South Dakota Politics

Ed Schultz Watch

ED SCHULTZ WATCH: The New York Times recently carried a story about what Tom Daschle labels the Republican "infrastructure of attack," a story you can access HERE. Stories like these make Tom Daschle seethe. Of course, it shouldn't be forgotten that NPR has long been the Democratic "infrastructure of attack." In response, Tom Daschle has pitched the emergence of a liberal Rush Limbaugh, a man by the name of Ed Schultz, a radio talk-show host from Fargo, North Dakota. Ed Schultz's nationally broadcast show, syndicated by Democracy Radio, is set to begin January 5.

Where's the clout?

The Argus Leader's editorial board has put out editorials twice in the last 12 days (12/15 and 12/27) promoting an early special election for the House seat that will be open due to Congressman Janklow's resignation. In the latest such editorial the AL posits the following:

Forget the cost of a special election. Without someone to represent us in the House, South Dakota could lose millions of dollars. Who would represent us on ethanol and the Lewis and Clark pipeline and who knows what else? No one.

The AL editorial board is seemingly unconcerned about the fact that South Dakota "lost" $43 million of federal funding earlier this month when Tom Daschle objected to unanimous consent approval of the FY04 omnibus spending bill. Nor have they upbraided Tom Daschle for going to a book signing rather than get the extra Democratic votes needed to pass the energy bill, which would have been good for ethanol.

I've done some research on what South Dakota earmarks are contained in the FY04 omnibus spending bill. As far as I'm aware, SDP is the only place where you'll find the detailed list of South Dakota projects funded by this bill. To my knowledge, the AP hasn't done a report, nor has the AL, nor has the Rapid City Journal. These local publications would be well advised to fashion a report like the report in the Salt Lake Tribune headlined "Omnibus breakdown in Utah."

Anyway, the FY04 omnibus bill is H.R. 2673, and you can read the text of conference report, printed in the 11/25/2003 Congressional Record, beginning at page H12323 and ending at page H12746. The South Dakota earmarks are as follows (SDP exclusive-must credit SDP):

- A north-central sun grant center at South Dakota State University for the region composed of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. - $5 million, pg H12334

- $500,000 shall be available for Northeast South Dakota Tech-Based Skills Development- pg H12348

- $275,000 is available for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in Eagle Butte, South Dakota to establish a nursing home – pg H12388 and H12573

- The conferees are aware of current efforts to begin a study of the use of conservation cropping techniques in southeastern North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. The goal of this study would be to identify conservation rotations, cover crops, seeding techniques, and residue management practices that would make conservation tillage acceptable and profitable in these climate transition areas. The conferees encourage the Secretary to support efforts begin this study, as appropriate. – [seems to only be precatory language-ed.] – pg H12446

-The conference agreement provides $71,422,000 for the Risk Management Agency as proposed by the Senate instead of $71,509,000 as proposed by the House. The conferees are aware that certain additional states have been approved for participation in the Livestock Risk Protection Pilots for swine and other livestock categories, but that this expansion was limited to ten states. The conferees urge the Department to expand the program during fiscal year 2004 to the maximum extent possible, including the states of Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. – pg H12462

- Edward Byrne Grants to States.—The conference agreement includes $659,117,000 for the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, of which $159,117,000 is for discretionary grants and $500,000,000 is for formula grants. Within the amount provided for Byrne formula grants, the conferees ask Governors and relevant State and local officials to review the following proposals and provide a grant if warranted: Oglala, South Dakota Youth Court/Court Systems – pg H12475

- $100,000 to the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners for law enforcement communications equipment – pg H12476

- $750,000 to Prairie View Prevention Services in Sioux Falls, SD, to continue methamphetamine use prevention programs in South Dakota, and to facilitate integration of prevention and treatment services for at risk youth – pg H12479

- $250,000 to the South Dakota Police Chiefs’Association and South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association for technology and equipment - H12480

- $250,000 to Our Home, Inc. in Huron South Dakota for programming and equipment at its Parkston, SD, juvenile group care facility – H12483

- $245,000 to South Dakota Coalition for Children – H12484

- The managers note that a proposal by the University of South Dakota to develop international mental health programs was inadvertently omitted from the list of university proposals on pages 20 to 23 of the Senate report. – H12534

- $100,000 to InterTribal Bison Cooperative in Rapid City, South Dakota for member training. – H12549

- $400,000 to Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board in Rapid City, South Dakota for Northern Plains Healthy Start. – H12553

