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Family Heritage Alliance Endorses TenHaken for SF Mayor

Hey, Sioux Falls! If Paul TenHaken’s pulpit-and-politics-mixing church and the hyperpartisan Minnehaha County GOP already convinced you that Paul TenHaken will bring nothing but wingnut theocracy to your city hall, check out Family Heritage Alliance’s endorsement of TenHaken for mayor:

Family Heritage Alliance, PAC Facebook post, 2018.04.20.
Family Heritage Alliance, PAC Facebook post, 2018.04.20.

Why should Sioux Falls voters be alarmed at having their next mayor in the pocket of the Family Heritage Alliance?

  1. Family Heritage Alliance is among the “Christian” theocrats fomenting anti-Muslim scapegoating.
  2. Family Heritage Alliance supports religious discrimination in adoption.
  3. Family Heritage Alliance has fought increased funding for pre-K education.
  4. Family Heritage Alliance is rooting for a more conservative Republican governor so they can wage more war over where transgender South Dakotans potty.
  5. Family Heritage Alliance criticized efforts by Sioux Falls students to combat bullying.
  6. Family Heritage Alliance sued to overturn IM 22 and supported the Republican repeal of that anti-corruption initiative because FHA wants to hide who’s paying for its push for theocracy.
  7. Family Heritage Alliance thinks the best policy for water shortages is to pray for rain.
  8. Family Heritage Alliance wanted to cut the minimum wage for young workers, part of a broader pattern of ignoring real bread-and-butter economic issues to strengthen families.

Sioux Falls, the Family Heritage Alliance isn’t good for families or business. Their endorsed candidate isn’t good for mayor. Stick with Jolene Loetscher, who will keep her church out of your business.

65 Comments

  1. Jason 2018-04-20 12:28

    Cory,

    What theocracy is he going to bring to Sioux Falls?

    Please be specific since you made the charge?

  2. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-20 13:24

    Again, Jason, repetition.

    Read what I read above for specific examples of FHA-approved religiously based policy and oppression.

  3. Ryan 2018-04-20 13:31

    I don’t read that as any “charge” or accusation. Cory is asking his readers how the public views the support of a local political candidate by multiple religious organizations.

    Cory did not say that Paul will bring theocracy to Sioux Falls. Cory asked whether Paul’s church and the Minnehaha County GOP, through their support of Paul, have convinced people that Paul will let religion be a focus of his public service. I think it’s a fair question when any political candidate receives support from multiple, vocal religious groups.

  4. Jason 2018-04-20 13:34

    Ryan,

    This is what Cory said:

    “that Paul TenHaken will bring nothing but wingnut theocracy to your city hall”

  5. Ryan 2018-04-20 13:55

    Jason, that is part of what Cory said.

    Read the beginning of the sentence.

    “If Paul TenHaken’s pulpit-and-politics-mixing church and the hyperpartisan Minnehaha County GOP already convinced you…”

    Remove those confusing adjectives, and the sentence says “If Paul TenHaken’s church and the Minnehaha County GOP already convinced you…”

    Cory is saying that support from those two organizations may have convinced some people that Paul will run Sioux Falls with a religious state of mind. And like I said, I think it’s a fair issue to raise. If Jolene Loetscher was publicly supported by the KKK and didn’t denounce their crazy beliefs, I think it would be fair for people to wonder about her style of potential mayoring.

  6. Jason 2018-04-20 13:59

    Religious state of mind?

    If you noticed, Cory didn’t answer my question because he has no answer to it. The mayor doesn’t make law.

  7. Ryan 2018-04-20 14:24

    Jason,

    Where did Cory say Paul would make laws?

    You misunderstood Cory’s post, then wanted to challenge it based on your misunderstanding. The question that you posed does not make sense, Cory answering it would make no sense, either.

    You often ask irrelevant questions and then act surprised when people don’t answer them. That surprise is either real or just for show. I’m not sure which of those makes you seem less intelligent.

