Tribute to Jim Burg
Dear Editor and readers of the True Dakotan, With the passing of Jim Burg, our community, as well as our state and the nation, has lost a leader, a dedicated public servant and a friend to basically everyone he met. Jim was a politician through and through but he was one who did it for all the right reasons – he wanted to make things better for everyone.
He believed deeply that when properly managed the tools of government could be used both to advance and strengthen our society and to protect those who are downtrodden. Achieving those sometimes conflicting goals is a huge challenge but one that Jim never shied away from.
In his political life he won some and he lost some. When he won he worked hard to implement the basic principles of fairness and equity in which he believed so strongly. When he lost he did not let the disappointment stop him. He set it aside and moved on to the next challenge without bitterness or hostility. In doing so he set an example that is so often missing in today’s public policy environment.
His influence was widely felt as is evidenced by the outpouring of tributes from a wide variety of sources. I consider it an honor to call him my friend. I will miss him, his family will miss him. Our community and our state will miss him but we are all better off because we knew Jim Burg.
May he rest in peace.
Respectfully, Tom Dean Wessington Springs