A thank you to kind drivers; applause for Johnson's protection of farmers: Your letters
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Your letters to the editor for July 2, 2023:
A thank you for a fellow driver's kindness
I just want to express my sincere thanks to a fellow driver.
While traveling down Minnesota Avenue on Saturday, June 24, I stopped for the red light at 6th Street. A woman stopped in the right hand lane (next to me) and motioned to me that my right back tire appeared to be wobbling. I waved in the typical SD fashion to her that I gratefully received the message, and then we each continued down Minnesota Avenue as the light turned green.When I was able to pull over to assess the situation, I found that the wheel was fine; however, the hubcap was barely hanging onto the wheel.
All I needed to do was tap on the hubcap to reattach it, but couldn’t help but think how this woman saved me the cost of a new hubcap. This was simply a case of someone trying to do the right thing, and I certainly appreciated being the recipient of her kindness.Just a reminder that there are still good Samaritans in our community.Thank you!
− Linda Olsen, Sioux Falls
A voice for protecting property rights
PUC, Landowners and Constituents,
I am respectively requesting that the SD PUC carefully reviews Summit Carbon’s application. Please do not allow this application to move forward in September if construction and operation of the pipeline will produce minimal adverse effects on the environment and/or the citizens. We are fortunate that the SD Public Utilities Commission is an outstanding group.
If built as Carbon Solutions intends its pipeline will come within 750’ or less of constituents. They do not want this pipeline which brings with it the potential for loss of life in the event it leaks or ruptures. CO2 pipelines differ from oil and gas, according to the Pipeline Safety Trust, they are more prone to rupture.
We also do not want carbon sequestration, which is not well-regulated in South Dakota CO2 pipelines have never been constructed at the lengths proposed and raise grave concerns because they are under-regulated and pose numerous safety hazards and land use issues.
Laying this pipe at 4’ when the frost line is 4’ to 6’ just seems to be problematic. I am for Property Rights, I join the request ‘No Eminent Domain for Private Gain.’ Please protect Brown County and all South Dakota residents.
Doing nothing is not an option! We need to work together for Property Rights!
− Carl Perry, House of Representatives, Aberdeen
My disabilities don't make life hard, the people in it do
"I wish I could live on disability," is something that I hear frequently as a disabled person.
South Dakota is not the most kind place to live when you are different than everybody else. No one seems to understand what it's like to get up every morning and face challenges that seem insurmountable and have no one to turn to.
"We don't like people who live off the government," is something I'm told repeatedly, by my own community members.
I wish they could step into my life and see what it's like to be me. Spend one day with the life long effects of a traumatic brain injury. Spend one day with intrusive PTSD thoughts that no amount of therapy can make go away. Spend one day with the disorder I inherited from my father, grandfather, great grandmother and great-great grandmother.
You may have heard of it. It's the second most severe mental disorder in the world, after schizophrenia. It's called Bipolar disorder, yet people frequently laugh at the word, as they laugh at me, and tell me that it's "All in my head," or worse, call me a "Bipolar B****" when they don't even know me, or know anything about my character or who I really am as a person, underneath that diagnosis.
I carry the scars on my body from ex-boyfriends and one ex-husband who tried to choke, punch, slap, and beat my brain disease out of me. I came up with one sentence to explain what life is like, living with disabilities. "My disabilities are not what make life hard, but people who think they don't exist do."
−Tamara Ellis, Aberdeen
Happy Fourth of July: Stand tall, be proud of this great nation
Two hundred forty-seven years ago, in 1776, after affixing his signature to the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, explaining the significance of what he and the founding fathers had done.In his letter, he stated, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”One year later, in 1777, the first official 4th of July celebration was held in Philadelphia. Ever since, Americans have celebrated our country’s independence exactly as predicted by John Adams.This year, as we celebrate, let us express our thanks that we are a nation of hope, opportunity and peace. Let us never forget the sacrifices so many have made to keep our country free.Happy 4th of July! Stand tall and be proud to be a citizen of this great nation. God bless America!−Jay Backer, Chair, Senate District 12 Republicans, Graceville, Minnesota
Stand your ground? Not when it comes to CO2 pipelines
How many times have you said the Pledge of Allegiance? If you are like me, it is hundreds if not thousands of times. Ever think about the ending? “With Liberty and Justice for All.”
