SD highway markers are free promos for politicians but can be a bit confusing. Is Rhoden from Sturgis or Union Center?
Not long ago, taxpayer-funded green-and -white signs were erected on Interstate 90, welcoming visitors to Sturgis, the hometown of Gov. Larry Rhoden.
The timing was exquisite; these signs arrived prior to this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. There is one little problem with this political proclamation: our new governor actually hails from Union Center, a tiny unincorporated ranching community which is 42 miles east of Sturgis on state Highway 34. Yes, there are similar signs welcoming visitors to Union Center as well, proclaiming it as Rhoden’s hometown, but traffic on Highway 34 is comparatively light, so many fewer travelers will see them.
If you have plenty of time, Highway 34 is a scenic and interesting route across our great state. After driving through Flandreau, Madison, Woonsocket, Wessington Springs, Pierre/Fort Pierre and yes, Union Center, it is a distinct thrill to see Bear Butte looming on the horizon, beckoning the proximity to the Black Hills and the Wild West.
I have traveled all over the United States, and do not recall ever visiting another state that uses tax dollars to erect highway signs proclaiming the homes of current political leaders. When you enter Rifle, Colo., you are not advised that Lauren Boebert used to own a gun-friendly restaurant there. Visitors to Brooklyn (a borough of New York City) are not informed that the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both hail from there.For many years, South Dakota highway signs have proudly shared this information. When you come to Pierre, you are informed that it is the home of Sen. Mike Rounds (who actually has a residence in Fort Pierre, across the river) and the hometown of Rep. Dusty Johnson.
Travelers on I-90, after reading the aforementioned Sturgis signs, will be informed that Murdo is Sen. John Thune’s hometown, that Mitchell is currently Dusty Johnson’s home, and that Sioux Falls is where Thune lives these days.
Way back in the 20th century, when an aspiring politician was elected to the U.S. Senate or House, it was expected that they would move to Washington, D.C., where Congress is located, and that their families would take up residence there. That appears to be a quaint concept.
Modern members of Congress typically maintain their homes and families in their home states or districts and fly in to Washington each week to legislate for three or four days before returning home. Under the traditional concept, members spent their weekends enjoying backyard barbecues and cocktail parties with colleagues from both parties and developing personal and working relationships. It is harder to have partnerships across the aisle with members whom you barely know, and only see in debates on committees and on the floor.
Unfortunately, as congressional campaigns have become more expensive, the member’s full-time job throughout the term of office is to raise money from special interest groups to finance the next campaign.
Of course, Larry Rhoden does not hold a congressional office. Nonetheless, South Dakota’s established protocol entitles him to be proclaimed as a native son of both Union Center and Sturgis. Unlike a billboard which solicits votes for a politician, these signs are essentially free advertising which do not cost our incumbent politicians a nickel.
Nobody has suggested that an upstart candidate who is challenging a political incumbent should have official highway signs erected outside their hometown, or their current home. It is a privilege purely for the people in power.
Jay Davis is a retired Rapid City lawyer and a frequent contributor to The South Dakota Standard.
Photo: John Tsitrian
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