal to various demographic segments.

Barack Obama Is A SpongeBob Fan

It's time for the 2008 presidential candidates to do some crucial humanizing PR gigs before the primaries. Chief among them: Talking to TV Guide about your viewing habits.

The listings mag was kind enough to give us a sneak peak at their December 3rd "Presidential Candidate Edition" issue, which is hitting stands on Thursday:

Hillary Clinton is a fan of HGTV makeover shows, Grey's Anatomy, American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars, but her all-time TV favorite is The Ed Sullivan Show.

Barack Obama tells TV Guide that his favorite TV character of all time is "SpongeBob SquarePants, because SpongeBob is the show I watch with my daughters." His favorite TV shows of all time are M*A*S*H and The Wire.

John Edwards is a fan of Boston Legal, and tells TV Guide that his viewing guilty pleasure is "Fred Thompson on Law & Order."

Dennis Kucinich is a fan of late-night TV, citing The Tonight Show, Late Show, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live as his favorites. "When I get a chance to watch TV, it's usually late in the evening," he tells TV Guide. "Those shows have brilliant writers. It's just great to watch them." He also adds that he doesn't mind being the punch line of their jokes. "It's hilarious. I take what I do seriously, but I don't take myself seriously."

John McCain lists Prison Break among his favorite TV shows "because as a fellow prisoner, I always dreamed and plotted how I would break out of the Hanoi Hilton," he tells TV Guide.

Mitt Romney tells TV Guide he is a fan of Lost because it has "a very captivating plot, and if you live a busy life, escape is always welcome."

Fred Thompson's favorite TV show is SportsCenter. He tells TV Guide, "I always need to stay up on my Titans, Vols, Vanderbilt and, of course, my Memphis Tigers."

So Hillary's a bit of a square, Barack knows how to bring up the family, John E. has a sense of humor, Dennis overshares and John M. likes to play the Vietnam card. Gotcha.

But we're more interested in how Rudy Giuliani was the only major presidential candidate not to play along with TV Guide's pr-genic media exercise.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

       cantonsouthdakota.com

Canton City Government was recently reorganized by public referendum. The change in government to a City Manager form was caused by public dissatisfaction with the Management’s performance.

Mis Management had gotten out of hand, highlighted by the City’s failure to pay its employment taxes and employee tax withholding, alleged inside dealing with council members and even rumor of sexual affairs.

The election caused the holding of election of new Councilors and subsequently the Council selection of a new Mayor. The only Councilman to be elected from the old Council to the newly constituted government is Jim Bolin. Bolin then was selected by his fellow Councilors as the new Mayor.

Bolin’s selection speaks volumes to the respect that the Canton community has for him. Bolin had opposed the change in government and was the spokesperson for the opposition in the public debate. Bolin’s position is that the old form of government was more responsive to the public and that the city’s problems were one of the personalities and their abilities or lack thereof, not the form of government. I agree.

I first met Jim Bolin in 1984 when he was teacher at Sunshine Bible Academy south of Miller. Jim and I both were selected to attend the Republican National Convention to nominate Ronald Regan in Dallas.

Soon after the convention both Jim and I moved to Canton. Jim moved to become the history teacher at Canton High. Jim without question is one of the best history teachers in South Dakota. Jim later became Canton’s athletic director, culminating that career last year when the C-Hawks won the State Football Championship.

Sidebar – Jim also is a Sport’s trivia champion. You can ask him any! Question about sports and he knows the Factoid (player’s name, team, average, game or whatever you want to know.) When he walked into Champs for their legendary trivia contests, the ground shook. The same goes for South Dakota politics. Jim Bolin has vanity license plates on his car. His plate proudly says 4508 (the margin of John Thune’s vote count over Tom Daschle.)

Jim’s interest in politics and government runs deep. Some years ago he was the unsuccessful challenge candidate against former Democrat Senate leader Roger McKellips. He ran an aggressive campaign knocking on many doors. Last April he easily won election to the City Council. And last month won again with the largest vote totals and was elected Canton’s first Mayor under the new form of government.

