My challenge to South Dakota

I am a fiscal and social conservative running for public office in the great land of South Dakota. I am promising to cut programs and spending, but I will need your support. South Dakota receives much in stimulus money, farm programs, military spending and tribal payments from Uncle Sam. I wish to bring lower taxes and more individual freedom and some money will not get here because of that stance. I am asking for our people to stand on our own and sacrifice now so we aren't spending our children's future incomes.

Universal Health Scarce

The Pentagon reported on Tuesday, November 3 2009 that the detainees held in Gitmo would receive the H1N1 flu virus shot by the end of the month. This is a shot that we are short of in America and we have millions of high risk citizens that need this vaccine.

My wife is a P.A. for the Rapid City Regional Hospital and cannot get this shot for her diabetic patients that are in need of this preventive medicine.

This is what happens when the federal government is in total control of health. Rationing and prioritizing has begun.

Cap and Trade

In a nutshell, cap and trade works this way. The federal government will place a limit on carbon emissions. If your business goes over you will pay a fine, you can offset your carbon limit by buying allowances from other people or nations. This will probably cause a shutdown of the economy and roll back investment in our nation. Most manufactures will leave to do business in countries that do not abide by our standards but still ship their finished products to the great U.S.A.

Why place carbon on the open market? Isn't having corn, wheat, natural gas, cotton, gold, silver, copper, stocks, bonds, currencies, oil, ethanol, soybeans, t-bills, heating oil and sugar on the open market good for trade and for interest in America?

My opinion is, lets comb this bill and look for benefits for South Dakota and America. If we tied all nations to this bill and said no access to the American market if you fail to abide. Our market is the one all nations look to do business with, lets us our buying power to our advantage.

Made in China

So what is the problem with doing business with a communist country that pegs their currency to ours and steals our copyrights? Its not like they have human rights violations that we would detach our standards from, right?

The conventional wisdom say China looks years down the road and the U.S. looks quarter to fiscal quarter. China also aborts millions of their own every year and prefers to keep boys. Well, who are these little boys going to marry in 20 years?

Ethics for Thad Wasson

This afternoon I made a comment on the decorumforum.blogspot.com and I should have been more specific. It was a post by Mike Sanborn about Mayor Hanks of Rapid City and an employee memo than has not been made public. Councilman Sam Kooiker would like said memo made public. My comment was "he must be upset about the 2007 mayoral race." I meant Mayor Hanks must be upset, since it was a close election between Sam and Alan.

I will be more specific in the future.

Ethics in government.

I believe it is unethical to use a position in government, whether it is local, state or federal to gather information about taxpayers that have to do business with you to get their work done and add them to your personal campaign roster.

Who have I met?

Since this campaign began in July for myself and my family, I have met many interesting people, and they all have had a variety of opinions. One of the best has been Bob Newland, a resident of Hermosa and also a convicted felon. I had never heard of Mr. Newland until he called me in July and asked if he could send some e-mail questions my way. I was thrilled that I was getting some press so of course I said yes. We have had a couple face to face meetings and I also asked if he would be my campaign manager. It is not much of an offer since I wasn't able to offer a salary or even a future bonus. I told him I felt he still had the fire in the belly for freedom and I am looking for fighters to carry that message. He was under the impression that I was foolish to ask a convicted felon for any public help and that it would probably sink my campaign before it even began.

Ethan Schmidt, a Pennington County Commissioner, has also been a new found friend for me. We met for lunch, along with our wives and my two small children. I am impressed that he pushes for open meetings, even for something mundane like septic ordinances.

Gordon Howie has also been very welcoming. He is a state senator and also chairs the Citizens for Liberty.

The Sioux Falls Republican Women have invited me to a Q and A at the Westword Ho Country Club November 17, 2009 at 7 p.m. It means alot to have the opportunity to present myself to the voters of the Sioux Empire.