Last month when the President threatened to “send in the Feds!” to address rising crime in Chicago (but of course didn’t follow up with any concrete policy proposal for a complicated problem), I suggested he might have more cause for threatening federal intervention in Rapid City, where the murder rate is even higher than in Chicago.
Apparently Kristi Noem reads Dakota Free Press. Pointing to rising crime rates in Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and statewide, our Congresswoman calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to send in the Feds or something to South Dakota:
…As you begin your work, I write today to make you aware of an urgent matter in my state.
In his inaugural address, President Trump lamented the decaying state of public safety in our country, a theme he highlighted throughout his campaign. However, while the President has focused primarily on crime in America’s large cities, it is critical that we address issues in rural areas, as well. South Dakota’s small towns, for example, have traditionally been safe places in which to live and raise a family, but in recent years, our communities have been increasingly threatened by a precipitous rise in violent crime [Rep. Kristi Noem, letter to U.S. Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, 2017.02.21].
Funny that the Trump Administration, which has vowed to work for “the forgotten men and women of our country,” would need a reminder not to forget about helping rural America deal with crime.
Rep. Noem points to FBI stats showing a 118% increase in the rate of violent crime from 2005 to 2015. Hewing to the argument offered by the Governor and others, Rep. Noem says that opioid and meth use and gangs are driving this increase in violent crime. She doesn’t mention refugees or immigrants as causes of violence in South Dakota; her S.O.S. to A.G. Sessions only mentions “Mexican drug cartels” as the source of our violence-driving meth.
Given law enforcement’s concerns, one might think that a logical response would be to make it harder for drug dealers and users to get firearms. But like her President, Rep. Noem proposes not even a sketch of a solution:
I have met with numerous state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers during my tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. I fully support their work on the front lines. To supplement their work, I would like to meet with you as you evaluate the nation’s law enforcement needs so we can discuss the situation in South Dakota and other rural states. Additionally, I urge you to redouble your agency’s efforts to combat drug trafficking, gang proliferation, as well as the violent crime that all too often follows [Noem to Sessions, 2017.02.21].
Let’s talk, and do more of whatever you’re doing—no specifics, just a conservative Republican asking the federal government to expand its power and activity in South Dakota.
I kind of miss the days when Republicans were afraid of the federal government. Oh well—send in the Feds!
Give the subsidy queen a break,How many millions has she got in farm subsidies,Did she tell you aboout her pension she is going to get when she gets 62 for being in Congress .How about health care she can get.Was their a bill out there that was to show Draft Dodger trumps taxes ,Did she voter for that or not.
Rep. Noem is running against the Attorney General of South Dakota and out of the blue becomes interested in the rising crime rate, goes over Jackley’s head and tries to make him look impotent nationally? Who’s strategizing your campaign, Rep. Noem? Chad Haber?
The clearest way to respond to increased crime is to provide increased jobs and increased pay that would go with those jobs. NOem, where are the jobs girl? We don’t need more cop jobs, we need more real jobs that pay a living wage here in the land of high unemployment. While you are speaking with tribal leaders, why not ask them about the high unemployment rates that force folks into a survival mode. In South Dakota, NOem’s lack of leadership causes our unemployment rate to be North of 30%, all things considered. This from a state that is so damn broke, we do not pay our bills on time.
Looks like a pretty thinly disguised shot across the bow of the AG, but smells like a pretty lame stunt. Should be fun these next 16 months to watch these two wrestle in the mud.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C7s8ZpDCkVk/WKom5lVxZcI/AAAAAAABkn4/8gSMN9GKl1Yj3j8mXKFNZ_8OzYL4rVefQCLcB/s640/x%2Bguns%253Amental%2Billness.jpg
Want a real response from wingnut Warshington, tell them HRC was recently spotted hitch hiking west along I-29 and looks to be armed and dangerous.
Clever, mfi, but you realize I-29 runs north-south, right? /cp
Tell us if their was a bill to vote for that trump would have to show his tax return did she vote for this,
Curt- you know at one time I did know that, but i haven’t been on either I-29 or I-90 in about a million years. Thanks for sparing me the tar and feathers of Grudz and others.
I will certainly take a closer look at Interstates next time HRC goes hitch hiking. :)
“Given law enforcement’s concerns, one might think that a logical response would be to make it harder for drug dealers and users to get firearms.”
To me this is where you have to start. Availability is a major problem. Of course to some MORE guns are the answer
Should have sent the Feds in on Gear Up and EB-5.
Gee, Francis, those events would be part of that crime surge Kristi is talking about. Hmm… how much of that will she hang on her Republican opponent’s neck?