Jim as Mayor will be a stabilizing force to keep Canton the great place to live that it is. Don’t be surprised to see Jim in the State Legislature in the future. He has the ambition and the ability. He easily could be in Pierre when Senator Ken Albers retires if not before.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

“Boom”, Tom Brokaw’s latest social history has found its way to my reading table. I previously posted on my expectations of “Boom.”

When finished I hope to report on it.

In tandem with the release of this next generation follow up to Brokaw’s outstanding, The Greatest Generation” is a forthcoming television program, “1968 with Tom Brokaw.”

Excerpts from the press release from the publicist follows:

The program will be broadcast on cable on The History Channel on Sunday, December 9^th at 8 pm Central Time.  

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

            History Channel

Sioux Falls City Councilors tomorrow will be considering the new and revised and long awaited campaign finance regulations.

The proposed new regulations are up for their Second Reading and Final Consideration. There has been a lot of time and study by the sub committee (Councilors Staggers, Costello, and Knudson) and the City Clerk, Debra Owen. There has also been some disagreement, the final recommendation was sent to the full Council on a 2-1 vote.

The new ordinance is far more detailed than the current law concerning reporting requirements, defining various types of committees and detailing gifts, loans and other possible types of political contributions.

Contribution limits will be the controversial sticking part when proposed Ordinance 0127 is considered. Proposed are limits by individual persons of $1000 annually or political committees of $1000 annually. Additionally political action committees will be prohibited from receiving more that $10,000 from any individual contributor.

Contribution Limits will be at the center of the debate. It is rumored that Bob Litz who opposed this Ordinance on its first reading will make a motion to amend the Ordinance to remove all limits. Litz also announced this past week that he will be seeking election to his first full term in next Spring’s election. Litz was appointed to fill the term of Darin Smith who quit his office after coming in 4^th in last year’s Mayoral race. Smith upon losing discovered he needed more time professionally and with his family and thus resigned his Council seat. 

It will be an interesting debate. Kermit Staggers, who fashions himself as the champion of the little guy also opposes limits.

What may be just as interesting, though I often disagree with Kermit, I also oppose limits. Campaign contributions are a form of free political speech. What is needed is immediate disclosure of all Campaign Receipts and Expenditures.

Whether you favor or oppose no limits some change is required. It is nonsensical to limits PACs to the same amount as individuals.

The proposed ordinance does not go near far enough in its Disclosure requirements.  The proposal calls for periodic reporting (as is done now.) Immediate Internet based reporting is needed. With virtual reporting there would be complete transparency and the public would know almost instantaneously how much and from who a candidate or committee were getting their money.

Given the current state of debate on this ordinance and the feeling that even after almost five or six months of study - some compromise is required. Keeping the current $1000 individual limit is fair and placing a $5000 or $10,000 limits on Committees also seems reasonable. 

As with State elections, corporate contributions to Candidate campaigns should be prohibited but permitted for ballot question committees.

In any scenario transparency and Immediate Disclosure are required and they in themselves will overcome most other ordinance defects.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

            Associated Press

 A 2008 Presidential Campaign finally came to South Dakota.

Rudy Giuliani brought his Campaign for the White House to Upper Midwest on Wednesday. The Mayor began his day in Council Bluffs, went to Fargo for lunch and concluded his day in Sioux Falls speaking at the Law Enforcement Game Feed.

The campaign clearly was the best organized I have seen in over twenty years involvement with Presidential campaigns (going back to 1984). The campaign made two stops in South Dakota – a Giuliani campaign fundraiser and Gene Abdallah’s annual Law Enforcement Game Feed.

The Fundraiser - was off the charts successful. While I am not privy to every high dollar raiser that’s been held in South Dakota, raising in excess of $100,000 at one event is a huge feat here. The only other that comes to mind is when Karl Rove came in December of 2001 for John Thune. They raised $100,000 or more to boost the Thune campaign’s year-end reporting totals. Clearly this amount has never been raised for a Presidential campaign event in South Dakota. South Dakota Republicans are hungry to keep the White House as this successful event showed.

It is a tribute to Gene Abdallah’s focus and persistence that all the events he touches are successful. Thirteen couples hosted the event including Senator and Mrs. Abdallah, Senator Dave and City Councilwoman De Knudson, and Representative Shantel and Mitch Krebs.

