Dusty Johnson's grown more extreme; the real independent voter issue: Your letters

Your letters to the editor for April 21, 2024:

'Problem-solving' Dusty Johnson is gone

When Dusty Johnson was first inaugurated to Congress in 2019, I was in my high school government class, preparing to graduate five months later. Naturally, Dusty came up from time to time. Although I’ve been left-leaning for as long as I can remember, I can’t deny that I respected him.Later that semester I made an activity out of sending long-shot graduation invites to several public figures — including Dusty. It wouldn’t be until May 10th that I would learn of an Argus Leader Editorial titled “Sending a Letter to Addison” where he wrote that he would “try his best to make it.” Dusty did make it, and when asked by Keloland why I invited him to my graduation party, I didn’t know what to say – how would I explain that I had honestly only invited him because he came to mind as a public figure? So I made something up, telling them I liked his policies (of which I hadn’t known much about, and now adamantly oppose).As for Sheryl Johnson, I first met her in the Roosevelt school store down the hall from my government classroom. She always had a smile on her face, and I made an effort to catch her right as she would put out a new plate of warm chocolate chip cookies for students to grab on their way to class.At the time, Sheryl had just finished running to be District 11’s representative in the SD House, with some of her strongest supporters having been the very students who knew her best. She would go on to run again in 2020 and for State Senate in 2022, her share of the vote growing with each cycle.

While Sheryl was on the ground running to bring decency back to our state legislature, “problem-solver” Dusty was voting against bipartisan legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that brings millions in needed investments to South Dakota, as well as the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects the freedoms of South Dakotans to marry who they love without government or private interference.He’s grown more extreme, voting for legislation that would restrict reproductive freedoms and against legislation that would protect the border – simply because President Trump – literally – told House Republicans that he wanted the immigration system to remain broken so he could use that to attack President Biden.“Problem-Solving” Dusty Johnson is long gone. But Sheryl Johnson is here – and it’s time he is replaced with a real problem solver like Sheryl who will fight for all South Dakotans, from the schoolhouse to the U.S. House.

− Addison Miller, Des Moines, Iowa

More: Pat Starr may not be best fit for school board; SD growing pains: Your letters

Lack of desire is the challenge for independent voters

Joe Kirby's recent letter in the Argus caught my eye. Joe claims that independent voters in South Dakota are prevented from voting in primaries their taxes pay for because they are not in one of the two political parties. Nothing could be further from the truth. Is someone preventing them from nominating a candidate and maybe even two for the same office and develop and hand out "Independent" primary ballots to independent voters and then they could vote? It is impossible to vote when there is no candidate in your chosen party to vote for. Seems to be a problem of lack of desire on the part of the independently registered voter, not a legal one. My suggestion to any independent voter who feels disenfranchised is to take out a petition, get the required signatures, file it with the auditor and get on the Independent Primary ballot that will have to be produced if but one more concerned "independent" does the same.This is not about the disenfranchisement of taxpayers, it is about the political massaging of a voter block in hopes of attracting people with different beliefs politically to "cross over" and defeat a candidate from one or the other political party so they can essentially "elect" the candidate most easily defeated by "their" candidate. This isn't a Republican/Democrat issue. They would both use it. It will only serve to more strongly entrench the political dominance that is Pierre, to strengthen Pierre and those who serve there and not South Dakota.

− Randy Amundson, Sioux Falls

A vote for an open primary is a vote for fairness

John Wiik, the Chairman of the SD Republican Party, recently gave this advice to independent voters: “Find a party you agree with. Find a party that 80% of your values (you) identify with and join that party. You can’t stay independent and tell the parties how to do their jobs."What Chairman Wiik didn't address is this question: why should independent voters, who pay taxes to administer our primary election system, be forced to join a political party if they don't want to do so? Our forefathers fought a revolution because of the unfairness of "taxation without representation," isn't that exactly what Wiik is suggesting, that independents be taxed and yet prevented from casting meaningful votes in primaries?In November, South Dakotans will have a chance to eliminate the tired and outdated closed partisan primary system by voting for a much better, much fairer open primary system, and to allow registered independents to cast meaningful votes. And when they do, it will be about time!− Drey Samuelson, Sioux Falls

More: How open primarys could help SD; a thank you from a veteran: Your letters

How to submit a letter to the editor:

Letters need to be roughly 300 to 500 words, and will need to include first and last name, address, city and title. Addresses won’t be publicized, of course, but it’s a way for us to make sure those who submit a letter are who they say they are.

Letters will run on Sundays in print and online as we receive them. There may be moments, however, when we don't have any as we work to solicit interest and actively rebuild this part of our coverage for readers.

You can submit those to News Director Shelly Conlon by emailing sconlon@argusleader.com or submit them through our online form here, which also is sent directly to the news director.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dusty Johnson's grown more extreme; the real independent voter issue: Your letters