Four Questions for Legislators

West river legislators respond to four questions in a December 18^th Rapid City Journal article.   There were few solid answers to those four questions.  Several of the legislators admitted to being unaware or their responses implied that the legislators were still campaigning or that they were inclined to provide answers that pertain to issues facing the US Congress rather than the South Dakota state legislature.  Apparently, these legislators don’t read the opinion page letters or forum page articles of the local newspapers.  They don’t seem to associate what they do in Pierre with anything that their constituents may be concerned enough about to voice a public opinion.  Perhaps the legislators were too distracted with Pierre bar fights to recall what they were told at their get together with fellow members of American Legislative Exchange Council. 

When referring to constituent concerns, the purported concerns weren’t supported by documented sources or hard numbers.  Could it be that one or two phone calls or coffee with friends constitutes the basis for the legislators’ idea of what the common concerns are for all of the voters in their respective districts?  It appears likely that these legislators will repeat whatever it was they did last year even though there is plenty of reason to believe that it will have very little to do with constituent concerns.