The event lasted just over an hour, with refreshments, followed by whirlwind photo opportunities (that took about 15 minutes). Then Mayor Giuliani spoke for about 10 minutes followed by approximately 20 minutes of Q & A. While Rudy did not talk directly on Public Policy at the Game Feed, at the purely political event he showed no restraint.

He stated that a Giuliani presidency would be one of Protection and Prevention.

Protection from our enemies by being proactive in engagement rather than reactive as is the Democrat approach. In order to grow our economy He said his plan would Prevent:

1)Over Spending 2) Over Taxing 3) Over Regulating 4) Over Suing.

Rudy reiterated his call to create a $15,000 tax deduction for health care spending and also spoke to energy independence. Coming from a former prosecutor, his best line was, “let’s give the death tax the death penalty.”                   

Rudy’s answers to questions were straight forward. The most interesting question was  - what is your position on guns? He answered that he gets that question a lot and thus insinuated that perhaps his position is misunderstood. He stated his position that he supports ownership of firearms with the exceptions of convicted criminals and the mentally ill. Otherwise whether you are a collector, sportsman, or want to own guns to protect yourself; you have the right to do so.

The Game Feed – The public event has been extensively reported on so what follows is my impression. The event as always had a festive air, though clearly this year it was not the camaraderie that was special but the anticipation of the Main Event. Dinner was served early so that the Candidate could be on his way to Florida for more campaigning. The Invocation by Monsignor Jim Doyle easily won the humor award and as always Gene Abdallah was the center of attention (rightly so – over a Million bucks for Charity and giving deserved recognition to our Law enforcement)

Sidebar – The FIRST responsibility of government is to collectively protect people. The connection thus was obvious - Rudy Giuliani has spent the better part of his life in law enforcement and the honorees the South Dakota Law Enforcement community protects us 24/7/365.

In his speech the Mayor thanked Law Enforcement for doing the job they do and also spoke to the point that Law Enforcement must act not only as First Responders but also First Preventers.

What struck me were not what he said but rather Giuliani’s presentation and self-confidence. For the past 40 years I have closely observed our Presidents, some of them very up close. I have been around many Presidential wannabees.

Giuliani poses what are not solely charisma but rather a self-assured leadership style with the ability of communicating the big picture.

JFK had it and Ronald Regan had it. Rudy Giuliani (while not President yet) has it.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

Disclaimer - I am supporting Rudy Giuliani and my wife and I were one of the host committee at the pre dinner fundraiser.

Reports in today’s Argus Leader are that a new leadership group has formed to develop a business plan and promote a new Events Center in Sioux Falls.

This announcement is an extremely positive development that complements the many good things that are happening in fast growing Sioux Falls. This report has two important components – leadership and compromise.

Leadership  - in addressing the City’s need for a new events center and developing a strategy and framework for moving forward.

Compromise – in coming forward with a proposed framework that overcomes many of the existing objections perceived in the current public debate over a new Center. The three primary objections are do we need a new Events Center, the cost, and the location. Through Compromise the proposed framework positively addresses those objections.

The Basics – A new Events Center would be built near the site of the current Howard Wood Field at the Sioux Falls Events Campus. The project is envisioned to be a facility similar to the Fargodome. The Center would be financed both publicly and privately. The leadership group in the next six months or so will be putting together a business plan and detailing more specifics about the facility in addition to putting together the all-important “numbers.” This is an impressive group of leaders and businesspersons. There will be a substantial and workable plan.

The news report suggests there is a mega donor ready to contribute perhaps as much, it is suggested as $50 million. Everyone can guess who that might be given the Co-Chairman of The Coliseum Exploratory Group are Kelby Krabbenhoft, president and chief executive officer of Sanford Health and Dana Dykhouse, president and CEO of First Premier Bank. However, I would not be surprised if it doesn’ turn out to be someone other than South Dakota’s Mega Philanthropist.

Sioux Falls needs a new center and this is an exciting development.

Background and Commentary – The Fargodome. (the numbers and financing facts are from memory so I will stand correctd

The Fargodome is an outstanding facilty. It is a multipurpose arena and domed stadium. It is located on the North Dakota State University campus and serves as the Bison’s football stadium and basketball arena. Configured for football the Fargodome seats over 21,000.

