Monday, 7.20.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net views VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PAGE 4 Press&Dakotan The Press Dakotan

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CONTACT US OPINION OTHER VIEWS PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: Well, At Least We (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 Beat Mississippi ... WEBSITE: www.yankton.net CAPITAL JOURNAL, Pierre (July 9): Some Southerners tell us ––––– there’s a saying down South when some of those states show up SUBSCRIPTIONS/ poorly on lists that reflect poorly on measures of quality of life: CIRCULATION “Thank God for Mississippi.” That’s a wry observation that poor Capitol Notebook Extension 104 Mississippi could usually be counted on to perform worse than [email protected] everyone else. CLASSIFIED ADS Another of those lists has been released recently, and South Extension 108 Dakota is in the odd place of saying: Thank God for Montana, Cali- Pick Your Adjective [email protected] fornia, Vermont, West Virginia, Maine, Oregon and Hawaii. We can be NEWS DEPT. grateful for them because we were ranked No. 8 on a list that ranked Extension 114 the 10 worst states to make a living in 2015, according to an analysis [email protected] by MoneyRates.com, and all of those states ranked worse than we did. Hawaii ranked worst of all. SPORTS DEPT. For The ‘16 Ballot Extension 106 This list appears to be a straightforward attempt at crunching [email protected] five streams of data: average wages; state tax rates; cost of living; BY BOB MERCER One would create a youth minimum wage of ADVERTISING DEPT. unemployment rates; and workplace incidents of illness, injuries State Capitol Bureau $7.50 per hour for employees younger than age 18. and fatalities. The current minimum wage is $8.50 per hour. Extension 122 MoneyRates.com’s analysis, comparing South Dakota to neigh- [email protected] PIERRE – Direct democracy is budding again The other would make many changes to South boring Montana, puts a finger on why we rank poorly: “This is an- Dakota’s elections laws that would curtail some BUSINESS OFFICE in South Dakota. Voters face three measures on other state where low unemployment — in this case just 3.6 percent the 2016 statewide ballot. But there could be 10 or practices commonly used by Democrats and would Extension 119 — does not seem to be translating into higher wages. The average more. make matters more difficult for other political [email protected] wage in South Dakota is even lower than in Montana, though having The decline of Democrats and dominance by parties. NEW MEDIA: no state income tax and a better record for workplace safety allow Republicans in legislative elections are fueling some The question on each is whether voters want Extension 136 South Dakota to fare slightly better in these rankings than Mon- of this. the law to go into effect. [email protected] tana.” But four potential measures come straight from There are two constitutional amendments that COMPOSING DEPT. That explanation should give us pause. What’s the sense of crow- people who believe in marijuana. people dissatisfied with some of the current legisla- Extension 129 ing about our low unemployment if all we can offer people eager One petition would legalize medical marijuana. tive processes want to present to voters. [email protected] to fill up some of our South Dakota jobs is an average income of Another would de-criminalize possession of one One would broaden the state constitution to al- ounce or less of marijuana. low any law to be referred to a statewide vote, and * * * $37,300? South Dakotans have legitimately taken comfort that in the boom-and-bust flow of past economic cycles, we haven’t seen the Two related petitions seek new prohibitions also would require two-thirds majorities in both MANAGERS against tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco and alcohol chambers of the Legislature to overturn an initia- highs or the lows that other parts of the country experience. That’s tive or referendum. Gary L. Wood what we tell ourselves, but it’s only partially true. would become illegal like marijuana is. Publisher The circulators are asking voters for consistent The other would create in the constitution a Where income is the measure, we do hit bottom. treatment. special commission to draw the boundary lines Michele Schievelbein Well, almost. The data say that only one other state in the whole All four would seem to have a fair chance to for legislative districts, rather than the Legislature Advertising Director country does worse than South Dakota — Mississippi. That state is make the ballot. It seems unlikely any has a fair continuing to do it. the absolute worst in average income at $36,750. Jim Gevens chance of victory, based on past election results in The commission would have three Republicans, Let’s face it: We do poorly on this list because average income is three Democrats and three registered voters who Circulation Director South Dakota. poor. Maybe ordinary Joes and Janets worry about that more than Then there is the fight between those who aren’t from either of those two political parties. Tonya Schild politicians do. Maybe that’s what South Dakota voters sensed when support “fair” lending and those who support A third proposal for a constitutional amendment Business Manager they approved a minimum wage hike on