According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, only three grants have gone out this year from the Future Fund, the Governor’s unchecked slush fund. As of May 31, Governor Kristi Noem has disbursed $900,000 to the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation, $300,000 to the Ellsworth Development Authority, and $300,000 to Canadian milk maker Agropur’s Lake Norden plant just twelve miles from her house.
While any corporate welfare should gall good South Dakota conservatives, we may take some small solace in noticing that GOED reports Governor Noem has been writing Future Fund checks at a far slower pace than her predecessor. From January through May of 2018, GOED reports that Governor Dennis Daugaard doled out over $2.75 million in eleven checks from the Future Fund.
Noem has been closer to Daugaard’s pace on Workforce Development grants from the Future Fund. So far this year (January through May reported), she’s given out only two such checks, $63,000 to Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls and $50,000 to 3M in Brookings. In the first five months of 2018, Daugaard gave $79,000 in Workforce Development funds to Hybrid Turkey of Beresford, $45,000 to Vantage Point of Mitchell (for what, hiring someone to handle Dusty Johnson’s consulting job while he ran for U.S. House?), and $3,000 to Custom Roto Mold of Lennox. Noem’s total $113K is 11% less than Daugaard’s $127K, but it is interesting to note that Noem’s two grants went to massive multinational corporations while Daugaard’s three early 2018 checks went to smaller outfits (though that turkey operation is part of Dutch Hendrix Genetics).
Governor Noem may not be up to speed yet on writing corporate welfare checks compared with the previous administration, but she’s also not up to speed on targeting her handouts to businesses most in need of a government hand.
Isnt there supposed to be a check coming to the School for the Blind/Northern State Project. You know the project that got 2.5 Million from Daugaard(SD Board of Regents – July) and the $5 million in city funds. No tax dollars were supposed to be used and that was the phrase I was told several times. Now they are saying No Legislative Dollars were uses.
10 million in public money which converts to 18% of the $55 million project.
That these are grants and not loans is particularly disgusting. The governor just hands free money -taxpayer’s money- out wherever she pleases?!? That’s entirely outrageous. Yet South Dakotans are not outraged, at least, not enough of them.
“Workforce Development grants.” I take it these are supposed to lead to jobs and careers? Does the government track the effectiveness of these grants?
Debbi, it’s not just Noem but governors before her.