ANNOUNCEMENT-New Blog Link is listed in comment here

This blog is closed. But someone is willing to take over so I am informing everyone that soon a new blog will be running.

I will have nothing to do with this blog any more. The new administrator is setting a new blog up with their own password etc.

They will be posting the link to the new blog here when they have it ready for you so please keep checking.

Post Deleted

The recent post has been deleted due to hate messages received. It seems the coward hiding behind "anonymous" seems hell bent on destroying me or anyone connected to me as most of the comments were made by the same person.

No matter what is posted, for comments or posts, this coward trashes everyone around.

As such I have decided to shut this voice down. You will no longer be able to hear the truth anymore.

But you will be able to go to the trash blog and read all the lies you want.

Lufkins Mystery

We want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Michelle Lufkins. May you find peace amid the turmoil.

We've been hearing lots of rumors regarding her death, but very little facts.

We have been told by various sources that she was reported missing on November 20 and her body was found in a wooded area behind the Sisseton High School on the evening of December 1.

The city Police were instructed to keep the area under patrol until the following morning of December 2 while her body stayed there.

An autopsy was ordered and completed in Sioux Falls, but still no official statement has been issued. We have heard bits and pieces of those results from a very reliable source, but again...no official statement has been issued. The autopsy has been over and done for more than a week now, with no official statement. Our informant has said it was completed on December 3.

We have heard that she could not have been where she was found more than a day or 2....so where was she since November 20?? How did she get there?? Who else was involved??

Answers....the people want some answers. We welcome any input on this subject, but please keep it clean.

We have plenty of questions....will we get any answers??

Recent CC Meeting

There was an interesting article in the Courier this week by John Seiber (page B1). It dealt with a recap of the Nov 10 CC meeting.

Amid all the bickering, indecision, name-calling and back-pedaling on previous decisions, there was a notation regarding a vote on a motion to fence off a section line. The vote was tallied with Hull also casting a vote.

It has been our impression that the Chairman only votes to break a tie and this clearly was NOT a tie vote.

Common sense (and South Dakota law) says that section lines are not to be closed if only ONE person objects, and that article stated there were several objections.

It will be even more interesting to see what write-up is published on this same meeting in 2 weeks won't it?

RC Sheriff Office: A Family Connection?

Of course we all know that RC Sheriff Tasa has a family tie with CC Navratil (he is Roger's nephew). But did you know that 2 recently hired Deputies are cousins as well? One is part time and one is full time, but both are relatives.

Amazing how quiet those CCs are about the Tasa-Navratil-sheriff staff family connection isn't it? Especially when those same CCs howled and roared when Vince Owen hired someone with ties in the past.

Could it be that the current sheriff is easily directed by our CCs so of course they want more of the same in that department? Or could it be simply a matter of skin color and/or genetics?

Makes one wonder if RC adheres to the "Equal Opportunity" disclaimer doesn't it?

Announcement

What do you know. I remove moderation and someone anonymously posts more hate.

I have deleted the comment naming the hate poster. I will ask that you not throw mud as it usually sticks to both parties. At the very least sign your name to your post and be accountable.

We have investigators working on the person spewing the hate and lies and they assure me they are closing in on the party. When they identify the person to my satisfaction the comments will reappear.

Of course moderation is once again in effect here.

UPDATED: To Moderate or Name Names?

In response to the woman who is posting profanity and idiotic comments on this blog:

We have someone tracking you and we have your name and city.

If you continue posting your garbage your full name and city will be posted as well.

Go back to your pitiful blog and stay there. This blog is for discussion, not mindless cussing. You are not wanted here.

********************************************************************

In order to keep this blog clean and not deal with the filth that has been posted in comments I have placed this blog on comment moderation for the time being. As soon as this issue is resolved the moderation will be turned off. This is for the good of all even if it is more work.

The ignorant woman with the foul mouth posting the filth here is from NEW EFFINGTON. I am in contact with her ISP and I have given them her full name, and I will post it if she persists.

CDP Turmoil?

We have news that CDP Hospital Administrator has either resigned or been let go suddenly.

Sounds like it may be a financial decision.

Does anyone have more on this subject?

RC Sheriff on Vacation?

We hear that our new sheriff is on vacation. Tasa has been on-the-job now for how long? 5 weeks?

This is the first job we heard of that gives a day of vacation for every week worked beginning from the start.

We don't recall seeing that in the job description so it must have come along with the CC promises made to recruit that particular person for that particular job?

