Kristi Noem is the Governor of South Dakota. She is a another Trump stooge who bows to his every word. Her lack of loyalty to her people and devotion to Trump is making her state one of the hot beds of Covid-19 infections in the United States.

The United States has experienced the largest number of Covid-19 cases at 1.97 million. A consensus of healthcare experts forecast 130,000 deaths by July 4^th. Today, June 9, 2020, the number of cases are rising faster in red states who serve Trump than blue states whose governors care more about their people than Trump’s failing economy and reelection. One of the worst is South Dakota.

The number of confirmed cases in the state has risen from 129 to 988 since April 1 — when Gov. Kristi Noem criticized the “draconian measures” of social distancing to stop the spread of the virus in her state.

Noem had criticized the quarantine idea as “herd mentality, not leadership” during a news conference, adding, “South Dakota is not New York.” I agree, and she is not a patriot: her failed president is more important than her state’s people or the people of our nation.

The Washington Post is reporting that one of the largest single clusters of Covid-19 infections was discovered at a pork processing plant in South Dakota. At least 300 employees tested positive for the coronavirus. Noem continues to resist signing a quarantine order, although the state’s health officials have been sounding the alarm since April.

Dakota State Medical Association penned a letter to Noem on April 3 urging her to institute a mandatory quarantine.

“A stay-at-home order would give our health professionals the necessary time and resources to manage this pandemic,” the group wrote on its website. “We may soon be facing the challenges and hardships being seen in New York and other cities if a shelter in place order is not issued immediately.”

Politicians whose sole reason for seeking office is based on personal ambition don’t give a damn about people; they care about their wallets. Republicans are the party of special interests; billionaires who will donate hundreds of millions of dollars to future campaigns are more important than human life.

There is always a discussion about the “worst jobs in America” during the cocktail hour. Although being a “professional politician” offers opportunities for financial and social gain, it is also the most despicable “profession” in the world. Our founding fathers never intended a seat in Congress to be a career; they were right to believe so. Multiple term members of the House and Senate are without morals or a desire to serve their country: they are opportunists.

Republicans continue to resist two changes in our political system which would end most corruption at all levels of government and return the right of choosing our president to the people. Without the Electoral College, and setting term limits would end the political ambitions of thousands of Republicans across America.

This important fact is how the right-wing became the party of big business and other special interests including the Christian Religious Right, and the NRA Gun Lobby. Party and personal ambitions are the primary objectives of today’s Republicans in name only. “All governments are bad; some are worse than others.” Today, America’s government is the worst in the world of developed nations.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore

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