Sidebar – think how fantastic it would be to have a State vs U basketball games in Sioux Falls in a 20,000 plus seat Arena.

The Fargodome was a true community effort to finance. The State of North Dakota through its University system contributed to the cost. Uniquely both the cities of Fargo and sister city, Moorehead, Minnesota have a small sales tax that supports the facility. There also is a parking fee at the Fargodome that supports the facility.

I do not know the terms of the contract with Global Spectrum that manages the operation of the Fargodome (they also are the recently hired manager of the Sioux Falls Convention Center) but perhaps some of their receipts from concessions, rentals and the like also supports the facility.  What is for certain, Fargo is getting events and concerts that Sioux Falls can only wish for. Interestingly - the poplulation of the Fargo Moorehead metropolitan area is approximately 174,000 while the Sioux Falls metro area is  223000.

Public discussion and debate will be interesting to watch as the plan unfolds in the coming months. It is important to understand that this facility requires public support. Support that is necessary and only right – it is a public facility. It would be fantastic if a Sioux Falls Events Center was profitable but may not be realistic. In either event such a facilty deserves public support and finance.

Sioux Falls should again advocate for State authorization for the local option to levy a third penny sales tax related to entertainment. It is suggested that Revenue Bonds might also be used to support an Events Center. Certainly Revenue Bonds are an option.

Just as a caveat, as necessary and important that an Events Center is to the City’s future, it pales in comparison to an adequate water supply. The Lewis and Clark water system must remain the City’s first priority. Until Lewis and Clark funding is resolved, pledging any significant City resources would not be prudent.

Today’s news is welcome and fantastic and I can hardly wait for a new Center, however as they say the devil is in the details. With this Leadership group and public support an exciting Events Center will be  realized in the not too distant future.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

The old saw that there are two things you don’t want to see being made – sausage and legislation could not be any more true this year as Congress tries to conclude its work. The remark attributed to German chancellor Otto von Bismark in the 19^th century seems true as ever today almost two centuries later.

As background - Our government in divided. The GOP has the White House (compassionate conservative) and the Democrats have the Congress. The Speaker of the House is a transported from an old school ethnic east coast liberal to a San Francisco, silk stocking liberal. The Senate Majority Leader, also an outspoken liberal is a former boxer and the former Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission.

While I hate to acknowledge it, at this stage of his Presidency, G W Bush is a lame duck (this is not historically unexpected). Members of his party are looking past his presidency as they consider their own political futures.

When Congress returned from their August Summer Work Period, I posted on what we might expect as they try to conclude legislation on important issues as well as the budget and funding of the government for what has now become the current fiscal year (which began on October 1.) As is usual we are in the current year without Appropriations being made. We are operating under the ever-popular continuing resolution (CR). In its current iteration, the federal government is only funded (if my information is correct) for another four or five days while with much wrangling Congressional Leaders are currently trying to put in place another stop gap spending bill to operate the Government until December 14^th. You do not hear much about the CR stopgap because it is: business as usual.

This year seems different. There is more tension among the members, the President is actually vetoing and threatening to veto bills. Several Republican members are leaving because they do not enjoy working in the minority. This is the sauce for the gander. Perhaps they should have been more inclusive with the Democrats when they had the Majority.  Interestingly the Dems are not acting any better now that they are in the Majority. After the Dem victories in 2006 they extolled how the operation of the U S House would be different under their reign (alas it was not to be.) Do not expect Congress to adjourn until well into December and without some dramatic event external to Washington business will not be concluded and the CR will be place and carrying over action until the Congress returns sometime in January.

None of this is to say that our Congress has not been busy. First on their return they dealt with the Petraeus report and the ongoing War in Iraq. This issue is not resolved and remains and the Congress is as divided as the American People, though in the micro, the situation in Iraq does seem to be improving. Then the Congress (predominately Democrats) passed a new large entitlement the SCHIP bill that the President vetoed and the veto was subsequently upheld. Throw into the mix the confirmation (that turned into a political war) of a new Attorney General, and the wildfires in California that ginned up Katrina talk again, obviously the markets and the sub prime mortgage meltdown, and some toxic toys from our Chinese trading partners. (Interestingly on both the mortgages Congress pontificates always after the fact rather than proactively.)