last year’s general election “responsible” lending. dealing with technical institutes already is set for the ballot. It isn’t partisan at all. Tera Schmidt ballot. That doesn’t mean our governor and our Legislature couldn’t The two main committees in this fight use those two adjectives to distinguish their sides. The Legislature wants voters to clarify that Classified Manager do more. Nobody wants to rank this low in average income, or in a list of the worst states in which to make a living. The “responsible” group wants to cap payday members of state Board of Regents, who govern the Kelly Hertz In the meantime, thank God for Mississippi. and title loans at an annual maximum of 36 percent state universities, aren’t responsible for the tech Editor interest and fees. schools. The “fair” group wants to continue without a The amendment might need some technical James D. Cimburek OUR LETTER POLICY limit because they deal with high-risk customers. adjustment by the Legislature in the 2016 session. Sports Editor How that would occur isn’t clear. The PRESS & DAKOTAN invites its readers to write letters to the editor. We ask that Together those two adjectives prompt a head- Beth Rye a few simple guidelines be followed: scratching question: What is fair or responsible This list is what we know now. Other measures Digital Media Director l Please limit letters to 300 words or less. Letters should deal with a single subject, about even 36 percent interest and fees? are still being conceived. be of general interest and state a specific point of view. Letters are edited with brevity, Four measures deal with politics. Two laws Meanwhile, with State Fair six weeks away, Kathy Larson clarity and newspaper style in mind. passed by largely Republicans in the 2015 legisla- there aren’t announced Democratic challengers to Composing Manager l In the sense of fairness and professionalism, the PRESS & DAKOTAN will ac- tive session have already been referred to the 2016 Republican incumbents John Thune for U.S. Senate cept no letters attacking private individuals or businesses. and Kristi Noem for U.S. House. Sarah Lynde l Specific individuals or entities addressed in letters may be given the opportunity to ballot. Circulation District Manager read the letter prior to publication and be allowed to answer the letter in the same issue. Zany? Indeed. l Only signed letters with writer’s full name, address and daytime phone number * * * for verification will be accepted. Please mail to: Letters, 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD 57078, Michelle Malkin drop off at 319 Walnut in Yankton, fax to 665-1721 or email us at kelly.hertz@yankton. DAILY STAFF net/. Reilly Biel Cassandra Brockmoller The Jihad Against Our Troops Brandi Bue Rob Buckingham IN HISTORY BY MICHELLE MALKIN violence” (instead of the intentional systematic act Caryn Chappelear Creators.com of Islamic terrorism that it was). Randy Dockendorf By The Associated Press Actor James Doohan, who played Scotty Today is Monday, July 20, the 201st the engineer in the original “Star Trek” After the Little Rock ambush came the Bal- Jeannine Economy day of 2015. There are 164 days left in the TV series and several movies, died in Rachel Frederick Four U.S. Marines, barred from carrying weap- timore military recruitment center bomb plot. year. Redmond, Washington, at age 85. The Muslim convert Muhammad Hussain, 21, bragged Jeremy Hoeck Today’s Highlight in History: On competition show “So You Think You Can ons at naval training facilities despite explicit ISIS Nicole Myers July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong Dance” premiered on Fox. threats against our military, are dead in Tennessee. on Facebook about his devotion to violent jihad. He Robert Nielsen and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first Five years ago: The Senate Judici- Another service member and a Chattanooga police “dialed a cellphone that he believed would ignite Diana Smallwood men to walk on the moon after reaching ary Committee voted almost totally along officer survived gunshots after Thursday’s two- barrels of explosives packed into a sport utility David Stephenson the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar mod- party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan stage massacre allegedly at the hands of 24-year-old vehicle,” the Baltimore Sun recounted. “The SUV Cathy Sudbeck ule. to be the Supreme Court’s fourth female jihadist Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. had been parked by the Armed Forces recruiting JoAnn Wiebelhaus On this date: In 1861, the Congress justice. Actress Lindsay Lohan began a of the Confederate States convened in 14-day jail sentence — reduced from 90 Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called the terrorist’s station at a strip mall in Catonsville, a bedroom Brenda Willcuts Richmond, Virginia. due to overcrowding — for violating pro- spree “insidious and unfathomable.” President Oba- suburb west of Baltimore.” Hussain idolized Fort Alissa Woockman In 1871, British Columbia entered bation in 2007 drug case. ma bemoaned the “heartbreaking circumstance” in Hood jihadist Nidal Hasan and “thought about noth- Confederation as a Canadian province. One year ago: Pro-Moscow rebels In 1917, the World War I draft lottery piled nearly 200 bodies from downed Ma- which the murdered Marines found themselves. ing but jihad.” * * * went