Last updated on 2023-10-07
The Board of Economic Development gave out more Big Ag socialism Wednesday.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development reports that the board approved a $4,400,000 grant to Riverview LLP to upgrade and convert the Redstone CAFO in Kingsbury County from a feeder cattle operation holding a maximum of 22,550 cattle to a dairy housing 25,000 mature milk cows. Riverview is the Minnesota corporation that bought out the EB-5-visa-funded CAFO dairy that Rick Millner bankrupted in Veblen back in 2011. Riverview runs mega-dairies in five states and has more money and assets than most of the people reading this blog. But it needs $4.4 million from us taxpayers (facilitated by its Republican-insider consultants at A1 Development Solutions) to get another dairy going. Riverview received $1.3 million from GOED in 2020 to build a dairy in Clark County, and Redstone Feeders LLC received $1.53 million from GOED that same year. Riverview got another $1.3-millon grant from GOED in 2019 for the Clark County project. Ah, crony-capitalism.
The Board of Economic Development also threw $751,241 at Norway Pork OP LLC to build a new sow facility in Turner County. Norway Pork OP just won a Supreme Court case upholding is 2020 conditional use permit (but still granting that the neighbors who sued had standing and that their complaint was sufficiently debatable and non-frivolous that Norway Pork was not entitled to extract attorney fees from the losing side). Norway Pork OP got a $651,600 handout from GOED in 2021.
Thank goodness South Dakotans pay so much in taxes that we can afford to give handouts to prop up big agricultural corporations.
Yes, 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 now a socialized water system are all fine with Republicans in South Dakota but then they insist single-payer medical insurance is socialized medicine.
To be fair, we only socialize the risk; profit is still capitalized.
What a colossal waste of taxpayer money.
Why not some money for Spitzmur?
How long before 25k milch cows petition Noem Nothing for the right to dump more ammonia and other wastes into state water? If magats sincerely cared about border problems they would order all cafos to sign American workers only, but they won’t, because you know how much magats like cheap labor for their big ag and corporate friends.
How much would free school lunch for every student cost? That would be a better use of tax dollars than big hangouts to corporate agriculture.
@Nick: School meal prices vary widely across the country. Prices are set by local school districts, usually with school board oversight. The following table lists typical prices for paid meals during the 2022-23 school year. The data was collected in SNA’s 2023 School Nutrition Trends Survey, which included responses from 1,230 SNA member school districts nationwide. Rising food and labor costs have forced many school districts to consider increasing prices for SY2022-23.
Lunch Breakfast
Elementary $2.75 $1.73
Middle $3.00 $1.75
High $3.00 $1.80
Unpaid Meals and Charge Policies
No one wants a child to go hungry or feel shame—especially those working in school cafeterias. School nutrition professionals work throughout the year to enroll struggling families in the free and reduced price meal program and to make the cafeteria a welcoming, safe space for students.
5.1 million dollars Given Away to 2 ag companies? Sounds like Ag Conmunism to me by Noens Communist employees.
The guy who is cold calling and is new in insurance or the gal opening a bakery or resto, do they get any Grants from these Commie Republican employees of GOED?
Huge waste of money! Our money!
A progressive Governor and Legislature can shrink GOED down 99%.
If you opened up your 1 Person Legislature as I suggested (pass no laws, levy no taxes, donate money, create super awesome projects, just use your checkbook or savings account!), you could give out small grants ($10 to $100 each) to small innovative businesses.
GOED should be shrunk. Libertarians and Progressives alike would agree on that. Have a Libertarian Progressive ticket for Governor next time, Governor and Lt. Governor.
Just giving away $5 million dollars away to 2 big companies, doesn’t make any sense, Republicans believe in this kind of socialism.
how much of that is state money, versus federal recovery money funded through the state?
Even Mrs. Noem’s secretary the Department of Ag and No Rules (DANR) is sounding the alarm on the Big Sioux River as more sh!t from subsidized CAFOs despoils the watershed. South Dakota will flout WOTUS until the cows come home unless or until downstream states cry foul.
$38 mmmmmmillion dollars, Mr. Nemec. $38MMMMMMMillion dollars.
That is a whole lot of mac and cheese.
The press releases always fail to mention that the funds never reach the project owners and are required to go back to the county as a condition of this program.
grudznichts again fails at research …
The total state outlay would be $3 million dollars as the Biden Administration is already paying $35 million of the increase.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-07-26/pdf/2022-15892.pdf
The taxpayers give the ag industry and anyone else involved in food production lots of federal money. At the same time, so much food is wasted that it’s shameful. Excess commodities should be given to any school that asks for them.
For the few children we have in school, the food should be free and reduced. We should feel grateful they come to school at all, especially when the powers that be try to make it an uninviting place. Many districts start so early it’s amazing they have time to eat at all. And for those who ride the bus or drive a long way, there is nothing better than a hot meal upon arrival.
The banner should read “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.