The headline over Jonathan Ellis’s latest blog post is sufficiently provocative:
As Violent Crime Surges Across S.D., Jackley Pursues Pot Growers.
The URL for that post is even more provocative:
http://…blogs/jonathanellis/2016/08/06/jackboots-jackley-missing-out-real-crime/88293684/
Jackboots Jackley Missing out on Real Crime—was that the original headline typed into the content management software?
Ellis uses that nickname with sly indirectness, saying in his final line that the aspiring gubernatorial candidate “does not want to be known as Marty ‘Jackboots’ Jackley.” Ellis is more direct in blasting Jackley’s grandstanding prosecution of two Colorado marijuana consultants involved with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s aborted pot resort:
What few have noticed is this: While Jackley was putting on more stagecraft with the announcement that the Colorado seed guys were busted – along with the ludicrous assertion that the tribe was a victim – there is a serious and growing crime problem in the state. The Minnehaha County sheriff is warning that violent crimes are up dramatically. Media accounts across the state have documented sharp increases in crime.
Jackley has been the attorney general since 2009, and in that time there has been a substantial increase in crime. What is he doing to address the problem? It’s a question that his opponents in the 2018 governor’s race will no doubt ask [Jonathan Ellis, “As Violent Crime Surges Across S.D., Jackley Pursues Pot Growers,” that Sioux Falls paper, 2016.08.06].
The Attorney General scared the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe into burning its pot and scrapping its resort plan. Was that not “mission accomplished” for South Dakota law enforcement, keeping anyone from getting high or hurt? Does the Attorney General really need to turn the screws further on the non-tribal participants in this foiled tribal plan, not to mention hold a big TV press conference and pretend to be a friend of those poor, victimized Indians (whom not so long ago the A.G. was calling liars), when apparently his office has an increasing number of victims of violent crimes who could use the Attorney General’s help.
The GOP pot-black spin blog predictably cries, “Hit piece!” as if calling names is beyond the pale for his Trumpist party. Is Ellis’s broadside against Jackley a jibe from the liberal media? Is it that Sioux Falls paper helping lay the groundwork for its own hometown candidates for Governor? Or is it the simpler explanation: Ellis is accurately describing an Attorney General seeking the bright TV lights to bring out the shine on his jackboots while failing to take real action to stanch an increase in violent crime?
Marty never fails to disappoint with his job of half-assing everything while he pretends to be the good guy. Uggggg.
It did come off as sort of a hit piece. But the part I liked best was, “Flanked by representatives of two of the state’s most incompetent local law enforcement agencies – I should add here they actually appeared sober – Jackley pinned the blame of a couple of marijuana executives … .”
I think he’s alluding to the crooked Flandreau police department that was conducting illegal searches and whose members were stealing beer among other things from the evidence locker. Then the county sheriff hired one of the Flandreau city cop crooks after Marty Jackley and DCI investigated then covered up the whole sordid incident. Were it not for a whistleblower disclosing a DCI report we would never have found out about about Flandreau’s criminals with badges, or about Marty Jackley’s coverup. Criminals with badges have a specially orchestrated coverup from our AG, while he grandstands about marijuana. So much for law and order.
Mr. Ellis is a hack and no doubt partakes of the demon weed daily from morning ’till night. Mr. Jackley is protecting those Indians who were victims in this debacle.
Ellis does do some serious hitting, especially with that statement about the incompetent law enforcement agencies. But when the hits are accurate, we should be glad to see a reporter willing to launch those hits.
Grudz, I’m surprised you would support the AG’s false language. He committing a double fault, misrepresenting the facts and belitting a sovereign tribe (oh, those gullible Indians! they need me, the Great White Father, to protect them!)
Several articles in the Rapid City Journal over the past couple of weeks stated that heroin and opiod use and overdose is the number one drug problem in the country and in South Dakota.
It is evident in the number of crime reports in the paper where opiod use is involved in street crimes and murders.
If Jackboots wants to garner real headlines and steal the stage lights he should take his fight where it belongs and find and arrest suppliers and dealers.