  8. John Kennedy Claussen, Sr. 2018-04-20 14:32

    Yep, I would say that this endorsement pretty much speaks for itself in many ways. And now I pray that Tapio will endorse TenHaken too….. ;-)

  9. Jason 2018-04-20 14:35

    So are we all in agreement that TenHaken cannot make laws based on theocracy?

    Ryan, you didn’t address my question of “religious state of mind?

    Most people are religious in America.

    Is Jolene religious?

    I have never looked into if a person is religious or not that is running for an office.

  10. Ryan 2018-04-20 14:46

    Jason, you simply added a question mark to an dependent clause from one of my sentences. I don’t know how to answer what isn’t even really a question. I doubt you really aren’t sure what I meant, but I’ll clarify: In my comment, replace “…will run Sioux Falls with a religious state of mind.” with “will run Sioux Falls with religion inappropriately impacting his decisions in light of the separation of church and state.”

    I think you and I agree that the mayor of Sioux Falls doesn’t make laws, sure.

    Do you think that making new laws is the only way politicians govern?

    Most people in American may be religious, sure, I don’t know but I would guess that is correct. I have no idea if Jolene is religious. I know nothing about her except her name. I used her as an example of a similar political candidate to Paul TH to make the analogy that if she were publicly supported by a crazy religious group, people might think she shares some beliefs with that organization unless she says otherwise.

  11. mike from iowa 2018-04-20 14:48

    Cory does not have to answer your questions, Jason. This is Cory’s toy, not yers. Go start yer own blog with Sibby or some other cuckoo and demand answers from those that show up, if any bother to. Your Drumpfian antics get old in a hurry.

  12. Jason 2018-04-20 17:21

    Ryan,

    Please explain how he will bring theocracy into Sioux Falls government?

  13. Jason 2018-04-20 17:25

    Mike,

    Where did I demand he answer my questions?

    Pointing out he didn’t answer them is not demanding.

  14. David Duffy 2018-04-20 18:13

    Cory:
    The last I knew, you did NOT live in Sioux Falls!! Why are you even concerned with who the voters want or do NOT want to be their next mayor?? It’s none of you business!! Don’t you live in Aberdeen??
    I’m sure if Paul was a NON Christian you would have no problem with him now would you!!

  15. Rorschach 2018-04-20 18:16

    Paul Ten Haken accepts $1,000 donations that parents give in their childrens’ names to circumvent campaign finance limits.

  16. Jason 2018-04-20 18:20

    Rorshach,

    I didn’t know SD has campaign finance limits.

    Is it illegal for children to give to campaigns?

  17. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-20 18:42

    David, the mayor of South Dakota’s largest city is of interest to South Dakotans everywhere, and probably some Minnesotans and Iowans. The advance of a theocratically inclined GOP insider if of interest (and should be on concern) to people in and around Sioux Falls.

    Any regular reader knows I live in Aberdeen. Sioux Falls readers are welcome to heed, ignore, rebut, or trumpet my evaluations of the Sioux Falls mayor’s race as they see fit, as they can yours (which, by the way, we can’t evaluate in the same way until you tell everyone where you are from).

    Your hypothetical has no argumentative weight. I actually don’t know what flavor of Christianity TenHaken practices. And with a tip of my hat to any readers who still by the Trumpist-birther claim that Barack Obama isn’t really a Christian, can anyone really say for sure that TenHaken is a Christian? Maybe, as with Trump, his Christianity is all for show.

    I can make the argument of this blog post without any reference to what TenHaken’s true core religious beliefs are. The Family Heritage Alliance endorsement tells me that TenHaken has exclusive, theocratic tendencies that would be bad for Sioux Falls.

  18. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 18:44

    David Duffy
    Will you now admonish Pat Powers at the Dakota War College for reporting on the Sioux Falls mayoral race? Powers lives in Brookings, I believe.

  19. Jason 2018-04-20 18:45

    Cory wrote:

    the mayor of South Dakota’s largest city is of interest to South Dakotans everywhere, and probably some Minnesotans and Iowans.