The CO2 pipeline being surveyed to cross South Dakota farmland threatens the very idea of "liberty and justice for all." Why? Because like it or not, South Dakota is letting CO2 pipeline surveyors show up on anyone's farm, unannounced, move their heavy equipment across farmer's fields tearing up crops as they go and then drill. All this as a prelude to trenching across fields to install a liquid CO2 pipeline which will disrupt and freeze the soil around the pipe thereby reducing production all along the miles of pipeline - permanently.
What about the Liberty of an American farmer to do with his/her own land, what he/she wants to do with it? Where is it that we lose that Liberty to multi-billion-dollar corporations so they can make a buck and farmers can foot a permanent reduction in their production and in the value of their farm?
Where is the Justice that allows teams of lawyers and their hired guns to kick you off YOUR OWN property so they can profit? What happens to your Second Amendment that keeps these folks safe? Why can't landowners defend their land?
Stand your Ground? Not in South Dakota. Not even if you are standing on your own ground!
These CO2 pipelines are a scheme to pump US taxpayer cash into the pockets of out of staters and foreign owners. There is no benefit to South Dakota, but the burden is shouldered by South Dakota farmers.
Meanwhile, there is not even a whisper from most Republicans, Democrats, or even our Governor. Perhaps the hundred or so farms and farmers aren't a big enough constituency for the Governor or elected officials to care about.
Liberty and Justice for all? Not for South Dakota farmers and their families or their future generations.
− Jeff Barth, Sioux Falls
More: There's cause for concern about Sioux Falls water, sewer rate increases: Your letters
A round of applause for Johnson's protection of SD's farming economy
I applaud Rep. Dusty Johnson for introducing bipartisan legislation to protect the backbone of South Dakota's economy—our farmers.Agriculture is the primary industry in South Dakota, with nearly 30% of our economic input relying on our farmers. Representing nearly a third of our state's population, when our farmers succeed, South Dakota succeeds.Despite the challenges posed by drought, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs, farmers are resilient. However, some states have recently imposed regulations that could make it more difficult for farmers to access one of the most important tools they need to produce our food—pesticides. This could lead to declining crop yields, it could threaten farmers' livelihoods, and it could increase prices for consumers. Thankfully, Congressman Dusty Johnson is leading the effort to address this issue.Pesticides are key to pest and weed management. They help to protect the plants that produce our food. Their use helps to reduce soil erosion, promote soil health, and increase our food supply. Up to 40% of crops are lost to pests and diseases each year. Without pesticides, losses could be as high as 85%, meaning that twice the land and resources would be needed to produce the same amount of food.Farmers use these tools because they are safe for their families, their neighbors, consumers, and the environment. Each pesticide undergoes a rigorous development and review process—taking 11 years on average—before farmers can use them. This ensures the pesticides on the market have met high health and environmental safety standards and are safe for use according to science-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifications.Congressman Johnson's bipartisan bill—the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act—aims to ensure states can't directly contradict the EPA's scientific findings and review process, which could jeopardize the availability of critical crop protection tools.The bill will provide certainty for farmers and consumers alike that the tools supporting our modern agriculture system and food supply will remain safe and available.South Dakota's farmers thank Rep. Johnson for reaffirming the EPA's rigorous pesticide review process, ensuring protection for a safe, abundant food supply. We urge all members of Congress to support this bipartisan legislation.− Kevin Deinert, South Dakota Soybean Association president, Washington, D.C.
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This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: A thank you to kind drivers; applause for Johnson's protection of farmers: Your letters