Ellis is a mouthpiece for establishment Minnehaha Republicans. The hit on Jackley reflects their goal of giving us a third Mickelson family member to serve as Governor. Ellis is just the hitman for their agenda, and I think you’ll see that in his record of reporting, non-reporting and stereotyping.
Every week Marty Jackass has his name in the spotlight. Like Wild Bill, Marty has gone back to the future, in an attempt to appeal to the base that wants to knock heads and fill beds!!
If everyone who were tempted to commit a violent crime had someone shove a wacky cigarette in their mouth, light it and tell them to calm the heck down and think for a second, there would probably be less violent crime – lol.
If medicinal canabis were legal in SD, then more people could get better treatment for certain health problems.
Jackley’s just trying to play to the elderly and aging demographics with his priorities here. Can’t blame him though, he really needs those people if he wants to become Governor. He’s really got to get moving on busting those dopers! Go get ’em Jackboots! Good boy!
I suspect Jackley could care less about the prosecution of two out-of-state residents who acted as contractors for Native Americans. What is really going on is his attempt to further extend state enforcement to reservations and also bolster his tough on crime facade. If Native Americans thought they had been exploited, they could have used court system themselves. Jackley will not be getting anything more for Native Americans. He also assumes they have pot seeds that he wants them to turn over to him. All tribes all over SD should be watching this Jackley charade with concern and good lawyers if they want to protect their sovereignty.
That said, I think it is time to do away with reservations and any special status of Native Americans. After generations have demonstrated that the reservation system is a curse to them.
Leave it to Wiken to get totally derailed and call for the dissolution of reservations on a post discussing marijuana and a derelict attorney general.
Maybe we should abolish the United States government since it only really works a few with money and property.
Fortunately tribal governments won’t heed Wiken’s advice and continue to survive like they have for hundreds of years. Like it or not, Indians would not be here today if it were not for their tribalism
Leave it to Roger to ignore the primary point in his press for special privileges for tribalism that causes problems all over the world for democratic government and government that is not corrupted by family ties.
Hire the lawyers to fight Jackley if you actually give a real care for tribal sovereignty.
Tribal governments usually have attorneys on staff and also retain attorneys outside of the tribe to handle special interests.
In addition to tribal and local attorneys tribes are also represented in Washington, D.C. to handle Indian trust issues.
Calling for the end of the reservations is stupid, you may not like it Wiken, but it is what it is.
Mr. Wiken, tribalism is just a fact of life in our neck of the woods. You need to embrace it, and learn to navigate it.
I coined the term Marty Jackboots way back in 2010, bout time the MSM in SD come around to using the term. Only took 6 years :)
http://www.southdacola.com/blog/2010/10/sd-ag-jackboots-has-a-very-skewed-view-of-the-first-amendment/
Never understood why bloggers hide behind pseudonyms and verbal masks…anonymous comments are so basically un-American…
I don’t understand how some people can’t navigate a simple website before making assumptions;
http://www.southdacola.com/blog/about-2/
South DaCola is website dedicated to the editorial cartoons of Scott L. Ehrisman. Most of the subject matter relates to South Dakota.
Lars – would you also call James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin “un-American”?
Because Madison, Hamilton, and Jay wrote the Federalist Papers under the pseudonym “Publius”.
Ben Franklin wrote under several pseudonyms including Alice Addertongue, Anthony Afterwit, Benevolus, Caelia Shortface, Martha Careful, Polly Baker, Richard Saunders (Poor Richard), and Silence Dogood.
Thomas Paine famously signed some of his writings with the pseudonym “Common Sense”.
It seems pseudonyms have long been associated with speech including speech from our founding fathers. Can’t get much more American than that.
Craig, don’t forget Samuel Langhorne Clemens!
Founders probably used pseudonyms because using their real names would have caused them to be imprisoned by the British. Iran, Iraq, Turkey, etc. are busily imprisoning journalists and others who do not tow the government standard lines and myths or religious lunacy.