into operation. laysia Airlines Flight 17 into four refrigerat- “Unfathomable”? Not if you’ve been paying In June 2011, the feds charged Muslim jihad- Published Daily In 1923, Mexican revolutionary leader ed boxcars in eastern Ukraine, and cranes attention. Islam-inspired hate crimes against our ists Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif and Walli Mujahidh of Monday-Saturday Pancho Villa was assassinated by gun- at the crash scene moved big chunks of troops have continued unabated since the Obama conspiring to use machine guns and grenades to men in Parral. the Boeing 777, drawing condemnation “kill officers and employees of the Department In 1944, an attempt by a group of from Western leaders who said the rebels White House first dismissed the 2009 Fort Hood Periodicals postage massacre as “workplace violence.” of Defense who worked at the MEPS (Military En- paid at Yankton, South German officials to assassinate Adolf were tampering with the site. Rory McIl- Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion roy completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Here’s what’s unfathomable: While the social trance Processing Stations) located in the Federal Dakota, under the act of only wounded the Nazi leader. President British Open to capture the third leg of the justice warriors in Washington bend over backward Center South building in Seattle, Wash., and to kill March 3, 1979. Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for career Grand Slam, closing with a 1-under other persons assisting such officers and employ- a fourth term of office at the Democratic 71 for a two-shot victory over Sergio Gar- to appease CAIR and Muslim civil rights absolutists, Weekly Dakotian Americans in uniform are dying on American soil at ees in the performance of their duties.” They both established June 6, 1861. convention in Chicago. cia and Rickie Fowler. In 1954, the Geneva Accords divided Today’s Birthdays: Actress-singer the hands of Allah’s homicidal avengers -- but the pleaded guilty, but remained unrepentant and Yankton Daily Press and Vietnam into northern and southern enti- Sally Ann Howes is 85. Author Cormac commander in chief couldn’t even bother to deliver defiant. Dakotian established April ties. McCarthy is 82. Rockabilly singer Sleepy a live statement to the nation yesterday about the In 2012, Ethiopian-born jihadist Jonathan 26, 1875. In 1965, the Bob Dylan single “Like a LaBeef is 80. Senator Barbara A. Mikul- Rolling Stone” was released by Columbia ski, D-Md., is 79. Actress Diana Rigg is bloodshed. Melaku pleaded guilty to shooting at the Pentagon, Postmaster: Send Instead, Obama issued another bland, bloodless Marine and Coast Guard recruiting offices, and the address changes to Yankton Records. 77. Artist Judy Chicago is 76. Rock musi- In 1968, the first International Special cian John Lodge (The Moody Blues) is National Museum of the Marine Corps, as well as Daily Press & Dakotan, pronouncement about the assassinations of our Olympics Summer Games, organized by 72. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 71. disarmed troops. trying to desecrate graves at Arlington National 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Singer Kim Carnes is 70. Rock musician Cemetery containing the remains of U.S. veterans 57078. Soldier Field in Chicago. Carlos Santana is 68. Rock musician Jay “Heartbreaking circumstance”? Lightning strikes In 1976, America’s Viking 1 robot Jay French (Twisted Sister) is 63. Rock are random events of unfortunate circumstance. who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. * * * spacecraft made a successful, first-ever musician Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols, The concerted attacks and plots against our troops In April 2015, Mohammed Abdullah Hasan was landing on Mars. Man Raze) is 59. Actress Donna Dixon MEMBERSHIPS in their recruitment centers and on their bases here arrested after the feds uncovered his ISIS-linked In 1989, Burmese activist Aung San is 58. Rock musician Mick McNeil (Sim- plot to kill American soldiers with a vehicle bomb Suu Kyi (soo chee) was placed under ple Minds) is 57. Country singer Radney at home are outrageous acts of war. The Yankton Daily Have you forgotten? at Fort Riley in Kansas. Press & Dakotan is a house arrest by the military government Foster is 56. Actor Frank Whaley is 52. of Myanmar. Rock singer Chris Cornell is 51. Actor In June 2009, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad ISIS hackers have explicitly targeted 100 U.S. member of the Associ- In 1990, Supreme Court Justice Wil- Dean Winters is 51. Rock musician Stone ated Press, the Inland walked into an Arkansas Army recruiting center, service members whose personal details have been liam J. Brennan, one of the court’s most Gossard (Pearl Jam) is 49. Actor Reed murdered 24-year-old Pvt. William Long and gravely disseminated online. In May, the Pentagon raised Daily Press Association liberal voices, announced he was step- Diamond is 48. Actor Josh Holloway is 46. and the South Dakota ping down. Singer Vitamin C is 46. Actor Omar Epps wounded 18-year-old Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula. He the security threat level of military bases in the U.S. Newspaper Association. In 2012, a gunman opened fire in- is 42. Actor Simon Rex is 41. Actress Judy had planned on killing many more in the name of to “Force