Having been duped by the check-bouncing SLIC-e Corporation (drop the e, and you have a better pronunciation), you’d think the state might at least enjoy having some rent-paying tenants at the old STAR Academy.
Nope:
Tenants at the former STAR Academy campus near Custer are scrambling to find new residences and business places after receiving eviction notices from the state of South Dakota, which plans to sell the campus.
Aaron Brownson, who has lived on the campus for 14 years, received an eviction letter Friday from the state Department of Corrections. The notice says the state plans to put the campus up for sale, and he must vacate his home by Oct. 31.
Brownson said he is surprised that state officials do not want to continue collecting rent while a sale is pursued [Seth Tupper, “State Evicting Tenants at Former Juvenile Detention Campus Near Custer,” Rapid City Journal, 2019.09.30].
The Governor’s office mutters something about liability issues. But it appears that years of living on government handouts have dulled Governor Noem’s ability to sense a free-market money-making opportunity:
Steve Leonardi, one of the artists who has a studio on the campus, said state officials refused to explain why tenants could not stay longer.
“I don’t understand why they want to take us out of the equation, because we’re the only ones actually increasing the value of this place,” Leonardi said, referencing the tenant group as a whole [Tupper, 2019.09.30].
It’s bad enough the state got stiffed by its buyer, but for Pete’s sake, Governor Noem, do you really have to take your frustrations out on honest, paying tenants?
From bottom to top #SDIsGovernedByMorons.
What SDBlue so eloquently said. 😉
New state motto,SD Blue. Someone make bumper snickers.
It is only out-of-state name-callers who would call name calling “eloquent.” Perhaps it is, in Iowa.
This indicates there is a potential buyer that does not want any tenants on the property. It is quicker for the new owner to have the present owner evict tenants. Potential buyer may be leveling buildings or plan on doing a remodel and that can start much sooner if no one is on the property when new owners take possession.
Probably a crony is already in the loop to buy it. And she’ll wait to announce the buyer when the publicity dies down. She’s just another Republican crook in the Trump era.
Leave off the “Hemp” The Dope really IS in Pierre.
Dear sweet jeebus on a pogo stick ……. what a mistake.
Scott, is that potential buyer a private prison company looking to build the Jason Ravnsborg Meth Prison?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/12/california-private-prison-ban-immigration-ice
Californian assembly bans private detention prisons and ICE detention centers removing the profit angle from the prison industry. Maybe a/the new buyers hail from California.
Be just like wingnuts tom allow out of staters to meddle in South Dakota.
Thinking about Barry’s point: maybe they’ll get a crony developer to buy it for cheap, funnel some GOED workforce grants and Kristi’s broadband grants and maybe some federal funds for weatherizing and energy updates to the private developer to cover the cost of upgrades, then buy it back from him at 400% of the sale price.