Janklow

Letter to the editior in the Aberdeen American News:

To the editor - Bill Janklow has sunk to a new low. Yes, I am talking about the same Bill Janklow who for years preached tough penalties for petty criminals, then killed a man due to his own reckless driving actions and had the gall to try to escape serving any jail time at all for it.

I am also talking about the same Bill Janklow who forced Moody County to file a lien against him for refusing to pay medical bills resulting from the above incident. And this is, of course, the same Bill Janklow who for years said he was in favor of the DME railroad expansion project, yet at the same time passed legislation which made it nearly impossible and had to be later overturned for the project to proceed.

This railroad project is the premier expansion of any railroad in the U.S. in the past 50 years. We are extremely lucky to have the line running the length of our state. The expansion will bring jobs to economically depressed communities such as Huron while easing our national energy crisis and adding competition in the transportation of agricultural products.

Janklow has now quietly taken a job to assist interests in Minnesota to fight against the railroad expansion. After representing the people of South Dakota for over 20 years, what would motivate one to fight against such an important economic opportunity for South Dakota? I'll give you a clue: it's green.

Jacob Lakhany

Aberdeen

Ouch.