Being Awake is Not Enough
We need to exercise 'muscles' we have left dormant for far too long...
Today’s Substack South Dakota Voice brings up a somewhat innocent thought.
Titled We Need to Exercise Civics, Rights, Vigilance, Due Diligence, and Taking Action, the author addresses the question, are we pushing the state in directions that are not aligned with the wishes of the citizens?
A link to her post is provided below.
The writer, South Dakota Voice, opens her post with…
It is interesting to watch how the federal government is using the grant process to push certain narratives and put pressure on industries that employ large numbers of people in the state.
She then provides examples of entities that gained state funds and who in turn pursued grants whose focus is counter to those funds.
It’s a free country, right?
This MIGHT be the price we pay for wanting to keep a republic, but is it?
As we see it, there are several issues brought up in her post, intentional or not - and we look at her post as a good thing to make people think.
She brings up 3 points that have a central theme - why are grants honored that go against the funds received from the government, whether state or federal?
Examples are, and we are quoting…
Beef industry (a $4.5B industry in SD as of 2012 stats) - the South Dakota state universities are getting $310,000,000 from the state (tax revenues — see page 13 of the state budget) and then South Dakota State University (SDSU) turned around and took an $80,000,000 grant from the federal government (Department of Agriculture) that appears to undermine the beef industry.
Health industry - The state pays almost $1 billion per year for health and social services (tax revenues — see page 13 of the state budget). At the same time, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides money for vaccines (several million dollars every couple of years).
Education - Each year the state of South Dakota and its counties spend about $1.2 billion on K-12 education. Another $400 million (about 22% of the total) comes from the federal government (Department of Education) in the form of grants. There appear
sto be problems with the strings associated with this federal money.
If it seems the left does not know what the right hand is doing - but is that the case here?
We recommend you read her post first before continuing here.
She is very good at making people think, so we do recommend giving her Substack a follow or subscription even if you do not live in South Dakota.
Her post can be read here…
We highly recommend reading the comments section as well.
Our Feedback
We fully believe government funding and grants are out of control on all levels - the fact that President Trump, a very successful businessman overseeing 550+ corporations with only 6 bankruptcies, saw fit to create DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) which has already cut BILLIONS of waste from our Federal Budget and is doing so at a clip of $1B A DAY.
Grants are written by those trained in such tasks though others will try - in other words, citizens.
The money from grants comes from the government.
This means if you say what the government likes, you will receive the grant.
Not very efficient - which only reaffirms the first paragraph of this section.
Our Constitution has a system of checks and balances and that process should not be limited to our constitution.
Most of our followers already know our stance on education and health and we hardly believe honoring a grant that is counter to state funds that assist in the protection and growth of any beef industry is productive.
Without checks and balances, there WILL be waste and counterproductivity.
Grant money comes from various sources, including public and private funds.
Public funds are obtained from governmental units such as federal, state, and local agencies.
The Federal government is the largest grantmaker, providing funds through grants.gov, which lists over 1,000 grant programs annually with access to approximately $500 billion in awards.
Private funds come from organizations involved in charitable giving, such as
foundations
direct giving programs
voluntary agencies
community groups
These private sources may focus on emerging issues, new needs, and populations emerging as "special interests," and are more willing to adapt by collaborating with other sources, providing alternative forms of assistance, and considering experimental activities.
That means foundations like the Gates, Soros, UN, WHO, and WEF can offer and pay for grants…
Things that make you go, hmmm…
We believe that the “checks and balances” lacking in this fiasco should come from the people, from you.
But that won’t come about unless you, We the People, do something about it.
If anything, the 2000s have taught and have been ignored by many that the seeds we plant today will yield a harvest we may least expect - unless we are vigilant, performing our due diligence, and protecting our fight.
So far, we as a society have done a lousy job of all this but the good news is we are awake now - but that is hardly enough.
Not by a long stretch.
Today is about learning (or relearning for some of us) civics, rights, vigilance, due diligence, and TAKING ACTION so we can create and protect a better future for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Otherwise, everything we do today very well could be for nothing.