News regarding the Dykhouse Center

[jackmd]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Neither Maher nor Greenfield are graduates of USD Law.

Maher - BHSU (was also a loan officer with a bank in Faith so his comment on the name may have been tongue in cheek, who knows)

Greenfield - Northern

I know Brock isn't a graduate of USD law but I was lead to believe that Maher had attended USD. Mistaken information perhaps. Was there a family member that attended USD?

Perhaps the name comment was tongue-in-cheek. That doesn't make it acceptable. Thanks for the info.

[joeybrownerHOF]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

I don't know if family but an attorney from Pierre with same last name graduated from USD law.

Agreed on his comment, especially coming from a SD Senator. I was offended and I am a USD alum.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Maher's reply is amazing in its juvenile remarks. An elected official stuping to the level of teenagers in a text-messaging battle. Amazing. If you are an elected official, you have to know you're going to make votes that make someone mad. To react to criticism of your votes by acting no better than my 2 year old when she can't have a treat is really scary. That directly correlates to his ability to think/act reasonably on all matters before him. If he can't respond to simple criticism with a reasoned or even boilerplate response then he has no business making public decisions.

Just reading the spelling and grammatical errors in his reply shows he clearly wrote the letter without much thought and with the sole purpose of calling the emailer an idiot for questioning his vote. His logic doesn't even work. SD has a failing education system because a donor decided to give money for an athletic facility at SDSU? I hope the money I gave this year didn't add to the problem as I earmarked most of it for athletics. Maher would seem to think so.

And people wonder why younger generations are becoming more and more disenfranchised with the election process.

[jackmd]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Clarification, I'm not trying to bring more attention to this issue than it deserves. I agree with JJ that 30 votes in favor is what matters most. The fact that can't be ignored is the one that MJA points out in his post. Maher should apologize for acting juvenile in his role as a lawmaker. If he wants to come on this forum or another blog and express some opinions, fine with me. However, to act this way while representing constituents from his district in the South Dakota senate, not acceptable on any level.

I still can't get over how flawed his logic is, its nearly driving me insane. I hope he thinks this way only on this issue, if not, big problems for his district will ensue.

[JimmyJack]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

One thing about buildings coming into being through private donations is that often the donations are intended for the construction. Once the building is built, there is necessary maintenance and utility cost that does have to come from the legislature.

My understanding is that the regents are responsible for maintenance and repair costs for all their buildings through the HEFF (higher education facilities fund). Monte Kramer discusses that in the hearing audio. There are no general funds expended on M&R on campuses. The students end up paying that cost because they pay a HEFF fee for every credit hour. In the case of the Dykhouse Center, no HEFF funds can be used for M&R either because of the regents' policy regarding D1 athletics. So that money must also come from other (non-state) sources.

That said: Legislators have a right to ask whatever they want to based on their own understandings of their constituents' interests. Most of the time it's routine. Sometimes it's personal. But in the end the system seems to even things out.

I'm sure Jacks#1Fan could tell us all a lot about working with legislators since he lobbied in Pierre for many years. I'm guessing he'd say that keys to working with the Legislature include remaining patient and calm no matter what happens. Provide them with the information they ask for and make sure your allies are ready to watch your back. Most (a vast majority, I'd say) of the people in the Legislature honestly want to do a good job and protect their constituents' interests. From our perspective, they may be misguided at times, but you can't let it get to you.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

I grew up in Sen. Greefield's district, so I have joined many of you in e-mailing him, as follows:

Senator Greenfield:

I am concerned over the remarks credited to you in regards to your no vote on approval of SDSU's request to spend $6 million donated dollars on a facility as per the donor's wishes.

I'm not concerned about how you voted, and am aware your views were only reflected by a few fellow legislators. Rather, if the remarks concerning "duplicated facilities" were indeed a factor, I would really like to acquaint you with the following facts:

1) The Health, Physical Education and Recreation building was built at a cost of $3.2 million in the early 1970s. It housed a basketball facility, swimming facility, weight room, locker rooms, some classrooms, and offices for the department including academic personnel and coaches. Enrollment was around 5,000. For the past 35 years it has been used for both athletics and student intramural and wellness activities.

Enrollment has reached 11,000+ and the facility has been overwhelmed. To that end, a Student Wellness Center project began, was supported by donor dollars raised by the athletic department, and, when student government did not feel it was large enough for the university, they voted to pay additional student fees to construct it. It does have gym facilities in it, along with a lot of other areas, but it is certainly not a duplicate building, but one that will complement the HPER center and keep it useable for years to come.

2) The Student Athletic Center, supported by a $6,000,000 donation by Dana Dykhouse and his family, is not an "athletic facility" in anyway comparable to the HPER and Wellness Center facilities. It is a classroom and office building with no "athletic" facilities. It replaces the age-old concrete building that houses the football locker rooms (and provide dressing rooms for visiting teams who now have to dress in Frost Arena and walk to the field). It will have coaches offices, weight and training rooms for the student athletes as well as academic rooms for studying and tutoring for athletes. We place a high priority on education for student athletes, and I would assume, as a South Dakotan, that you are proud that the SDSU Women's Basketball team was the top college team in the nation in GPA the last two years.

As I said, while I was surprised and disappointed by your vote, I am more concerned about statements made to the public that believe this is a frivolous, and duplicating facility. Having worked hard in fund raising over the years, I have no doubt that donors always put their donations where their interest lies. Some choose academics, music, literature, the arts, scholarships for the needy, scholarships for the gifted, and yes, athletics. I would hope you would allow them to do that. Most donors don't give to maintenance, or academic buildings, because they believe, and I share that belief, that the state is responsible for that.

