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Pierre Editors Agree: Unread Lottery Contract for Lawrence & Schiller Unwise

The capital city’s press agrees with me that hiring Lawrence & Schiller to advertise the state lottery without reading the contract smells of cronyism:

Lawrence & Shillery for SD LotteryIs it just us, or does it seem hasty that the South Dakota Lottery Commission would hire Lawrence & Schiller of Sioux Falls as its new advertising and marketing firm without knowing the precise terms of the contract? Who does business that way? Well – aside from the state of South Dakota, we mean. But who else does business that way?

…Lawrence & Schiller might really be the best firm to land this contract, but the way this matter is being handled invites speculation of whether someone just wants this deal to go through, so skip the details. That’s unfortunate if Lawrence & Schiller has really simply put in the best proposal out there [editorial, “SD Lottery Decision Seems Too Hasty,” Pierre Capital Journal, 2015.06.14].

When state government’s hometown paper sees the same problem the liberal media sees in how the Governor’s appointees spend our money on the ruling party’s friends, you know there’s a problem. Take another drink, Pat, but even the thickest goggles can’t hide the cronyism and corruption of your political patrons.

23 Comments

  1. 96Tears

    Name five other advertising/promotional firms in South Dakota with contact information and doesn’t have one of Daugaard’s kids working for them.

  2. Rorschach

    The biggest concern from the state seems to be transferring state money to Larry the Shiller and its owner/GOP sugar daddy. When even GOP-leaning papers call bulls*** you know it looks bad.

  3. 96Tears

    Here are 10 firms, in no particular order, with contact information that have the talent to take the S.D. Lottery contract. This is a fraction of the firms in our state. You can see the winners of the 2015 ADDYs at the South Dakota Advertising Federation’s website – http://sdaf.org/. They are among the best and brightest and should be given opportunities to use our state dollars to spread the wealth and build more promising talent. Yet, L&S has held control of the big promotional contracts in South Dakota government since Bill Janklow’s first term.

    As you look at the list of seasoned and fresh competitors, you have to ask yourself why is L&S allowed to monopolize tourism and other state contracts? Better yet, ask your state legislator if he/she has the intelligence to know L&S has rigged state contracts long enough.

    Spore Creative Inc.
    705 Columbus St. (alley entrance)
    Rapid City, SD 57701
    605-939-0199
    support@sporecreative.com
    http://www.sporecreative.com/

    Complete Media, Inc.
    927 E. 8th Street, Sioux Falls, SD57103
    605.360.2259
    info@completemediainc.com
    http://www.completemediainc.com/
    Matt Luke is the President

    Hot Pink Ink
    201 Main Street, Suite 206
    Rapid City, SD 57701
    605-341-2388
    bfleming@imagineagency.com
    http://imagineagency.com/flash.html
    Bill Fleming and Susan Turnbull are owners

    Insight Marketing Design
    401 East 8th Street, Suite 304
    Sioux Falls, SD 57103
    605.275.0011
    info@insightmarketingdesign.com
    http://insightmarketingdesign.com/
    Doug Moss is Executive Creative Director
    Candy Van Dam is Chief Strategy Officer

    Bowden Productions
    4600 N 4th Ave
    Sioux Falls, SD 57104
    605-338-8800
    sales@bowdenproductions.com
    Ron Bowden is President

    Eposcity
    1741 S. Cleveland Ave. Ste. 302
    Sioux Falls, SD 57103
    605-275-3742
    info@epicosity.com
    http://epicosity.com/
    Eric Sivertsen is CEO and Partner

    Fresh Produce
    400 N. Main Ave. Suite 100
    Sioux Falls, SD 57104
    605.275.2191
    mike@pickfresh.com
    http://pickfresh.com/
    Mike Hart is Co-Owner and Manager

    Media One Advertising/Marketing
    3918 S. Western Ave.
    Sioux Falls, SD 57105
    605-339-0000
    info@m-1.com
    http://www.mediaone.com/
    Jon Fiksdal is President & Partner

    Robert Sharp & Associates
    3615 Canyon Lake Drive Ste. 1
    Rapid City, SD 57702
    605-341-5226
    info@robertsharpassociates.com
    http://www.robertsharpassociates.com/index.php

    Tout Advertising
    622 Main St.
    Rapid City, SD 57701
    605-716-5696
    info@toutadvertising.com
    http://www.toutadvertising.com/
    Tracy Bernard is Founder and President

  4. Paul Seamans

    When you are on a board your job is to study your lesson and make these kinds of decisions. Otherwise why even have a board of directors. Thre boards inaction may well come back to haunt them.

