The next time you fly into Onida, Platte, Chamberlain, or Wall, be sure to thank socialism for your smooth landing. On Thursday, the South Dakota Aeronautics Commission approved spending $43 million to improve airports in those and 33 other towns, and 90% of that money will come from Uncle Sam:
South Dakotans will pay a dime on the dollar for pavement maintenance at the Platte airport, runway rehab and beacon replacement in Chamberlain, new beacon and windcone at Bison, longer runway at Wall, a new fueling station at Mobridge, and other airport improvements. The letter from DOT’s Jack Dokken to the Aeronautics Commission notes we might be able to make even more improvements thanks to the Biden bucks coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
It sure is a good thing that all of South Dakota’s neighbors care enough to send us all that money to keep us from having to raise taxes and pay for our own infrastructure.
Why does the extreme white wing of the SDGOP celebrate this brand of socialism like it does with socialized agriculture, socialized dairies, socialized cheese, socialized livestock production, a socialized timber industry, socialized air service, socialized freight rail, a socialized nursing home industry, a socialized internet, socialized gas well remediation and a socialized water system?
All those socialism things are bad, except for the cheese.
When kind folks from socialist states like CA, NY, etc, send us money for airport repairs/mtx, it frees up $$$ to propose world class shooting ranges, big RV parks in wildlife preserves, buy new airplanes and fly our governor from coast to coast, showcasing SD. We should be very proud! /s
I look at these projects a bit differently. Since Carter was skeptical of a lot of pork barrel spending and Reagan agreed and changed the way stuff got funded, there has been a required state match for these sorts of infrastructure projects. While these projects, like most such infrastructure projects, are socialist in nature, states and local governments do have to prioritize which projects will be funded and which will be left for a later time, if funded at all. Not only that but the state and local governments must put money into those projects. It isn’t just free money anymore. In South Dakota, Governor Mickelson restructured much of the state funding of these sorts of projects. I’m most familiar with the water and solid waste area. There had been decades of corruption and political favoritism involved in distribution of these federal funds, but the Micklelson reforms put the decision on a more objective basis.
A “dime on the dollar” is about as free as money could get and yet the state rejects medicaid. I doubt very few poor people
who would benefit from medicaid will be using these airports.
Donald Pay mentions priorities for socialist programs. I’m guessing priorities are either need or political expediency to get re-elected with the latter the more important and likely result.
Well…it’s complicated if you’re a Republican, but, if the federal government is down on the street corner handing out one thousand dollar bills, shouldn’t South Dakota get in line like every other state…even though our Congressional delegation voted against the appropriation, there will be ribbon cuttings and photo ops at every community with the picture and a headline in every county newspaper. The towns will puff up with pride at how hard they have worked to modernize their airport. More business will flood into their towns and cities. It is certainly evil federal money, and we should castigate it angrily until our dying day but a dime for a dollar is a deal that’s hard to beat and we’d be suckers not to take it. Don’t confuse it with Medicaid. That’s where I pay taxes so other people can go to the doctor and have expensive operations. That’s Socialized Medicine and my grandfather warned me about that. Grandpa belonged to Kiwanis and was always an “aviation booster” saying it was the way of the future and the federal government would pay most of the freight. If it’s good for business, it’s good for America.
Grudz is right about that cheese, it was great.
KIEN sure could have used some $ since the majority of users are Medicaid/Medicare patients being flown out!
Well, I do really love that bridge to those tiny towns in Nebraska just west of Vermillion. By the way the USD women just kicked old Misses butt and nobody has mentioned it once. Shame, shame.
mark–as an yote alum (that nickname started about 1970) I was glued to the screen…great win by a team with three 6 year seniors. Chloe Lamb from Onida comes from a legendary sports family going back to the 50’s. The women’s coach is very familiar to me being an assistant for Kevin Borsuch who is from the area where my new home is and who coached at Michigan Tech and UW-Green Bay…a great find by the USD administration to move the Coyote women into Division I. On to defeat 2 seed Baylor.! Mississippi never knew what hit ’em.
Some people crap on socialized medicine( medicaid), but are fine with socialized airports mainly used by the wealthy.
Socialism for wealthy should be the SD motto.
Nobody flies to Wall to eat at that steakhouse anymore. What a waste of tax dollars.
USD women beat #2 Baylor by 14 today. Congrats to them their ladies.
You saying that the USD women are Baylor’s ladies, Mr. Mike? I get that you are from Iowa, but golly a little straight up appreciation for these fine student athletes without having to insinuate they are “ladies” or for Satan’s Sake, owned by some women from Texas would go a long way to show you aren’t as misogynistic as some say you are.
A fellow yelled at me today, I am not making this up, a very profane yet accurate beller about how the Texas ladies got treated.
You know grudz those Vermintown women clobbered two teams who will have two women drafted in the top three in the professional ranks. Chloe Lamb from Onida and her teammates aren’t done yet. 5hey are fantastic.
Mr. Anderson, as usual you are righter than right.