John Gossom
Column: New Pope Likely to Push Same Old Doctrine
VATICAN CITY, Italy - In all the hubbub about the new Pope, you may have missed some local Catholic related news of note.
Column: Willful Ignorance Unlikely to Result in Bliss
PIERRE - Teen pregnancy is on the decline nationally, but is still stubbornly high in rural areas. This should be cause for more concern in South Dakota, given that very little of state qualifies as being non-rural.
Column: Prioritizing the Human Economy
PIERRE - It is admirable to see the Governor and legislators from both parties setting up sound policy that will prioritize human beings in the lean times and hopefully prevent more damaging cuts like those from two years ago.
Column: Domestic Violence Debate is Abusively Stupid
PIERRE - South Dakota lawmakers found themselves unable to agree on a bill that would update and clarify domestic violence policy.
Column: Senate Unwilling to Approve ‘Any Willing Provider’
PIERRE - After passing the house, the bill to force insurers to accept free patient choice in healthcare providers was voted down resoundingly in the South Dakota Senate.
Real Estate Recovery Bodes Well for Sioux Falls Economy
SIOUX FALLS - Real Estate development in the Sioux Falls area underwent a significant increase last year and stands to do even better in 2013. A recovery in the construction sector is seen as a welcome indicator of a strengthening economy overall.
Column: Both Sides Are Not Equally to Blame
WASHINGTON - Even a cursory look at the facts demonstrates that the Republicans are responsible for this manufactured sequester crisis, and your media outlets are doing you a disservice by pretending otherwise.
Column: Hiding from Transparency
PIERRE - State legislators can’t agree about how much access you should have to the goings on of local government committee meetings.
Column: Media, Myths, and the Minimum Wage
WASHINGTON - Right-wingers like to convince themselves that something is true then repeat it ad nauseum hoping that the rest of us will come to believe it as well. Surprisingly, they have had some success with this strategy.
Column: Uncertainty Surrounds South Dakota Budget Plan
PIERRE - There is a good deal of uncertainty surrounding the South Dakota budget at the moment. What is making the job atypical is that no one knows how much to count on coming from Washington.