Who says South Dakota doesn’t have some issues?

AT ISSUE: It was overheard recently that South Dakota doesn’t have any issues (concerns). Every thing is rosy now that we have either received or will be receiving Obama’s stimulus money. How wrong that South Dakotan was. Everything, or most everything may appear to be rosy on the surface, but it doesn’t take much scratching to see some lu-lus (short for lollapaloozas, or potential lu-lus) Below are just a few.

STATE ON ALERT
South Dakota health officials say don’t panic. However, they do warn us to be on the lookout for Swine Flu, especially those who may have been to Mexico lately. More than 2,000 cases and some 150 deaths have now been attributed to have reached near epidemic proportions in Mexico. As of today more than 200 cases in 35 states have already been reported in the United States, including one child who died. No cases have yet been confirmed in South Dakota.

It is important that we know the symptoms of Swine Flu. While they are similar to regular flu, such as fever, cough, sore throat, body ache, headache, chills and fatigue, some people also get diarrhea. If you have any of these symptoms, it is best you contact your doctor.

I know of a woman who threw out some pork chops, but you don’t have to worry. The virus is not spread through food, including pork chops.

One of the things you can do to help prevent the flu is to wash your hands several times a day with a good soap.

SENIORITY VALUE
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin says she will announce this summer what her future political intentions will be. She is now in her third two-year term in Washington.

Various political pundits have suggested she come home and run for governor. Others have indicated she should take on Senator John Thune for his seat in the U.S. Senate. Still others are saying she should stay in the U.S. House of Representatives now that she will have three terms of seniority.

Please note. I said seniority, not longevity. In this case they are two different things. For instance, I know of a couple of ex-legislators who spent many years in the sessions in Pierre, but they never rose to senior, or leadership status. Apparently Herseth Sandlin has. The value of seniority in Washington is enormous.

Take a look at some South Dakotans, from both political parties, who through their seniority played a heavy influence in our nation’s capital – Francis Case, Karl Mundt, E.Y. Berry, George McGovern, Jim Abdnor and Tom Daschle. Herseth Sandlin could also be on that list.

UNEMPLOYMENT
It is said that the folks in our small towns in South Dakota aren’t being hit as hard as those in large towns with unemployment. But that just isn’t quite right. The folks in our smaller communities have friends and relatives living and working and being laid off their jobs in our larger cities. So, nearly everyone in our state should be feeling the pinch of not having a job.

For example, as of the end of March, Watertown had 7.3 percent of its work force drawing unemployment checks while Yankton led the state with a job loss of 7.9. And that meant 630 people in Yankton were out of work. And my guess almost every one of them has friends or relatives in one or more of our smaller towns.

IN A BIND
Since Obama and his cadre started crying about the need for stricter credit regulations, South Dakota’s leadership has been in kind of a bind. There’s no question that the credit card industry needs more regulation but, at the same time, that very same industry in South Dakota employs thousands of South Dakotans. We have been told that stricter regulating that industry could put a lot of them drawing unemployment checks as well. Already, many have been laid off their credit card jobs.

President Obama recently urged Congress to start with legislation that would provide stronger consumer protections against “unfair” and “abusive” practices by credit card companies. Our leadership must decide if those companies in South Dakota are unfair and abusive.

WARRIORS’ FAREWELL
That was a recent page one headline in the Watertown Public Opinion. The news story was about the First Battalion of the 147th Field Artillery of the South Dakota National Guard deploying for service to Iraq. This includes some 300 soldiers from across South Dakota.

This is the second deployment for about 60 percent of the soldiers from the headquarters in Watertown and Sisseton, Aberdeen’s Battery A, Yankton’s Battery C, and the 147th Forward Support Company of Mitchell, Sioux Falls and Webster. Some of these National Guardsmen and Guards women are on their third tour of duty, having volunteered for duty with other units.

I don’t have to mention how proud we are of our National Guard personnel. Nor do we have to mention their pride in serving their state and nation, but what is tough is saying, “Goodbye.” Only those who have had to say, “Goodbye” know of the gut wrenching pain that goes with it. So we will just say, “God be with you” and repeat a message on a sign I once read on the border of Scotland, “Haste Ye Back”…..

Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion and recently retired after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.

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