Finally it seems we have the legislation emulsifier in high gear. This past week Congress has been debating the new Farm Bill, they have over ridden the President’s veto of the Water Resources bill, the U S House passed a new tax bill (the so called Mother Of All Tax Bills) and there is debate on the Appropriation bills.

The spending process is a mess. The ingredients in our fiscal sausage is pork and politics (meaning the next election.) The next election overrides getting anything done. Credit and Blame is more important than results – consider SCHIP.

This ongoing charade is not good government. We need to FIX our government. Citizens must insist that the budget be balanced NOW. The best way to do that is to stop spending (the one thing that both parties agree on.) New public works projects should be suspended until the budget is in balance or surplus. While there is political pain involved, it might not be that hard to do and the results to our economy, our government, and to the careers of our elected leaders would be surprisingly positive.

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

Not to far off in our future is the day when we will plug in our information device before we go to bed and when we awake our news will be downloaded and ready for reading, viewing or listening.

We will get our news, blogs, sports scores, markets, weather on a computer, cell phone, mp3 player like device.

I previously posted on how people are getting their information on my inaugural Keloland.com post.

Today the variety of consumer choice is driving the established mainstream media crazy. The day of getting your news on a dead tree at the end of the driveway for practical purposes is coming to an end. Newspaper circulation was reported this week. Daily circulation fell 2.6% and Sunday circulation fell 3.5% in the past year.

For the established mainstream media to survive the bombardment of new media they must have an online component.

Without pandering to my recent blog partner, KELO television, there is another development in our “traditional” media market (that is worthy of comment) – KELOLAND News On Demand.

If you did not see New On Demand on the KELOland.com home page check it out here.

News On Demand is a welcome presentation. It is a mid afternoon web only news update by the KELO news team. The news presentation is unique to the webcast and not a pre hash of the 5, 6, and 10 o’clock programs. KELOland News On Demand is in a broadcast format with brief news and weather updates for those ending their workday or those getting ready to go to work. The format is upbeat and fast paced, packing a lot in 5 or 6 minutes. This development is a natural synergy for melding the Internet with traditional Broadcast Television.

The Mark Millage, Beth Jensen, Jeremy Moser led News team deserve high marks for this development but it still is just a development with room for improvement. 

The News gathers are doing their job but more of the gathered content needs to be broadcast more quickly. By way of suggestion - Podcasts as the reporters are filing their stories, more content to local events, more reporting on local personalities, features on local businesses and non profits, and local reaction (man on the street interviews) about important national events are needed on breaking stories.

I would also suggest an increase in your highly paid volunteer bloggers to include coverage of sports and the arts.

Connections between KELO and their patrons need to be strengthened. Building strong brand ties pays dividends with the advertisers – those that provide the income.

It is extremely interesting the new presentation is called On Demand. Because – that is precisely how consumers today want to get their information. On Demand!

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.

Members of the U S Department of State’s Foreign Service Officer Corps are resisting mandatory assignment to duty in Iraq.

These officials all swore an oath of Duty and Allegiance when they became members of the Foreign Service. They understood that along with their offices they assumed risk to their personal safety.

The State Department has made it clear that if important posts cannot be filled with volunteers then mandatory assignments will be made. Refusing an assignment may result in termination from employment in the Foreign Service. Exceptions will be made for health reasons or reasons of extreme personal hardship.

Their fear of an Iraq assignment is understandable; not enough of a reason to dishonor your oath and an assignment but understandable. Not accepting an assignment because you disagree with U S policy is not understandable or acceptable. Those at the highest level of Government make our policy not the underlings in the striped pants whose duty it is to obey and execute Official Policy.

If a member of the Armed Forces refused such an order, they would be Court Marshaled and sentenced to prison. While the Foreign Service Objectors will not be incarcerated losing their job is certainly not too harsh.

As Thomas Paine eloquently said, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

To comment on this post go to South Dakota Straight Talk.