Sturgis Black Hills Motor Classic 2007

Sturgis, S.D., August 6–12— Sturgis has always been cyclic in nature, with one year peaking and being overcrowded to the point of madness followed a few years later by a reduction in attendance due to the masses suffering rally burnout. This was one of those ebb tide years that riders long for. After a week of effortless rallying, those who attended will carry home tales that will spark the interest of friends and in due time, it will be mania once again. This waxing and waning cycle has gone on for years and gives the Black Hills Motor Classic a certain personality of its own.

Attendance fell a full 13 percent for the 67th running of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Races, to 456,000 from 525,000 in 2006. And while these figures only represent those visiting Sturgis during the official rally week (and do not include early arrivals or those staying beyond the close), it was obvious to everyone that numbers were down. With the slowdown in the overall motorcycle industry, lower attendance at most rallies is not a new phenomenon and those few who are witnessing a surge are definitely the exception. Sturgis vendors were especially impacted by the resulting downturn in sales and were heard to say that the ’07 rally was the worst they had endured in 15 years. So what did that mean for those “few” who were in attendance this year? With modest traffic, barren venues, brief waits for everything from gas to food and vendors willing to negotiate prices in lieu of dragging home unsold merchandise, this was one of the best Black Hills experiences in recent memory.

Brave new venues

Despite the leveling-off of the motorcycle economy, new venues continue to be developed in the areas adjacent to Sturgis in hopes of luring in clientele. How many the rally can support remains to be determined. Some are on shaky ground already. Last year, Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke, opened the huge Sturgis County Line, just past Bear Butte. There were definitely more vendors and campers on the property this year, however, attendance had its ups and downs depending on what activities were taking place at the time. And even though several “celebrity” bike builders had set up shop on the premises, the long lines of adoring fans were not present as in times past. (Hopefully that strange craze has seen its heyday.)

There were reports that quite a few customers showed up on Tuesday, as Sturgis County Line was the finish line for the Million Dollar Ride (a few top builders who got together to show their creations built especially for the Heritage Rally that was aborted earlier this year). And there were around 4,000 people present on Wednesday for a “celebrity bartender” night when famous bike builders took turns behind the bar. Adding to Allen’s woes was a group of local Native Americans who maintained a prayer encampment near the base of Bear Butte and conducted ceremonies dedicated to the protection of this sacred mountain. They requested that bikers avoid riding past Bear Butte during their weeklong services. From the looks of Allen’s parking lot, the mojo was working.

The Top 50 Rally Park is another venue that was in its second year and experienced a similar trend. Located off I-90 in Piedmont halfway between Sturgis and Rapid City, it seems to be separated from just about everything. But additional activities were added for this year and included freestyle motocross and extreme stunt demo riders, a hot rod car and bike auction, fashion shows, and several charity rides that did actually bring in more folks than in 2006. The biggest day was the Legend Top 50 Bike Show on Thursday with about 100 very cool and classy bikes entered. The place was packed, even in the scorching midday heat.

Another big venue, Thunder Road, across from the Full Throttle Saloon a few miles east of Sturgis proper, hosted bike shows every day during rally week. On Tuesday, I caught the judging of the fifth annual Metzeler custom bike contest that featured Metzeler tire-equipped custom V-twins. This year though, there were only about 30 bikes entered, probably due in part to American Motorcycle Dealer’s so-called official world championship of custom bike building that monopolized many high-end customs from Saturday through Wednesday at AMD’s new Champions Park on Lazelle Street. And although Champions Park seemed to be ideally located and centered near the heavy-hitting S&S Cycle booth, it suffered poor attendance throughout the week.

Any venue with the name Michael Lichter attached to it continues to shine and draw in the crowds. This renowned biker lifestyle photographer has paid his dues and the motorcycle world acknowledges his accomplishments year after year. On Tuesday evening, Lichter held a reception for his choppers and chopper art show in the Thunderdome. This year’s theme was One World Choppers and featured 24 foreign-born builder-artists, some who live in the U.S. and others who shipped their bikes and art from overseas. The show, open to the public all week, was intended to demonstrate how builders from abroad have influenced and contributed to the custom bike scene on this continent. Foreign-born artists also provided art for wall displays.