Protection Bravo” ‑— the third-highest The Associated Press side a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Greer is 40. Actor Charlie Korsmo is 37. Allah. While the White House and media decried threat level on a five-tier scale used by the Depart- is entitled exclusively Colorado, during a midnight showing of Singer Elliott Yamin (American Idol) is 37. the “climate of hate” fostered by Christians, they ment of Defense. to use of all the local “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is 35. Rock news printed in this (Defendant James Eagen Holmes has musician Mike Kennerty (The All-Ameri- whitewashed Muhammad’s jihadi rage. Muhammad You wouldn’t know it from Obama’s languid newspaper. pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity can Rejects) is 35. Actor Percy Daggs III is received a life sentence without parole for the act response. to more than 160 counts of murder and 33. Actor John Francis Daley is 30. Coun- he himself described as a “jihadi attack on infidel Can someone ask the commander in chief: Do * * * attempted murder.) try singer Hannah Blaylock (Edens Edge) forces.” U.S. military lives matter enough yet to do more Ten years ago: A day after being is 29. Country singer-dancer Julianne It should be noted that Muhammad converted than issue a canned, obligatory condolence to SUBSCRIPTION tapped by President George W. Bush, Hough is 27. Actress Billi Bruno is 19. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Thought for Today: “We may well to Islam at Tennessee State University in Nashville the families of those who serve? How many more RATES* paid courtesy calls on senators while go to the moon, but that’s not very far. and then became further radicalized in Yemen lives must be lost before he is as roused about our (Payable in advance) a conservative group purchased TV ad The greatest distance we have to cover before returning to the U.S. troops under jihad siege as he is about Bill Cosby, CARRIER DELIVERY time in support of his nomination and still lies within us.” — Charles de Gaulle, the Confederate flag, “Game of Thrones” or Caitlyn abortion rights groups staged protests. French statesman (1890-1970). “The U.S. has to pay for the rape, murder, blood- 1-month...... $12.09 shed, blasphemy it has done and still doing to the Jenner? 3 months...... $36.27 Muslims and Islam,” Muhammad railed after carry- This is not a “circumstance.” This is war. 6 months...... $72.53 FROM THE BIBLE ing out his plot. “So consider this a small retaliation 1-year...... $133.09 the best is to come Allah willing. This is not the first Michelle Malkin is author of the new book MOTOR ROUTE “Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American (where available) He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His attack and won’t be the last.” love; He will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17. Portals As I noted at the time, Obama could barely mus- Tinkerpreneurs.” Her email address is malkinblog@ 1 month...... $14.51 gmail.com. 3 months...... $43.53 of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis. ter up a limp written statement expressing “sad- 6 months...... $87.05 ness” over what he described as a “senseless act of 1 year...... $139.14 MAIL IN RETAIL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Trade Zone 1-month...... $16.93 Passing Judgments would do the same. now it was legal like any other marriage. Kaitlin and Tara, and I’m sure all 3 months...... $50.79 You do realize that calling gay marriage “True Christians.” Really? Lets take a married couples, “play house” as you put 6 months...... $101.57 Debora Schmidt, Yankton an “atrocity” and telling them to “quietly few passages out of the same Bible you it. They go to work, they pay their bills, 1-year...... $148.82 This is in response to Kim Dale’s on get married or live together and shut up quoted. Matthew 7:1, from the Sermon they share the burden of everyday trials MAIL OUTSIDE same-sex marriage (Press & Dakotan, July about their sex life” is probably what the on the Mount: “Judge not, that ye be not and yes, they love each other. What gives RETAIL TRADE ZONE 7).: definition of homophobic is. Please read judged.” Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you you or anyone, except God, the right to 1 month...... $19.35 I realize everyone has the right to free the original article and get your facts would have them do to you.” Mark 12:31: tell them that loving and supporting each 3 months...... $58.05 speech. I also have enough common sense straight before your venom starts flying. “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor other is wrong? 6 months...... $116.09 to know as my mother and grandmother Kaitlin did not say “she knows that we’ll as yourself.’ There is no commandment Mark 11:25: “And when you stand pray- 1-year...... $186.33 taught me, “If you don’t have anything all accept it.” What she stated was a hope greater than these.” Romans 13:10: “Love ing, if you hold anything against anyone, * Plus applicable sales tax nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It that it would be easier for people to start does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore forgive him, so that your Father in heaven for all rates would have been a good idea if others accepting (LGBT individuals) because love is the fulfillment of the law.” may forgive you your sins.” God Bless You.