Ye gads mfi, the pig calling Joni in your home state, got run outa town from her constituents. Who do you have to run against her there?
check this out. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/21/1636338/-Constituents-erupt-as-Senator-Joni-Ernst-flees-town-hall-after-only-a-handful-of-questions
I’m still waiting for the Noem town hall during recess. I checked her Facebook and Twitter accounts, and I find no event announcements, not even any pictures of her adventures around the state, just a couple pics of her son and dog. She must be so worried about all that crime that Marty Jackley let happen that she’s staying home at the bunker.
I’m white and live on a reservation and I can tell you that this is making many tribal members, not to mention many immigrants in the state, very, very nervous. Language like this is often code for the greenlighting of discrimination and persecution of minority groups based on falsified notions and perceptions of those groups either being criminal elements or at increased risk for being criminal elements.
Indians are already being scapegoated for the increased crime rate in Rapid City (and a blatantly racist and anti-homeless mayor certainly doesn’t help), and we are hearing here that anti-Indian sentiment is increasing even more than usual in other areas, particularly near reservations. I’m hearing whispers of the same against the immigrant communities in Sioux Falls and in other areas of the state.
Indians are especially concerned about federal involvement because, while they are not subject to state jurisdiction on reservation lands, they are, indeed, subject to federal jurisdiction. For very obvious reasons, this is of great concern to them and it should be to all of us.
Trump’s deliberate whipping up of sentiment against immigrants for being “responsible for more crime” (which has been shown to be blatantly false, not that facts matter at all to him or his supporters and sycophants in the government, including NOem) is a well-worn fascist tactic and should have no place here or anywhere else in the nation. It’s infuriating that more people cannot see through this and see what he is doing.
NOem has a terrible relationship with the tribes in this state because she refuses to communicate with them and, on the rare occasions when she does, displays very little cultural understanding or sensitivity and is appallingly ignorant regarding tribal history and concerns and cares little about them. Trump and Sessions have been on record as being anti-Indian; Trump, especially, has a well-documented antipathy against them going back decades. NOem is such a Trump groupie, and is so enamored of his fascist authoritarianism, that she couldn’t care less about his attitude toward fifteen percent of her state constituents and has no understanding or concern for what is about to befall them, and how her “request” appears to them.
Laurisa, if you want Sam Kooiker back, he is city manager in my hometown of Cherokee, iowa.
Jerry-grass fed Grassley fled a townhall today as well. He had an Iraqi man, a former interpreter for the US Army who was shot twice and IED’d once, is afraid of being returned and wanted to know who would protect him. Grassley told him he was only taking scripted questions.
I honestly don’t know who will take Ivanna Kuturnutzov on. The crowd yelled at her this is her last term. Cut and run wingnuts. Cowards-the whole lot of them. They will prolly draft standins to go to meetings and catch the slings and arrows meant for the cowardly pols. They like letting others do their fighting for them.
Spreading fear and offering no ‘real’ plan is straight out of the Alinski play book. Who knew that Trump and Kristi were really Saul Alinski evangelists.
Sorry, I’ve never read any of his work…pretty sure that the GOP have been the only buyers of his book.
Without an ‘enemy’ to spread fear, the likes of the Donald, Kristi, John and Mike are empty suits. Never mind. If any of the 3 of them were left to have an original thought it would be news.
We deserve better. They are embarrassing their supporters and detractors alike…that is if anyone is thinking.
Kristi Noem sells herself for money – pretty sure everyone knows it.
Kristie Noem is Libby Custer. Standing Rock has been in epic struggles against orange hair before. Go Hunkpapas!!! Stop big Oil. Stop President Trump. Stop Koch Bros. The Governors Are Afraid Of You And Called In The Feds. Wow. Be Very Afraid Of Phyliss Young!!!
“Ivanna Kuturnutzov” – that’s a hoot mfi!
Now I get it. ???
Ivanna is a former KGB agent and there’s another connection to Russia and America.
jerry you have it right, just take the isolated microcosm of rapid city for example, here you have 6 or so ruling families that pay their people next to nothing, forcing many families where at least one parent has to work 2 jobs, if not BOTH, just to make ends meet. This fosters a community that has children roaming around the streets of rapid city unsupervised and its residents has to put up with the crime! I grew up in Minneapolis and was NEVER a victim of crime until i moved to rapid city where a WHITE person stole my wallet!
and for mike from iowa, at least Kookier turned rapid city into a place someone might consider visiting, because before, that place was a DUMP!
lowly independent, I tell ya, this Rapid City has gotten so much better in the last couple/few years, I don’t even know where to begin to tell ya. When I first moved to RC area, for the first few years, I thought it was damn near torture, but last couple years have brought a good number of cool places to hang out, good coffee joints, great beer joints, good and great new restaurants, etc. Seriously, I could easily plug 10 new businesses in the area.
Rapid City isn’t a figurative dump anymore. The more development we get, the happier guy I become. The state of South Dakota doesn’t have squat to do with my Black Hills area – completely independent economy. It’s getting easier and easier to make myself believe that I don’t really live in South Dakota. I truly feel bad for all you SD flat landers. No joke. My heart goes out to you.