I would be happy to meet with you at any time for a tour or for discussion on the subject. I appreciate your willingness to hear me out.

(Name, address, phone number)

[goon]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

I think you nailed in with that letter. Somewhere along the lines those things must not have been explained to them regarding what was already on campus, where it is going and what it is for. Even if we were to stay D-2 we would have needed new facilities but I dont need to preach that here because we all understand that. It seems wierd to me that instead of growing and improving the campus for everyone those two wanted to slow the growth of the school for reasons that make no sense to anybody.

Inregards to where there are schools in his district who are needing more money to keep the school from crumbling down, why not try to find donations on his own to support those schools. Maybe consolidation might be a way to go if the schools are hurting for money. now, if we were asking the state to pay for it, he might have a point there but that is not the case. Very disapointing to hear. I can't wait for the DC to be built and how much it will improve what great things have already been going on at the university.

[filbert]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

I second the praise for Jacks#1Fan's letter.

I wonder (attempting to somewhat change the subject) if it isn't time to consider selling off or leasing SDSU's athletic facilities to the SDSU Foundation (or a new SDSU Athletics Foundation, or some such thing). That way they come off the State's books and are no longer fighting for M&R funding with "academic" buildings of the University, and resolves the conflict that the Regents and the Legislature seem to continually wrestle with regarding Division I athletics.

I'll float that trial balloon and see what y'all think . . .

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Don't worry he is term limited. I guess he could run for the house

Brock is term limited and said in a local newspaper, from his district, that he wasn't go to run for the House.

[State_fan]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Brock is term limited and said in a local newspaper, from his district, that he wasn't go to run for the House.

Unless term limits are repealed.

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,66375

[jackrabid]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Thought this Board might get a kick out of Brock's response to an e-mail I sent him today.

Although you don't deserve it, I'm going to respond. My opposition to the bill has nothing to do with the source of funds. If SDSU has a need for a third gymnasium (Frost, the student center we approved last year, and this one), the source of funds is appropriately the private sector. However, my concern is that SDSU has brought forth bills in the past two years to build such things as a straw bale house in McCrory Gardens, a toilet in McCrory Gardens, the student gymnasium, and now this....and all the while, their academic buildings continue to be in a state of disrepair. I have been in two that are coming apart at the seams. I just wish there would be some emphasis placed on that side of things before pursuing these other avenues.

I was not planning on running for the House, but your e-mail has me rethinking that decision.

________________________________

From:
Sent: Thu 2/21/2008 9:35 AM
To: Senator Greenfield, Brock
Subject: SDSU Athletic Center




Dear Sen. Greenfield

I was astonished when I heard of your vote of non-approval to move ahead with the much needed and privately financed facility upgrade at SDSU.

Be assured of my support finacially of your opponent whoever it may be in your next upcoming election. South Dakota deserves much better from it's elected representatives.

Sincerely,

My name has been deleted for this board

[propar80]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Thought this Board might get a kick out of Brock's response to an e-mail I sent him today.

Although you don't deserve it, I'm going to respond. My opposition to the bill has nothing to do with the source of funds. If SDSU has a need for a third gymnasium (Frost, the student center we approved last year, and this one), the source of funds is appropriately the private sector. However, my concern is that SDSU has brought forth bills in the past two years to build such things as a straw bale house in McCrory Gardens, a toilet in McCrory Gardens, the student gymnasium, and now this....and all the while, their academic buildings continue to be in a state of disrepair. I have been in two that are coming apart at the seams. I just wish there would be some emphasis placed on that side of things before pursuing these other avenues.

I was not planning on running for the House, but your e-mail has me rethinking that decision.

________________________________

From:
Sent: Thu 2/21/2008 9:35 AM
To: Senator Greenfield, Brock
Subject: SDSU Athletic Center




Dear Sen. Greenfield

I was astonished when I heard of your vote of non-approval to move ahead with the much needed and privately financed facility upgrade at SDSU.

Be assured of my support finacially of your opponent whoever it may be in your next upcoming election. South Dakota deserves much better from it's elected representatives.

Sincerely,

My name has been deleted for this board

I cannot believe some of the responses of these guys...it really makes me ill. Talk about just absolutely thumbing your nose at an issue that has obviously gotten people worked up.
I would be willing to bet this issue has gotten him more e-mails than any other in his career in the legislature. I can tell this is probably the case by the way these two are responding to us on this board.
As for him thinking of running...I hope he does, I guarantee after some of the phone calls I've personally made to folks in ONE of the counties he represents, he won't be recieving many votes in that town. And like I said before...a lot of us being from small towns, we all know how fast word spreads. Hailing from Clark, SD, I just cannot believe he doesn't realize it too.

Go Jacks!!

[filbert]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

I don't think these guys had any idea that their maverick protest votes against the Dykhouse Center would cause the uproar that they have.

I almost feel sorry for them at this point.

Almost.

[fabio208]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

So now that it has passed.. When can we see construction beginning?

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: News regarding the Dykhouse Center

Wow. Just....wow.

I can't believe the attitude these guys have.

Besides that, I can name a couple non-athletic things money is going to on campus without even thinking.

Harding Hall South and the new Science building. There, see, I didn't even have to pause and think for a second even.

Not to mention the recent rebuild/addition to the Student Union.

And the Research Park for cripes sakes.

Seems these guys are just anti-SDSU plain and simple.