In a recent South Dakota Searchlight column, open primaries/Amendment H proponent Joe Kirby wrote that “RINOs are the traditional, mainstream, business-friendly Republicans who have controlled the party and the state for decades,” that they comprise 90 percent of the Republican electorate (false – see, the recent primary results), and insinuated that unless we freeze out conservatives via open primaries, we’ll lose our business-friendly climate.
What we know is that a stable business climate does not require corporate cronyism, in fact, just the opposite. If you really want to keep South Dakota great as a safe haven for business, keep it conservative: Keep it free, with equal opportunity for all, without corruption or slush-fund favoritism, with a low crime rate and limited tax burden. Make education innovation and parental choice a priority and free families to choose the best environment for their kids. They will want to move here to share in this freedom, our schools will graduate proficient lifelong learners instead of social promotions, employers will have an intelligent and talented labor pool, and our state will experience a renaissance. Clean up our culture – and our waterways – and watch good people flock to our state to enjoy life while those already here thrive.
This is the truth about the conservative agenda. It is not wacko, not a threat to business and is working everywhere it’s tried. Has it been opposed by some of those Kirby identifies as RINOs? Yes. Did a few of them get replaced in the recent primary? Yes. Does that mean we have to throw out our whole election system because of it? No.
Memo to Joe: South Dakota is a constitutional republic, not a corporation. And we have a governor, not a CEO. There is a difference.
