Thank you

Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

Barack Obama’s election was marvelous! Forty years ago, we lost our way with the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. Obama has captured their spirits and our hearts. With his leadership and our commitment, we will finally get our beloved country back on track.

I am reading Thurston Clarke’s The Last Campaign; Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days that Inspired America. It is a great read and will make you cry, as many of us did election night. President-Elect Obama has brought back hope to our country and the world. We received calls and emails from friends in Tanzania and Thailand stating how proud they were of America.

However, our elation was later tempered when we learned that I had lost my re-election bid to the SD Senate in a tight three-way race. Former Senator Stan Adelstein won with 3,833 votes (35%) to 3,682 (34%) for Elli Schwiesow and our 3,462 (32%).

Two years ago, with Adelstein’s help, I defeated Schwiesow 53%-47%. She had earlier defeated Adelstein in their divisive Republican primary. As Schwiesow had graciously conceded in person to me two years ago, I did the same to Adelstein Tuesday night. I congratulated him as the Senator-Elect and asked him to reach out to all the voters in the district, including Schwiesow supporters. He didn’t appreciate my comment and said that Schwiesow’s supporters did not respond to him. This is part of what is wrong with this area of South Dakota; we’re still too polarized; we’re still too one-party.

In 2006, we ran a near picture perfect grass roots campaign, knocking on more than 4,600 doors and mobilizing 106 volunteers on Election Day. This year we worked even harder. With my House running mates Eric Abrahamson and Beth Wojahn, we knocked on 7,100 doors and mobilized 120 Election Day volunteers. The big difference was our budget. In 2006, we raised over $61,000, including $18,000 in-kind from Senator Adelstein. This year, we raised $40,000. Adelstein outspent both Schwiesow and us combined, but money alone was not what defeated us. Schwiesow, running as the conservative candidate, hoped to split the moderate majority in District 32 and squeak through with a minority plurality. She nearly pulled it off, as both Adelstein and I did split the moderate vote. Had she not run, I am confident I would have defeated Adelstein because Schwiesow’s supporters so detest him. I would have been the lesser of two evils. However, that’s a race that was not run, and the voters have spoken.

I am sorry for our loss, not for myself but for the 160 volunteers who worked so hard and for the 222 contributors who gave so unselfishly. I will always appreciate all of you. I will never forget your commitment and your generosity.

Thanks so much for your support and friendship.

Warm regards,

Tom Katus, SD Senator, District 32

Journal reports on District 32 race

District 32 Senate race: Will Katus be beneficiary of feud ... again? (RCJ, Oct 27)

Democratic incumbent Tom Katus sat between opponents Stan Adelstein, the Republican Party nominee, and Elli Schwiesow, a long-time Republican running as an independent. Despite the placement, Katus got the nod to speak first.

The forum last week is not the first time Katus has won out while caught between the two. The two Republicans have dueled twice before for the hearts of their party’s voters in the district, in close races that pushed personality and ideology to the front.

Read on at the RCJ website...

Candidate debate Monday night

USD School Of Nursing West River Campus
1011 11th St, Rapid City

This is the last candidate forum of the year we know about, including some of the most important set of contests in the whole state.

All the candidates plan to be there, including Tom, House candidates Eric Abrahamson and Bethany Wojahn, and their Republican and Independent opponents.

Don’t be scared away from knowing the truth

From the October 25 Rapid City Journal Letters section

Don’t be scared away from knowing the truth

District 32 voters just received a Halloween colored post card from the South Dakota gun owners.

PAC SDGO wants to scare you about Tom Katus’s voting record. SDGO bullet points attack Katus for voting against common sense gun legislation. SDGO wants to allow guns on college campuses. Katus with bipartisan support killed the bill. During the 2008 cracker barrels a question was asked if professors carry firearms and a disgruntled student pulls a weapon, guess who is in the crossfire?

SDGO wants anyone to own a firearm. That’s OK, but what about the mentally unstable or criminals not having a background check. Those that carry a concealed weapon should also be checked and carry a license.

The real scary part of SDGO is they tried this intimidation before. In 2004 the NRA distanced
themselves from SDGO for their lobbying tactics, attacking opposing views and extremist rhetoric.

Voters of District 32 have a choice with the Tom Katus’s moderate and bipartisan voting record to the SDGO Halloween
and extremist tactics.

RITCHIE NORDSTROM
Rapid City

Rapid City Journal Letters

Candidate would serve with integrity and enthusiasm

Join me in support of Tom Katus for Senate on Nov. 4.

I know of no better person to work for the people and state of South Dakota. I have known Tom for over 15 years and am continually impressed with his dedication to the concerns of the people. Tom has and will work tirelessly for the people and only the people. He has no special interests and no self-interest — only service — that drives him with undaunted enthusiasm.

I know he is intent on creating jobs, economic opportunities and health options for South Dakotans. He does not pick and choose between racial or party lines and is fair in his decisions.

Tom is clear about the need to address education issues for K-12 and sees education as crucial to move our state beyond its current negative reputation and low standards. He is a visionary who sees that quality education is the foundation that can impact all other issues in South Dakota.

Sen. Katus advocates for effective use and expansion of current energy resources while keeping in mind a healthy environment for our future generations.

Last, but not least, Tom is adamant about government fiscal accountability. He operates with unmatched integrity. Vote for Tom!