CC Real Wages

If RC is broke it might not be all because of the CCs actions, but partly because the CC are "dipping" into county funds by excessive perks, salaries and more.

Figure a base salary per commissioner of $750 per month plus mileage plus insurance at $400 per month per CC. Times that by 5 and then by 12 and you come up with $69,000 PLUS without figuring in "incidentals" such as mileage, meals, paved roads etc. Even if one made a big show of not accepting county insurance, it still comes to over $65,000 PLUS per year.

Shouldn't some of these guys be eligible for Medicare anyway? Do the math. Figuring from 3 hours per week to 10 hours per week that comes out to a very impressive hourly wage doesn't it? Much more than our States Attorney or Sheriff are paid! Are they worth it??

Whatever happened to the days when the CC took on the duties out of a sense of betterment for the county instead of taking all they can get?

Just what is the average RC taxpayer getting for this large expense year after year after year....

Now What?

The Opt Out is over and there will be no tax increase in RC. Most of us would probably have supported a genuine need for more county revenue IF our CC had shown us any caution in spending or intelligent budgeting rather than throwing our money around as if there were no end to it.

Now what? Is it possible the CC have learned something from all of this? Is it possible they could actually reduce their rampant spending and "make do" like we have had to do?

Some ideas to perhaps help reduce the budget blues would be:

Change weekly CC meetings to one per month. In order to do this the CC would have to quit their drama and keep their nose out of private matters (which may be hard for them to do). This could be accomplished by requiring permission to bring up issues beforehand so if those issues were not county matters they would not be able to be aired at county meetings. It is called an agenda. If you are not listed on this you would not be able to bring it up...period. Many counties use this as a means to keep meetings on track.

Allocate some duties or tasks the county does now over to the townships or landowners. Mowing or weed spraying comes to mind, but there are certainly more we are sure.

Be aggressive and apply for those grants and federal monies. It could pay off to hire someone to apply for these funding sources that RC is ignoring.

Think about consolidating some county offices with other counties and saving money. Some services could be spread among one or more adjoining counties without too much inconvenience.

Please add your input to some ways to keep the county afloat, ways the county could save money or do away with unneeded expenses etc.

Think about it and let us know what you come up with. Where do we go from here?

ELECTION RESULTS!

News flash on KELO TV......Roberts County Voters defeated the Opt-Out by 78% NO votes.

Approximately 24% of the voters turned out for this special vote.

You can view the entire news story at KELO TV by clicking the following link:

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=90678

A special thanks to KELO TV for keeping us informed and a very special thanks to all of you voters who GOT THE JOB DONE!!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Just a reminder that each and every one of you is important and that you VOTE tomorrow on the Opt Out issue.

Make sure you go to your local polling place and cast your ballot. Give your neighbor a ride to make sure they vote as well. Call your neighbor and ask that they give you a ride to vote if needed. I believe polls open at 7 am so do it early and be done.

Just please VOTE!! Roberts County voters must make a statement and let those CC know that we are fed up with their mismanagement of all things county!!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Where Did Your Taxes Go?

**a take on last week's headlines**

Last week's local paper had the headline: "Where Do Your Taxes Go?" Most of us just want to know what we got from those taxes.....just where DID our taxes go?

We got: 3 Commissioners who think they are almighty, a jail we cannot afford and did not want but we got it anyway (thanks to the CC), an awful LOT of Sheriffs, a short-lived investigator for the States Attorneys office under Kay, Kay still on the county payroll, an Auditor who did not file any audits for several years. What else? Oh yes! We got to pay for a paved road exclusively for ex-commissioner Voeltz. Aren't we lucky to get all that??

No matter if you think you want to pay more taxes or you are tired of paying and paying and paying.....please make sure you are registered and then make sure you get out and vote on Tuesday.

We probably got much more from paying taxes. Who can think of more things we got from those taxes????

SOTA Says It All

Chuck has a very good editorial in this week's SOTA. You can access it by clicking HERE There are also some very thought provoking letters to the Editor in this weeks issue as well.

Seems it all goes back to our sorry bunch of CCs. Everything that has been plaguing RC for years now has its' roots with the CCs. Everything they do, everything they say will haunt the RC citizens for a long, long time.

We are sure there will be yet another sob story printed in what passes for the local newspaper this week, begging the voters to pass the Opt Out issue. Wonder if the opposite view would garner front page week after week? Of course not! Censureship is alive and well in RC.

Just remember when you go to vote on this important issue next week: These same CCs asking for more of your hard earned money to "balance the budget" are the very same who squandered your tax dollars for wasteful spending, ill-thought out expenditures, corruption throughout to say nothing about personal gains. These CCs have proven they cannot manage our tax dollars....don't give them more!!

More CC Madness

So now Chad Ward quit. Looks like those CC are getting exactly what they hoped for....a jail staff that is predominately white and obedient with the Sheriff position in their pocket as well.

Their nice little expensive jail will really be comfy now, especially as it will be mostly empty. All those contracts will wither away with no other departments willing to send prisoners to RC.

Can't someone stop their madness?? Do they ever think? They most likely have a person waiting to take over, someone who won't think or talk back, someone who will do just as they tell him no matter how stupid.

There is another budget installment in the local paper, with more figures pulled from the air.

This time it goes over the expenses for the courthouse. Seems to me if they got rid of the biggest expense there, namely Kay, they could easily balance the budget.

I would bet that most of you could find one or more areas for budget cuts without even trying.

What do you say?

RC Budget: Chapter 2

We must be the only county to have a county-owned newspaper. Seems whatever those CC want published gets into print EXACTLY the way they have it written with no fact finding whatsoever.

This week it was the chapter with the fiction about the highway and landfill budgets.

Highway Dept: If the operators of the RC road equipment were taught how to drive the machinery so they wouldn't damage our roads we'd be able to get along with less expense. Expense for adding gravel that was graded off the roads into the ditches, expense for re-tarring roads that had been damaged by an over-zealous roadgrader gouging chunks of tar from the roads, expense of having to employ bulldozers to remove snow that snowplows had not removed or snow fences not put up etc.

Next time you are out and about see for yourself. When crossing into another county you can see how differently they take care of their roads, unlike RC. Other counties have no ice staying on the roads all winter long (as RC does) Why? Because they get out and remove it rather than waiting a week or more. Other counties have passable gravel roads after a rainfall (as RC does not) because they have rounded roads thereby allowing moisture to drain off....RC roads are either flat or have holes gouged in them allowing water to stand, ever notice?

One big expense easily tossed would be to have landowners/operators mow the roadsides, as they do for townships. Many counties have done this and cut a large chunk off their budgets.

Have you forgotten how bad our roads were this past winter? Over a week went by without maintenance just because there were internal problems. A week where we had several snowstorms and many blocked or impassable roads.

Landfill: This should not even be an issue as there was little if any upgrades for a long long time there. There hasn't even been any rodent control expenses from what we hear. With all the "paying customers and counties" using our landfill RC should have a lucrative business there.

Perhaps if RC didn't go around and pave commissioner's roads as "perk's" our budget might still be in the black. Just ask ex commissioner Voeltz about that.

What do YOU think?

RC Budget Baloney

There has been some really thought-provoking comments lately regarding RC budget.

Just exactly what IS the county budget, broken down by department, line by line expenditures beside what was budgeted for that particular item or action? I'm not talking about the budget "fairy tale" published in the local un-newspaper...I am talking about just what really goes on?

RC citizens only know what they are "hand fed" by our Auditor or our CCs or what the Courier is allowed to print. We have no idea what really goes on with our tax money do we?

For instance: There is a cost to RC for training new employees, even if that training is done by present employees. Think about it. When you are showing someone how to do something you are doing yourself, you're doing that task slower with less results and more time spent. Who is paying for that extra time? RC taxpayers, that's who!
And when an RC employee is repairing something that was damaged by stupidity or ignorance, even with no actual charge to the county, the employee who stops what he or she would be doing is being unproductive (on the RC payroll) so factor in that cost as well.

It appears to me that the RC budget is playing "catch-up" with the run-away expenditures rather than an intelligent and honest effort to reign in that excessive and often thoughtless spending.

What do YOU think?

Nepotism in Roberts County??

Did anyone catch the SOTA this week? They have some interesting bits regarding the Opt Out and also one we've been hearing rumors of lately....namely that our new sheriff may be (is) related to one of the commissioners.

Do they call that Nepotism? Or is it Favoritism? Whatever "tism" it is, it is not good.
I would call it a big conflict of interest. Something to be explored further for sure.

Roger N. do you want to address this issue??? Or perhaps Mr. Tasa wants to tell us who his favorite Uncle is???

The story can be found in the SOTA by clicking HERE

Open Meetings?

It appears that our RC commissioners have been caught "red-handed" participating in illegal closed meetings. An article in yesterday's Watertown Public Opinion can be read by clicking HERE

And that is just one time they got caught.......

Thanks to the Public Opinion for keeping us informed.