Check It Out: Augustana Mirror

Angles 10/15/2010: Race for House heats up

By Thad Titze
October 15, 2010


Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin            by Thad Titze
I helped campaign for Kristi Noem in 2006 for the District 6 seat she holds in the SD House of Representatives. Her work in the Legislature has been a complete disappointment.

Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin is by far the better of the two candidates to represent South Dakota's interests in Washington, D.C.

Stephanie is smarter and better prepared than her opponent. I attended a candidate forum in the beginning of September.

Representative Herseth-Sandlin was clearly more knowledgeable on not just the general issues, but how specific programs are funded, why they are funded that way, and why she voted the way she did.
Noem's responses demonstrated both an inability to think on her feet, as well as a lack of preparation.

Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin recognizes that "when schools flourish, all flourish."
Students at Augustana have concretely benefited from her work. Stephanie voted in Congress to increase the maximum Pell Grant award.

In addition, she supports expanding the Pell Grant and Perkins Loan Programs. Kristi, as assistant majority leader in the House, voted for a state budget that denied South Dakota schools the increases they were promised.

At the same time, she voted in favor of wasteful state spending we all could have done without.

The most destructive thing in politics is building barriers and not bridges. Stephanie works with Republicans and Democrats to get things done.

She does what she thinks will be best for South Dakota. South Dakota and Washington do not need Kristi's partisan attitude.

Additionally, Kristi holds herself above the law and wastes taxpayer's money by failing to show up in court and having warrants issued for her arrest.

Now, perhaps more than ever, we need a strong, independent voice in Congress.

That is why I'm voting for Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin.