The only way to make ends meet is to have “everyone” chip in: even state employees

BY CRAIG WENZEL – TRUE DAKOTAN EDITOR

When South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds addressed the state budget last week, he noted that some painful cuts will have to be made while dealing with a $50M shortfall this year, and possibly $80M more in the year 2010 (Y2010). Of course we all want cuts to be made, but not from our own pockets.

When Rounds sent a statewide email to employees, tellling them that salary policy and enhancements for FY 2010 would probably not be coming, the South Dakota State Employees Organization (SDSEO) executive directory, Corey Landeen, was “disappointed”.

” We’re disappointed; when the initial budget proposal called for a 1.5% salary adjustment there was disappointment but understanding that in this economic downturn everyone needs to make sacrifice; HOWEVER, this new revelation is a bit hard to take,” he said. “My initial reaction is to question if there is an effort underway by the administration to cover the increased costs in health insurance that the employees are being asked to pay; if not, employees will effectively make less money in FY2010.”

Well yea, Corey… that’s the purpose of budget cuts: people in all walks of life –including state employees– are expected to make sacrifices. Sure, SDSEO will be working with the legislature to draft legislation in an effort to find some type of cost-of-living adjustment for employees. But the fact remains: budget cuts at the national, state, county, city and yes, even at the little True Dakotan newspaper, will have to be made so all of us can weather this economic storm.

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A long-time True Dakotan reader, 95-year old George Hatch called the other day to talk about last week’s “sledding” column.

He said sledding was a popular winter passtime when he was a boy growing up in Wessington Springs. “I remember one particular winter in the 1920s when the sledding conditions were just perfect,” he remembered. “Back in those days people would come to town with a horse-drawn sleigh.”

Future generations of Springs kids used the sledding hill in city park, probably after A.J. Gephart designed a one-of-a-kind pulley design that gave kids with a firm grip a free ride to the top of the slope. But in the days before that, local kids used “the old grade”, which is now the wildlife nature trail.

“The sledding conditions were perfect that winter and we would start at the bridge (Reindl keystone bridge) near the top of the old grade and sled town to Main Street,” George said.

Sledding that stretch of road from the top of the old grade to Main Street meant a pretty good curve had to be navigated at the bottom of “Legion Hill”. “Our Flexible Flier sleds were sometimes going too fast to make the corner at the bottom,” he said, “and then you still had to make the corner that turns (east) to the United Methodist Church. It was great and a lot of kids were doing it.”

George is a 1931 graduate of Wessington Springs High School, now living in Springfield, Virginia. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hatch were longtime Springs residents. His dad was a lawyer and local judge.

“I enjoy reading the True Dakotan each week,” George concluded, “even though I don’t recognize a lot of the names any more.”

Well, George, keep reading, keep having birthdays, and keep in touch.

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It doesn’t matter if you are Democrat, Republican, Independent or a Libertarian (well not so much the Libertarian), last week’s inauguration of Barack Obama gave the country a patriotic transfusion.

I loved seeing the soon-to-be president and his wife walk, hand in hand, along the parade route after the swearing in ceremony as people of every possible color combination stood and cheered. And the first dance with Byonce singing “After All” was touching.

But the inauguration is past. The cheering and the dancing have been replaced by some serious matters at home and abroad.

Yes, expectations are high for the new president. And as I told Theresa Hoarty the other day, “I am cautiously optimistic” as this young man goes about the business of running the country.

We gave the previous administration eight years… let’s give this man a little time, as well.

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You’ll remember the picture of 12-year old Domanick Havard in last week’s True Dakotan. The caption said he shot the buck while hunting with his grandpa last December. Well, even I know that the deer season wasn’t open in December.

What we MEANT to say was Domanick shot the buck in November. Since his grandpa and hunting companion is Jerauld County Sheriff Roger Thompson, we thought it might be necessary to make that little correction.

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