LAURETTE POURIER
Rapid City

Education, quality of life are top concerns

As our elected official, Tom Katus stands to improve and protect the quality of life in South Dakota. He values the importance of good education for our children and the need for adequate funding to keep quality teachers in our system. As a small business owner, he is in touch with the challenges and understands the issues they deal with. He realizes the importance of quality health care and insurance for all South Dakotans. He is a strong leader who will offer real solutions for us.

CONNIE MEIER
Rapid City

Candidate is there to serve state, not himself

For too long our representatives have used their state House and Senate seats as bully pulpits to proclaim their personal beliefs and push narrow agendas. My family and I worked hard in 2006 to send Sen. Tom Katus to Pierre because we knew he would represent everyone, and help the state move on from a disappointing era of divisive single issue politics.

We are very pleased with the results. Tom has brought forward important initiatives such as green buildings, worked for better fiscal accountability in our state government, and advocated for improved education funding. Although he has met with opposition on some controversial issues, such as his support of tax reform and charter schools, he has opened the conversation in Pierre and earned a reputation as a wellliked and respected moderate whose only agenda is a better future for South Dakota and all South Dakotans.

I strongly support re-electing Tom Katus and sending him back to Pierre to represent all of District 32.

CURTIS PRICE
Rapid City

Roosevelt to be featured at Katus event!

More details on the flyer (pdf).


You can RSVP by phone (718-0545),
or online.

Rapid City Journal posts Tom's answers

The Rapid City Journal recently sent a questionnaire to local candidates, and the answers were published in the Journal and online. Since the entry has been rotated off the RCJ main web page, it is still online.

Tom's responses are posted below.

1. What’s the first piece of legislation you want to sponsor/author if elected to the 2009 Legislature?

I will continue to support public education at all levels. Together with Kathryn Johnson, our local member of the Board of Regents, I believe in the concept of “seamless education” from pre-school through post-secondary. When I suggested this at a recent briefing by the Chairman of the Regents, he indicated that one could not make an engineer from a truck driver. I have news for him: I drove a 2-1/2-ton truck when I was an active member of the South Dakota National Guard and subsequently received my civil engineering education at SDSM&T. I will continue to support public charter schools as a small school approach to our students who do not respond to the massive high schools at Stevens and Central. I will also continue to support the technical colleges’ self-governance and tribal college scholarships, despite the Regents’ and the Governor’s opposition to both.

2. What is the single most important issue (if different than number one above) to the voters in your district?

Because of the financial meltdown of Wall Street, the economy and potential financial and job losses tied to it are pre-occupying nearly everyone. However, this is a national issue that needs to be addressed by the Congress and the President.

Long-range, the major issue facing voters in District 32 and throughout the state is adequate funding of public education. (See #1 above and #5 below.) Together with other candidates, I have been circulating a non-partisan petition to reconfigure the school board with two at-large members from throughout the City and five members elected from reconfigured districts, reducing the number of districts to five. This would maintain the same seven-member board and budget but would allow each voter to vote for two at-large members and one from their new district. More than 70% of the voters approve this petition because they are so frustrated with how the school system has been administered and funded, especially this past year.



3. How should the state respond to the transportation department funding shortages caused by falling gas tax revenues?

As a rural state heavily dependent on our farm-to-market roads and major highways for tourism, we must maintain our transportation infrastructure. We also need to look at potential regional rail in the Sioux Falls and Rapid City areas to reduce road traffic, clean up the environment and save consumers from the trickle-down of extremely high gas prices.

As regards our existing funding shortages, I await the results and Legislative recommendations of the Transportation Summer Study Committee. It may well conclude that we may be forced to increase user fees or gas taxes, however unpalatable this might be to the average taxpayer. Our vehicle registration fees in South Dakota are relatively low, compared to surrounding states. We are about one-half of North Dakota and one-fourth of Minnesota. I would not be surprised if the Committee recommends an increase in our annual registration fees. Any proposed legislation will require significant public education, transparency and fairness at all levels.

4. Do you support term limits for state legislature? Why or why not?

I have never supported term limits for the State Legislature. We already have them. They are called elections held every two years.

I have had the privilege to serve on the Commerce Committee the past two terms. Senator Mac McCracken has been a highly professional Chair of this Committee. Because of his tenure and experience, he knows the issues well. Because he is term-limited, he is not seeking re-election. While no one is irreplaceable, it will take a new Chair some time to develop the process skills that Senator McCracken has demonstrated. When we lose key experienced legislators due to term limits, the legislative process suffers.

5. What are the problems, if any, with education funding? What are your solutions?

The primary problem is the lack of the state’s support to the local school districts. Nationally, South Dakota ranks sixth in per-student expenditures by the federal government because of significant funding channeled to our tribal schools and Douglas School at EAFB. We rank 22nd in local support to education. We are ranked 50th in the nation in State per-student expenditures.

This past Legislative session, the Democratic Caucus proposed legislation to “invest in our children instead of the market.” We proposed to take a portion of the interest only from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which totals approximately $400 million, and earmark approximately $10 million annually to supplement increased

K-12 educational funding, rather than rolling it over and re-investing in the market. The GOP would not agree. I also feel we need to revisit the use of the lottery fund that was sold to the people as an exclusive source for educational funding. While the fund has been used for education, our Governor has used it as a replacement of educational funding instead of as a supplement to funds that had previously been allocated for education.