    Please explain why Cory.

    I sure don’t care and I have never had any person not living in Sioux Falls tell me they care about who the mayor is.

  20. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-20 18:45

    But hey, suppose you accept David’s argument that out-of-town statements about Sioux Falls mayoral candidates should be ignored.

    Family Heritage Alliance is a Rapid City organization.

    All nine principal officers listed on FHA Inc’s 2016 IRS Form 990 are Rapid City folks.

  21. Jason 2018-04-20 18:47

    I don’t care who Rapid City’s mayor is either.

  22. Jason 2018-04-20 18:48

    Roger,

    I would if I go to that site. I don’t so I will not.

  23. Rorschach 2018-04-20 18:49

    Sioux Falls City Ordinance says campaign finance laws for legislative candidates apply to city raced. State law says campaign finance donation limits for legislative races are $1,000/person for people unrelated to the candidate. Exceeding that limit is a crime. State law further says that disguised contributions are prohibited, and it is also a crime to receive disguised contributions. A papa giving donations in his kids’ names to circumvent campaign finance limits appears to be exactly what the “disguised contributions” law is intended to prohibit.

    § 38.001 PREAMBLE.
    The provisions of the general election laws and administrative rules promulgated thereto of the State of South Dakota shall apply to all municipal elections unless specifically provided by city charter or city ordinance. The provisions of state law on campaign finance applicable to state legislative office shall also apply to all elected municipal positions.

    12-27-8. Limit on contributions to candidates for legislative or county office–Violation as misdemeanor. If the contributor is a person or entity, no candidate for legislative or county office or the candidate’s campaign committee may accept any contribution that in the aggregate exceeds one thousand dollars during any calendar year. A candidate campaign committee may only accept contributions from any candidate campaign committee, person, entity, political action committee, or political party.
    The limitation on any contribution from a person in this section does not apply to any contribution by the candidate or the candidate’s immediate family. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. A subsequent offense within a calendar year is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

    12-27-12. Disguised contributions prohibited–Misdemeanor. No person or entity may make a contribution in the name of another person or entity, make a contribution disguised as a gift, make a contribution in a fictitious name, make a contribution on behalf of another person or entity, or knowingly permit another to use that person’s or entity’s name to make a contribution. No candidate may knowingly accept a contribution disguised as a gift. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. A subsequent offense within a calendar year is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

  24. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 18:49

    I care who the mayor of Rapid City is, as well as Sioux Falls where I have friends and relatives.

  25. Jason 2018-04-20 18:53

    Rorschach,

    I see no mention of a child in that law. Under Federal law, when a parent gives a child money, it is their money.

    They would have to file a gift tax return if the amount is over $15,000.

  26. Jason 2018-04-20 18:54

    Good for you Roger. I’m sure you have time to.

  27. Jason 2018-04-20 18:57

    I see you edited your post Cory,

    So if it’s a Rapid City organization, why would their endorsement matter to Sioux Falls residents?

  28. Jason 2018-04-20 18:58

    Let’s talk about endorsements.

    It’s 2018 and nobody cares about endorsements.

    If they do, that means they are dumb and can’t do their own research.

  29. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 19:16

    Let’s not talk about endorsements other than those that apply to the Sioux Falls mayoral race.
    Being retired allows me time to do whatever I damn well please with my life and my time. Why do I even have to explain that?
    Scanning today’s comments on various threads Cory has had today and yesterday, I notice that Jason was up very late last night and up early this morning and throughout the day posting his moronic questions. Glad you have time to do that, Jason.

  30. Jason 2018-04-20 19:17

    You’re welcome Roger.

    I try to educate people when I can.

  31. Rorschach 2018-04-20 19:19

    The parent who made multiple donations of $1,000 in his kids’ names to the Ten Haken campaign didn’t give his kids any money. He wrote checks out of his own bank account directly to the Ten Haken campaign. He signed the checks himeslf. He acknowledged that his kids are not signers on that bank account. This is a clear case of “disguised contributions.”

