HP Cuts Already in Effect?

So maybe KELO wasn't flat wrong: back in December, KELO reported that Governor Rounds's proposed budget cuts were already impacting public safety by affecting HP response to traffic accidents during our Christmas snowstorm. KELO then backtracked, quoting HP Colonel Dan Mosteller as saying it was the unexpected change in the weather, not the proposed budget cuts, that caused lags in HP response.

At the time, that explanation made sense. After all, how could budget cuts proposed for the next fiscal year affect current operations?

Today KELO redeems its original story with some serious investigative reporting... or just a lucky break, as a source "concerned Governor Rounds isn't giving a clear picture of exactly what the cuts would mean" sent KELO two internal Highway Patrol memos (PDF format, and worth the wait) about the proposed cuts:

Governor Mike Rounds has explained his proposed $2 million dollar cut to the highway patrol as if it hasn't been implemented yet and as if it would only last one year.

But according to this internal memo sent to troopers on December 3, the state asked the highway patrol to cut $2 million annually for an indefinite period of time. The cuts were immediately were put into effect and, according to the memo, could last between 18 months and three years [Lou Raguse, "Internal Highway Patrol Memos Reveal Info on Cuts," KELOLand.com, 2008.02.12].

Whoa -- so the cuts and changes to field operations took effect immediately, as of December 3. The authors of the memos, District 1 (Aberdeen) Captain Rod Olerud and District 2 (Sioux Falls) Captain Kevin Joffer, got their information straight from Colonel Mosteller at a November 30 meeting.

Captain Joffer says this about trooper hours on holidays:

Troopers will be greatly limited as to the number of holidays that they will be scheduled to work throughout the year. Those Sergeants or Troopers scheduled to work holidays will be given a Comp Day. Troopers may be scheduled to work two of the "big three" holidays (Memorial Day, Fourth of July & Labor Day). Field personnel will have more holidays off than they are use too [sic] now. Sergeants working holidays will vary from possibly one to none on most holidays! [Captain Kevin Joffer, internal memo, 2007.12.03]

Again, these changes went into effect immediately, on December 3, 2007. Other impacts:

• --statewide SWAT training: "suspended or very limited indefinitely"
• --25% fewer miles driven annually
• --manpower cuts during the Sturgis Rally
• --assistance to events like Lifelight and Tour de Kota: "limited or eliminated"
• --limited assistance for tribal police and BIA on fatal crashes on reservations
  

If Senator Abdallah needed any more ammo to back his push to restore the full funding to the Highway patrol with SB 172, well, he's got it.

No wonder Governor Rounds doesn't like open government.

Update 2008.02.13 10:05 CST: Republicans are as capable as we Dems of seeing the political fallout from Rounds's mishandling of the highway budget. Writing on "Troopergate," Sibby warns this morning that "If the South Dakota Republicans do not hold this Governor accountable, there will be a change in power come November. It happened at the national level in 2006."