Rapid City rednecks are constantly complaining about Native American panhandlers in downtown Rapid City and how much crime they cause. Allender recently agreed with that sentiment.
I’ve lived in Rapid City for 25 years and have never had a problem with panhandlers, white or Indian.
As to 45’s answer to crime in Chicago, the only further comment I heard was that he would send in 900 ATF agents, didn’t say what their mission would be or if he actually sent them.
Such a knee-jerk tribalistic swath of pathetic commentary. CAH is a pillar of intellect here, even as progressive as it is. I despise trump, possibly more than any of you, but whenever I read this blog I am disappointed that so few open minds are to be found.
But enough about us, Roger. How do you feel about Republicans calling for an increased federal role in state law enforcement? Do you read Noem’s letter as a serious effort to formulate a new policy or just a political ploy to soften up her primary opponent in the governor’s race?
I am afraid no one can compete with Kristi’s $9 million. Her advertising budget will very likely purchase the public opinion of South Dakota – as these voters are poor judges of character and have a real hard time discerning between a state and Federal issue.
Want to solve the problem? Democrats should consider running in R primaries. We can fill all the legal criteria for doing so, and then be honest about who we are and where we stand on the issues. If Rs want a one party state, let’s give it to them, because f ’em anyways.
Adam, if we are honest about who we are, then we run as Democrats. I do not believe that running in the primary against an established Republicans provides an honest Democrat with any numerical advantage. We definitely do not create an advantage for ourselves running in a primary against Noem and Jackley. Let them beat each other up all year with ploys like Kristi’s letter to Sessions. We should focus on our own honest organizing.
Adam – I agree, I can’t believe what has been done downtown in recent years, 1 day i rode M-hill stopped in for some bike repairs at BH bike and while they were working on it, i was able to hit up that micro-brew, it was nice! Wish that was all there when I was around, ho hum…
Yeah! That new micro brew place by that bike shop is great! and we get food trucks that park all around there in the summer, AND their food is good and sometimes great too! Lowly Indy Dude, there was no way for you to know that sticking it out in Rapid City might be worth it. I didn’t see all this cool stuff coming at all, and then it was all just suddenly here.
Cory, to be honest about who you are is to give yourself an honest shot at winning a race. Approx. 25% of Rs turnout for primary elections, and they are far less effected by the ‘fog of war’ that National Politics produces. Conservative media messaging crescendos at the end of October, intentionally generating the most fear/hate for liberals that can possibly be produced. If Ds run in R primaries, they might avoid falling victim to outside money as bigly [lol] as they do in the general elections. Primary races are cheaper as well, which further helps level the playing field.
In 2016, when SD voted to make it almost impossible for Independent candidates to get their names printed on the ballot, and for the conservative cheat sheet to remain printed on the ballot, they formally requested that we harden this one party system enough to keep everyone else out. That’s what the voters want, they said it, not me [lol].
So what would it look like if they got exactly what they want, and Democrats still refuse give up?
D and I voters of a district would register R to vote in the primary and out-number the low R turnout. The numbers do work in many R districts. D candidates would force conserva-voters to pay enough attention to figure who the candidates are long before their TV tells them to.
It’s just a thought.
When you’re playing a board game with people who cheat, and you just can’t seem to catch them red handed, it is silly to think you’ll beat them by playing conventionally – as cheating techniques are only devised to beat the conventional player.
Imagine: playing by the rules, being 100% honest along the way, and changing the game enough to give yourself a chance.
Cory, I don’t take her letter seriously at all. I think it’s just am outstretched hand for political points.
I actually believe the time is ripe for a third party to gain traction. One of the main parties is going to fracture, and I’m betting on the gop
Cory,
Kristi’s letter was simply grandstanding and preparation for the Hughes County republican dinner where she knew Marty would be present.
If you think about it, the U.S. Attorney General can do little or nothing about state or local crime other than send in federal troops. Sending in troops is not the answer, it is only a response.
Kristi is good at seeming to care and than turning around and do something harmful.
The ones that come to mind are her votes against WAVI and her pretended concern for Indian healthcare.
Even while visiting the IHS hospital in Pine Ridge and sharing her concern with tribal leaders she was voting against further funding for IHS.
Kristi is doing something about crime in South Dakota, just not sure she connects the dots.
She is supporting making sure that the mentally ill can have as many guns as they want and then adding fuel to the fire by making sure that they can’t have their mental illness covered under health insurance.
Well played Kristi…well played.
Jana,
In Rapid City we no longer have mental healthcare services for those that need it.
Rapid City Regional Hospital closed its treatment center and the city responded by providing more jail cells for those with mental disabilities.
Prison cells for mental illness? Good grief—what a Trumpy response.