  32. Jason 2018-04-20 19:21

    Put him in jail then.

  33. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 19:26

    Jason educate people, I just fell out of chair laughing.
    Jason is Trump’s Joseph Gobbels.
    Why do Trumpers always want to throw people they disagree with thrown in jail without due process. Even Trump deserves due process.

  34. Jason 2018-04-20 19:32

    Roger, are you drunk?

    I said put the guy who is breaking campaign finance law in jail.

  35. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:01

    Shouldn’t the guy breaking campaign finance laws be granted due process before being thrown in jail?

  36. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-20 20:02

    Jason,

    Why is the sky blue?

    Did you put on clean underpants this morning?

    Who is the mayor of Sioux Falls? Why is he mayor?

    Why haven’t you told us about all the times Donald Trump has gone golfing instead of going to church?

    Why haven’t you told us where you go to church?

    Why do you like asking me so many questions?

    I am not obliged to answer every question you pose if those questions are either easily answerable, already answered, or irrelevant to supporting the points being made. But here I go, catering to your incessant nitpicking.

    That the management of the largest city in South Dakota, a city most South Dakotans either live in, work in, or visit more than once each year, a city that wields significant economic, political, and media power, would interest people across South Dakota is self-evident. FHA’s keen interest in the race proves that point.

    The fact that FHA endorses a candidate demonstrates that FHA perceives that candidate will support their statewide theocratic agenda of promoting policies that favor Christians and discriminate against non-Christians. I have provided numerous policy examples. I need not reiterate.

  37. Jason 2018-04-20 20:03

    Of course Roger.

  38. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-20 20:04

    (Edited which post, Jason? Post or comment? Be clear—the post is my original work, the comments are what follow—and don’t try to create the impression that I’m changing my argument. I commented on FHA’s Rapid City base. I then added evidence from their 990 that lists nine officers, all of whom are from Rapid City.)

  39. Jason 2018-04-20 20:07

    Cory,

    Sioux Falls has no power over South Dakota. It certainly doesn’t hold significant economic and political power. As far as media power, I have no idea what you mean by media power. The media has no power at all.

  40. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:08

    Jason
    Why do you advocate throwing someone in jail without due process?

  41. Jason 2018-04-20 20:08

    Cory,

    By edited, I mean you added the sentence saying all the directors were from Rapid City.

  42. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:10

    Cory
    Thanks for a great post, I need a damn good laugh tonight.
    I have to go back to color of the sky.

  43. Jason 2018-04-20 20:10

    Roger,

    Where did I say they shouldn’t get due process?

  44. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:14

    Jason
    Why don’t you answer Cory’s questions?
    Don’t you want us to know that you didn’t change your underpants today?
    We’re waiting for your answer as why Trump goes golfing instead of going to church.
    Come on, Jason, at least some of questions are you going to surrender to Cory?

  45. Jason 2018-04-20 20:17

    Roger, I would if he asked them each in a single post.

    I’m not afraid to answer any question.

  46. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:18

    “Put him in jail then” – Jason, 4/20/18 at 19:21.
    It is a crime to put people in jail without due process, as you have suggested.

  47. Jason 2018-04-20 20:18

    I mean each question in a different post so we could concentrate on the each question at a time.

  48. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:19

    Jason just surrendered to Cory.

  49. Jason 2018-04-20 20:20

    Roger,

    Did I really have to add “after the court case” after that for you?

    In the future, I will try to remember your education level and make sure to add the details for you.

  50. Roger Cornelius 2018-04-20 20:25

    Except there is no court case, Jason. You made a simplistic comment and cannot stand being called out for it.
    I don’t need your explanations, I read what you write and if there conflicts I will call you out.
    I know quite well how our system of jurisprudence works and how people irresponsibly say, “throw her in jail”, “throw him in jail”, or “throw them in jail”. It is a stupid comment that implies that you don’t know how law and order functions.

