Letter to the Editor: Anderson: Hentschel’s political hat is in the ring
Brandon area voters in District 10 are interested in what political options and attributes you will bring to the legislature when elected. The website listed in the newspaper was not available when I tried it. I will base my questions on what I understand are of interest to you after reading the Brandon Valley Journal article.
1.) What kinds of bills in the South Dakota legislature the past two session took up too much time or should not have been passed? Not only in South Dakota, but nationwide there will always be groups that will bring lawsuits over legislation that they feel are inappropriate, that is part of the cost of the legislation. Is it your intent to try and out-guess this type of action as a legislator?
2.) What would you suggest should be done to better manage the state’s time and money?
3.) Who or what is not being represented at the meetings of the legislature or committees? The Democratic Party is a national special interest group, is it not? Does this party/group try to affect legislation anywhere in the country?
4.) House Bill 1057 was of interest to you. What type of healthcare was the legislature referring to? It was not general healthcare. If transgender health is the concern then when exactly is the proper age, if any, for that person to address the transgender issue they have – third grade, sixth grade, junior in high school or age 21? It would appear that no action will or should be taken until the person with the transgender problem steps forward and asks for help. Transgender is both a sexual problem and a mental problem that this person will have to deal with. There are plenty of lawyers waiting to address cases taken on by medical doctors or psychiatrists that are considered “botched.” Most times any “small issue” needs to be addressed before it becomes a “big problem.”
5.) Is it necessary for K-12 education to receive a sizable fiscal boost every legislative session? The state has a balanced budget requirement. Education is one entity and garners the greatest proportion of the budget now. Brandon Valley School district is one of the top districts in the state. Do you think they are doing a very good job of educating the youth of this community? I do. The school administration and school board members are to be commended for the great job they are doing with the funds they have. I call hat effective and efficient. That’s what they are hired and selected to do with taxpayer money. Thanks again, board and administration.
6.) Since the state requires a balanced budget what agencies, departments or programs should be given revenue cuts so you can provide education a larger piece of a limited financial pie? These entities would like to know before they develop their needs list before the next legislative session. Those agencies and departments that are knocking on Pierre’s financial doors are there because they do not produce an income of their own to exchange for their work/service. These departments are actually middle men who extract their annual due by seeing that whatever they are involved in gets from A to B or is improved upon or taken care of for those who pay taxes, and the taxpayers include themselves. Teachers are hired to being and continue the knowledge gathering process of the children in their classrooms, a very important task.
7.) Jo Hausman commented on the necessity of more Democrats and women needed in the legislature. Maybe you or she would like to comment on why women make better legislators than men or why more women in the legislature, outnumber, would be better with fewer men in the legislature?
Should South Dakota use as an example the states of Illinois, New Jersey, New York, California or Washington as the template for state fiscal action and performance? Should more cities in South Dakota pattern themselves after Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle or New York? The Democrats elected in those states and cities state that they have everything under control and every one living there is happy, riots or no riots. Personally, I like being a part of Hilary Clinton’s “basket of deplorable and despicable in flyover country.”
8. Is water quality an issue again? I read recently from the city of Brandon that the water is tested annually and the water used by the community is very good and meets all potable water standards of the state. I’ll wait for the city to tell me otherwise, so no need to bother the state legislature acting on what may be another frivolous time killer in Pierre. Do you know the fellow who pulled the “fudge job” on the water tests prepared for the city of Brandon some time back? I hear he was indicted for fraud and prosecuted. Now, that is a water problem.
Perry Anderson
Brandon