- $250,000 to Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to integrate information systems of CHCs and FQHCs in the Dakotas. – H12554

- $200,000 to Delta Dental Plan of South Dakota in Pierre, SD for equipment for a dental care mobile van. - H12555

- $2,000,000 to Graduate Education and Applied Research Foundation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to construct the Center for Graduate Education and Applied Research - H12555

- $50,000 to Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller, South Dakota for renovation and equipment - H12556

- $250,000 to Rosebud Sioux Tribe in Rosebud, South Dakota for rural ambulance service operations – H12559

- $900,000 to the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Vermillion, SD for construction. – H12561

- $200,000 to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota for the West River Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effect – H12566

- $60,000 to South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy in Brookings, SD to support pharmacist immunization training – H12568

- $225,000 to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in Eagle Butte, South Dakota for mental health services - H12571

- $200,000 to Yankton Sioux Tribe in Marty, South Dakota for substance abuse treatment at Canku Teca – H12572

- $250,000 to Behavior Management Systems in Rapid City, South Dakota for substance abuse treatment – H12572

- $475,000 to the University of South Dakota School of Medicine Center for Disabilities in Sioux Falls, SD to continue the work of the Consortium of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - H12573

- $200,000 to Children’s Village in Pine Ridge, South Dakota for foster care services – H12576

- $60,000 to Kids Voting South Dakota in Pierre, SD to expand programming in tribal schools – H12588

- $480,000 to Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell, South Dakota for technology center equipment – H12599

- $150,000 to Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota for forensic science lab equipment – H12599

- $200,000 to Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah for workforce development in South Dakota via distance education - H12602

- $5,000,000 to construct Madison Street Interchange I–29 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota - H12671

- $5,100,000 to Reconstruct Exit 60—I–90 in Rapid City, South Dakota – H12674

- $3,000,000 to BIA Route 27 Reconstruction, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota – H12675

- $250,000 to Extend 4-Lane Highway from Maverick Junction to Nebraska in Fall River County, South Dakota – H12676

- $2,000,000 to Meridian Bridge Replacement, Yankton, South Dakota – H12678

- $1,000,000 to Replace Meridan Bridge at Yankton, South Dakota - H12679

- $2,000,000 to Reconstruct Allen Road, Bennett County, South Dakota – H12680

- $2,250,000 to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe public buses and bus facilities, South Dakota – H12688

- $2,000,000 to South Dakota Statewide buses and bus facilities – H12692

- $250,000 to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Public Bus System, South Dakota – H12694

- $2,000,000 for Wakpa Sica Historical Society in Fort Pierre, South Dakota for the Wakpa Sica Reconciliation Center- H12719

- $400,000 for the City of Parker, South Dakota for the development of a community center- H12719

- $400,000 for the City of Beresford, South Dakota for the Beresford Industrial Infrastructure Development project- H12719

- $200,000 for the Aberdeen Workforce Development Council, Aberdeen South Dakota for costs associated with the Workforce Development Center- H12719

- $50,000 for the Canton Economic Development Corporation, Canton, South Dakota for infrastructure development- H12719

- $1,000,000 for Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota for facilities construction for the McGovern Library and Center for Public Service- H12719

- $350,000 for the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Orpheum Theatre- H12719

- $200,000 for the City of Vermillion, South Dakota for the expansion of the Center for Children and Families- H12719

- $100,000 for the City of Redfield, South Dakota for renovations and improvements to the Carnegie Library- H12719

- $1,000,000 for the City of Corsica, South Dakota for water infrastructure improvements- H12737

- $1,000,000 for the City of Lennox, South Dakota for water infrastructure improvements- H12737

- $200,000 for the City of Sisseton, South Dakota for water infrastructure improvements- H12737

- $1,000,000 for the City of Hartford, South Dakota for drinking water infrastructure
improvements- H12737

- $100,000 for the City of DeSmet, South Dakota for water infrastructure improvements- H12737

Tom Daschle blocked these provisions from becoming law, and hence South Dakota has lost the money. With this kind of representation, we might as well not have any. Yet there's no peep from the AL. This leads one to to the conclusion that the AL's "South Dakota will lose money" argument is a pretextual one, and the real reason the AL is pushing an early special election is because the AL believes that Stephanie Herseth will benefit from it.

A Senate cloture vote to end conference report debate is scheduled for January 20, 2004. It will be interesting to see if Tom Daschle votes against cloture.