  5. SDBlue

    The revolving door of South Dakota corruption. Denny gives money to L&S, L&S gives the GOP lots of money come election time. KELO announced today the state will soon begin a new campaign (with posters and other undisclosed advertising) regarding how to fight terrorism in South Dakota. Because, obviously someone brilliant enough to come up with Dirty Santa and Don’t Jerk & Drive must also have a really great idea for a slogan to fight terrorists in South Dakota. Wasted tax dollars. But, Denny’s friends are making money so it’s all good.

  6. 96Tears

    For some time, I’ve thought it worthwhile to compile a wiki page or a web page that documents Pierre’s Revolving Door (thanks for the term, SDBlue) that accurately keeps updated bio files on the power clique in South Dakota. There is a lengthy cast of characters (and families of characters) who’ve grazed heavily on largesse, spoils and patronage for 40 years, an opportunistic situation that gets more interesting now that Republicans hold all three congressional seats, allowing the Revolving Door patronage hogs to graze in new pastures and open new doors to further enrich the anointed ones.

  7. 96, are you thinking of something like SourceWatch for South Dakota politics? That would be an interesting project. I wonder if I’d blow up my host’s server if I added a wiki like that to the Dakota Free Press domain. How many participants would we get to maintain it?

  8. Disgusted Dakotan

    The Democrats had Tammany Hall, the Daley political machine, and now Rahm (Obama) in Chicago.

    In SD? It’s the Rounds/Daugaard/Jackley political machine.

  9. owen

    I agree DD and in South Dakota they’re all Republicans. I’d say time for change and let Democrats try

  10. leslie

    don, who was it back in the day that did all the PR for the heap-leach mining association?

  11. Donald Pay

    I really don’t know who did the mining company propaganda. Janklow, Diana Miller and Larry Mann were spokespersons, under the umbrella of the SD Mining Association. Chuck Kornman was also involved in the first one. Just doing a “usual suspects” analysis would lead one to conclude that Lawrence and Schiller did most of the TV and graphic work. We don’t know who did all their pre-ad research, but they did a lot of focus group testing and polling to develop and hone their campaign strategy, and some of it was generated from out-of-state.

    Just to be clear, we didn’t care much who did it. We knew it was coming, and we had to respond to it. They did a good job. I can’t say it was dishonest. It raised some doubts about our approach, and they had to hope that would carry the day. They knew we had a lot of Republican support, so they weren’t real aggressive. They just raised doubts. We did as good as we could on about one twentieth the budget. Our most effective ads put up pictures of their mines. It was funny how they were running away from their own industry. Our advertising was mostly from our own ideas, though we had some help from Jody Severson, a political consultant.

  12. I hear in Donald’s comment a reminder that the truth doesn’t cost much to tell; buffaloing the people into believing something else takes big bucks.

  13. Roger Cornelius

    There haven’t any news reports of Rham Emanuel being corrupt DD, unless I have missed them. Can you provide some links?

    Just because you are a Chicago politician doesn’t necessarily mean you are corrupt, does it?

  14. Roger Cornelius

    The saddest part of South Dakota’s no-bid contracts and other forms or corruption is that South Dakota voters have become conditioned to accept it.

    Voters rail against the Pierre corruption and yet continue to send the corruptors back to Pierre knowing what they are doing with taxpayer money.

    South Dakotan republicans will allow corruption so they can protect the party and hang on to issues like abortion, the 2nd Amendment, etc.

    With the results of the FBI investigation and the cover up by Jackley and GOAC, I am convinced South Dakota is hopeless and will continue as if nothing is wrong.

    As I stated, South Dakotans are conditioned to accept corruption.

  15. mike from iowa

    South Dakota’s the place to be
    Crooks and cronys is your cup of tea
    Crooks and cronys top to bottom
    Cronys and crooks-corruption- we got ’em.

  16. leslie

    excellent idea 96.

  17. Daniel Buresh

    “cover up by Jackley and GOAC”

    How’s that tinfoil working out for you Roger?

  18. leslie

    danny boy, u r way outta yer league

  19. Daniel Buresh

    Mrs. Leslie,

    Even if I’m outta my league, it’s still above the minors you will be stuck in the rest of your life.

  20. leslie

    what newspapers do u read? just cable news and talk radio?

  21. We may disapprove of each other’s headgear and league designation, but we agree that reading the contract before approving is a reasonable procedure, right?

  22. Roger Cornelius

    Daniel,

    Did GOAC has a complete and thorough investigation of EB-5, complete with subpoenaed witnesses?
    What did Rounds, Daugaard, and Bollen testify to during that joke of a hearing?
    Did Jackley testify or did he have a closed door meeting with GOAC?

    Daniel, why are you so adamant in your support or republican crony capitalism corruption in South Dakota? Are you or a family member a recipient of one of those no-bid contracts?

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