  51. SDslim 2018-04-20 20:43

    Jason, you are a biased, right wing hack, just like Ten Haken. You wouldn’t know logic if it jumped up and bit you in the butt. Ideology, is not based on logic, respect, intelligence, science — or the least of which in your case, education. It is based on indoctrination. Something organized religion has done for centuries —- exactly the mission of the FHA!!!! You are part of the problem, not part of the solution to any problem, because of your strict adherence to what you believe, instead of the logical truth. Clinton supported abortion, so the evangelical right, by over 80%, supported Trump —- the most despicable excuse for a moral human being in the world. Now is that defense-able, and on what grounds if it is? I am tired of hearing people of your ilk trying to impress your morals, religion, beliefs — on everyone else and calling it “education”, especially when you are such a hypocrite.

  52. Jason 2018-04-20 20:55

    SDslim,

    Please list where I have my facts wrong.

  53. CLCJM 2018-04-20 21:01

    Cory, thanks for posting this! Friends messaged this to me before I even saw it in my email! One more reason to elect Jolene! And your incredible patience with nonsensical and derisive comments is amazing! Far more than TenHaken’s because he deletes comments/questions he doesn’t like from his page!

    I’d bet TenHaken is being groomed for even higher office! I’ve seen him talk at several mayoral panels and he says one thing to one group and something else to another group! BTW, Cory since you are good at looking up who is in certain groups, etc, have you seen anything about who TenHaken’s primary clients were in his Click Rain company? I’ve heard something interesting but would like to be sure of the accuracy before I put it out publicly.

  54. Pam Oberembt 2018-04-20 22:24

    Exactly! I want to know we have a mayor who will treat all people fairly and with dignity. I want a mayor who recognizesa all people’s civil rights, not the rights a particular religious affiliate thinks some of our citizens should get. Discrimination is NOT what Jesus would do! #GowithJo!

  55. Debbo 2018-04-20 22:24

    If SF elects that wingnut, they deserve him. But really, SD doesn’t need another pseudo-Christian in politics.

    Really, there must be a name for the pseudo-Christians who ignore the Gospels. Since the Gospels are all about Jesus and he –Christ– is the center of what it means to be a Christian, it follows that they’re not Christians.

    The people who are rapidly destroying evangelicalism– Falwell, Graham, Perkins, Dobson, Robertson, Jessup, etc — are the leaders of this new, nameless Old Testament religion. Their belief is a version of Sharia Law.

    Maybe that’s the name of their religion, Western Sharia!?!

    It fits. They’d like women strictly under their male control, government by religious fiat, cast out infidels and unclean (They have a Really Long List for those 2 categories.), purely theocratic government, hyper-crony capitalism, etc.

    Western Shariaism.

  56. Porter Lansing 2018-04-21 08:33

    Excellent, Debbo and Cory. The “Bullies For Jesus” need to be exposed, deposed and bloody nosed.

  57. Debbo 2018-04-21 14:57

    Thanks Porter. Kudos on your poetry too. 😊

  58. Debbo 2018-04-21 14:58

    Except they’re not for Jesus. There’s no Jesus to be found anywhere in what they say and do.

  59. mike from iowa 2018-04-21 17:02

    Jason must be after the right wing ice cream prize for the most annoying comments ever made over 24 hours on a liberal blog.

  60. CLCJM 2018-04-22 00:35

    Thanks, Cory! Wow, this is even more than what I had already found! No wonder he said his business was beter than Jolene’s becasue he made more money! His “clients”s have deep pockets!

  61. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-04-22 08:08

    There’s a lot of backscratching in PTH’s world, CLCJM. Be our Mark Zuckerberg, boost our campaigns with social media strategy and fake Twitter accounts, and we’ll reward you by helping you climb the political leader.

  62. clara hart 2018-04-23 15:11

    WoW! what a way to catch up with the news after a short reprieve.

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