In today’s Stupid Things Our Governor Says Department, an eager reader notes that Governor Kristi Noem says on the radio that South Dakota is advertising to lure businesses from Minnesota because “their government is just choking the life out of their businesses and their families“:
We’re specifically targeting Minnesota because obviously they’re a border state and the businesses in Minnesota are really struggling right now, so the reason for that is… my goodness, their government is choking the life out of their businesses and their families [Gov. Kristi Noem, transcribed from audio, in Mike Tanner, “Noem: ‘Minnesota Government Is Choking the Life Out of Their Businesses and Families’,” KWAT Radio, 2020.08.06].
Um, Kristi? It’s not government or masks that are choking the life out of businesses and families. The autopsies all say it’s the coronavirus.
But there I go talking science again.
To target them and send our message of South Dakota, the low tax burden we have, the low regulatory burden, but also the fact that they—the leadership here is not going to shut down their businesses and restrict them based on, based on nothing that stands infectual scientific information, is a message that’s really resonating. So, yes, I’ve talked to so many families that are calling and requesting information on how to move here, businesses that are looking for opportunities to move to South Dakota. In the next few weeks we’ll have several big announcements for South Dakota but also all kinds of incredible small little businesses are coming [Noem, in Tanner, 2020.08.06].
Again, it appears South Dakota is recruiting idiots. You shouldn’t have to call state government to figure out how to move to South Dakota; you call Century 21 and U-Haul, you box up your stuff, and you move. The only reason you’re calling the Governor’s office is that you’re asking for some kind of handout, some way to screw the government instead of contributing your fair share to the public good.
Maybe that’s why Governor Noem is testing the choking line: she’s playing to the mindset of kinky out-of-staters who think coming to South Dakota somehow represents a switch from submissive to dominant.
Along with her backhanded dismissal of all science, Noem again dismisses the media, encouraging her drones to ignore all reported facts as “negativity” and offering the treacly blinders of optimism:
I feel like when I listen to the news and I open up newspapers that we’re hearing a lot of negative things. And I just want to encourage people to stay optimistic…. We should be waking up every day grateful we live in this country, grateful we live in South Dakota. You know, we’re doing well… [Noem, in Tanner, 2020.08.06].
Hmm.. in five months, coronavirus has killed 76% more South Dakotans than car crashes did in all of 2019. South Dakota’s coronavirus death toll is 141, higher than the annual deaths from suicide in South Dakota in any year from 1997 to 2012 and on pace to beat the recent annual average of 164 suicides a year by September. Travel spending and hotel occupancy were down around 30% in July… why doesn’t that feel like “doing well”?
But hey, our Governor is speaking to one constituency, a White House that believes saying certain self-supporting words over and over will supplant any facts and expertise… which means our Governor will continue to say really stupid, insensitive things.
So what type of person will move their company across the border?
A good chance someone who does not care about their present workers. Not the type of company you want.
Low wages and let them die is not a way to attract workers to come to South Dakota. So if all South Dakota cares about is business and not workers, they talk that way. Minnesota also has some rather right wing republicans. One of our legislators gave a speech early in the pandemic saying very scornfully, “Do you know that 48% of those that died in New York were obese?” Did he forget that means that 52% were not obese and he did not care about them dying either. All he cared about was opening the economy for the money. Only fifteen republicans voted with him, but the next week they kept out the stupid speech and most of the republicans voted to open it right up. That was way back when my county did not even have one case yet while we watched Smithfield across the border.
If S.D. is so great to live in than how come over 16% of S.D. children live in poverty? This is from the US bureau of poverty statistics 2018. That is startlingly high. MN has one of the lowest rates of poverty rates in the nation. One has a much harder life if you happen to be poor in a stingy red state.
I still object to phrasing that denotes businesses have “life.” The equivocation of business and people is demeaning (and not at all pro-life in a larger context). This is the equivocation that justifies premature re-opening because the stakes – “life” – are even on each side. I do not see that to be the case.
Are MN transgender business owners allowed to move to S.D., Kristi? I’m sure she and all the other anti LGBTQ Republican haters would love that. I’ll tell them to bring their pride flags. Hey, love is 💕 love!
How about Somali Muslim businesses that vote Democrat Kristi? MN has thousands of wonderful hardworking Muslims . Would Kristi and her GOP followers open their arms to those businesses? Come on Kristi! SD needs more Democrats!
Ah yes …… our taxes are low; but we don’t get much for them.
great places , low wages South Dakota, thank you internet companies outside of state for employing family great wages.
Kruel Kristi is just like her hero.
“At least one person in the United States has died every 80 seconds on average over the last seven days, according to new research, as President Donald Trump said the nation’s soaring death toll ‘is what it is’ in a recent interview.”
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As far as the Minnesotans who would be eager to move to SoDak? Thank you, Kruel Kristi, for solving a problem for us. You can take all the oafs. We’ll trade them for the many decent and good South Dakotans.
Kristi is way over her head when it comes to governing! She should take one of the minimum wage jobs that she is proud of!!! By the way our low wage low tax state just causes a big brain drain as the young people are moving to states where they can get a livable salary. Not everybody gets a big check from the government in the ag bill….Kristi and her brothers did!!!!
This really stupid and insensitive person we have as governor has blinders on her focus. Like our faithful old work horses had blinders on their bridles to keep them focused on the path in front of them. Trouble is, in our cases, the governor’s blinders are self-imposed as she refuses to govern for the good of all, but more for the good of a few (and herself).
Minnesota folks can read and see what a failed state GNOem is choking to death. Lovely article on how not to govern a state.
“More than 900 workers at a single meatpacking plant in South Dakota were infected with the coronavirus over the course of just five weeks, showing how quickly it can rip through an essential workforce toiling away in close quarters.
Those numbers come from a report released Thursday examining the Smithfield pork facility in Sioux Falls, which was home to one of the worst COVID-19 clusters in the country this spring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state officials studied the outbreak to learn how it got so out of control.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-smithfield-meatpacking-plant-cdc-report_n_5f2da621c5b6b9cff7f19790
Let us all hope the Minnesootians take notice, Mr. jerry, and stay the hell at home.
Noem clearly used “choking to death” approving the LRO murder of of which ignited the latest resurgence of the peoples righteous prosecution of Jim Crow in America.