Kristi Noem agrees with me that South Dakota’s economy is unacceptably stagnant:
Noem cited the state’s slow economic growth, saying South Dakota’s Gross Domestic Product, a measure of economic output, lags behind the national average.
“We’re just kind of treading water right now,” Noem said.
In fact, South Dakota’s GDP growth in the third quarter of 2017, the latest statistics available from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state’s GDP growth was .5 percent. That was the lowest rate of growth of any state. The slow growth largely was due to low commodity prices [Nick Lowrey, “Noem Makes Campaign Stop in Pierre,” Pierre Capital Journal, 2018.04.08].
We’ve already seen Marty Jackley cite my blog to boost his campaign; now the governor’s race is getting so tough that it’s driving Kristi Noem to sound like my blog.
Alas, Noem sounds like G. Mark Mickelson when it comes to proposing policies to boost our economy—just build more CAFOs:
Noem said state government could help diversify the state’s largest industry, agriculture, by more aggressively identifying the best locations for concentrated animal feeding operations such as dairies, feedlots and pig barns [Lowrey, 2018.04.05].
Noem insists she’s looking for “that next big industry” like the usurers Bill Janklow lured in the 1980s. Kristi, see my list… and maybe go talk to the Davison County Commission and tell them to get on board with the wind power boom instead of falling for the surge of ignorant Trumpy opposition.
She thinks the economy in SD is stagnant now, wait until the Trump trade wars kick in and China is no longer importing pork, beef, soy, corn… Yup, I guess we better start to diversify!
Cory,
Why isn’t Aberdeen putting wind towers in town? They could put one where they just bulldozed the hotel.
I think the best site for all feedlots, hog confinements and mega dairies is Noem’s home county. Anyone promoting CAFO development should be required to live next to one.
Right now, Yankton County has a huge target over it for Iowa-style hog development–even though the majority of the county (including farmers) doesn’t want them and the planning district study said there were no good sites for them.
A hog farmer from Sioux County, Iowa got up at a county planning commission meeting a while back and testified in favor of a CUP applicant looking to build hog barns. He mentioned that he didn’t know the applicant–he was there for another matter on the agenda. He bragged up Sioux County and the hog industry and how much money everyone was making…it’s wonderful, it’s beautiful (!), he has a great quality of life.
I scratched my head…why would someone from out of state be a planning commission meeting? What was that ‘other matter’ on the agenda he was interested in? Turns out, this guy doesn’t actually LIVE in Sioux County, he commutes from his lake house in Yankton. He was at the meeting to speak out against a neighbor wanting a variance to build an over-sized garage/shop building. It might spoil his view…it’s use might increase traffic on the road…it might lower his property value…
In the end, despite plenty of opposition, the hog guy got his variance and CUP. The variance for the B&B garage at the lake was denied.
:facepalm:
Cory,
What is your problem with CAFO’s?
Jason’s excuses for not calling Lalley to debate Cory:
1. Jason is waiting for Lalley to contact him on DFP to arrange the debate.
2. Lalley won’t have Jason on because Lalley is afraid to debate Jason.
3. Roger doesn’t know the definition of ‘excuse’.
4.
Jason’s ‘excuses’ not to debate Cory on Lalley.
1. Jason is waiting for Lalley to contact him via DFP to arrange the debate.
2. Cory doesn’t know about taxes.
3. Lalley is afraid to debate Jason.
4. Roger doesn’t know the definition of ‘excuses’.
5.
She’s right, for once. The economy is stagnant. It’s too bad that we no longer have a president like this: https://i.imgur.com/n6Wb4nn.jpg