The Full Throttle Saloon tried a new twist this year—the Black List Tour. According to a recent press release, it was to be “a hard-core fusion of skateboarding, Moto X, hot rods, custom bikes, music and art, designed to redefine and revolutionize rally entertainment, and provide the ultimate platform for cross-generational expression.” (Whew. What a mouthful.) Had I not seen the press release beforehand, however, I wouldn’t have noticed much difference other than a relocation of the builders and vendors and the addition of the stunt show and a stage for bands, meaning that we could no longer park in the paved area in front of the Full Throttle, but rather had to ride through and park in the field in back of the venue. There was also a huge Jesse James exhibit, but Jesse wasn’t there the day that I was. Some of the builders were to construct a bike on stage to be given away on Thursday. Although the Black List Tour got off to a rather shaky start this year, it’s scheduled to appear in Daytona during Bike Week next spring, with promises of better coordination and more exciting events. (I wish them luck, but if I was into skateboarding and needed a cross-generational infusion, I’d tune into the X-Games.) The biggest drama at the Full Throttle happened a few days after the rally’s close when the FBI raided the business and, in conjunction with the IRS, confiscated or froze its assets. According to local news sources, the raid was criminal in nature. However, as of press time, no further information was available.

The most ambitious new venue had to be the BoneYard Saloon in Whitewood, an entertainment complex about midway between Sturgis and Spearfish. Favorite rally bands like Foghat, Canned Heat, Jimmy Van Zant, Pat Travers, Quiet Riot, The Georgia Satellites, Blue Oyster Cult, Blackfoot, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Steppenwolf were scheduled to play every evening during (and a few days before) the rally. I stopped in early Wednesday afternoon and, in front of the big, impressive stage I saw a huge, paved expanse with a quad burnout pit and a mechanical bull but not much else. The few people present took shelter under the covered outdoor bar. Two inside bars (one for the general public and one for VIP ticket holders) were fully air-conditioned and had small stages for more live music. According to the staff, quite a crowd turned up for Vince Neil’s performance on Monday night, but things had been rather slow since then. The BoneYard Saloon really is quite an impressive place, complete with food and merchandise vendors and even restrooms with flush toilets—a rarity at most bike rallies. The venue was off to a slow start this year but has great potential.

Breakfast of champions

One event that continues to gain in popularity is the Sturgis Builders Breakfast. This notable function was the second to be sponsored by Choppers Inc. and was held at the Broken Spoke on Tuesday morning. And this year, the sold-out affair didn’t run out of food as it had during their initial offering. More than 30 bike builders and artists joined Billy Lane to donate one-of-a-kind items for an auction that brought in over $14,500 for Make-A-Wish of South Dakota. The event was so popular last year that it’s been expanded to Daytona Bike Week and scheduled for Destination Daytona on Tuesday, March 4.

Colors and cops

New for 2007, the owner of One Eyed Jacks, the biggest saloon on Main Street, decided to enact a No Colors policy due to harassment of their customers by club members in previous years. Flyers were distributed across town challenging the policy and calling for a boycott. State Representative Jim Putnam is supporting the boycott and considering possible legislation to protect riders wearing club colors if the ban continues. Mr. Putnam rides with the Lawmakers and was denied entry into One Eyed Jacks during the rally because he was flying his patch. 

With attendance figures down, there were only five rally-related deaths this year. Arrests were also down and by the end of the week the cops had obviously become bored and seemed to be willing to write a ticket for the most minor of infractions. One gentleman driving a truck and pulling a bike trailer paused to allow two riders to cut in front of him. He was ticketed for obstructing traffic and fined $104.

Hear me roar

With the motorcycle industry desperately seeking fresh avenues to attract new customers, it’s no big surprise that during the ’07 rally there was a strong focus on female riders. Earlier accounts predicted that 2007 would be the Year of the Bagger. Apparently we got it wrong and now women will be the vanguard resuscitating a lethargic two-wheeled economy. The nearby town of Lead blazed the path last year by presenting their first Show ’N’ Shine, a female-only bike show followed by a lingerie show and auction.

On Tuesday, Lead put on a similar series and saw an even stronger following. On Thursday, Harley-Davidson had its first-ever Women’s Day, including women-only demo rides, as part of its exhibit at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Also on Thursday, a women’s ride from Sturgis County Line to the H-D exhibit was scheduled. However, that ride didn’t take place. According to Jay Allen, a better-planned and better-publicized women’s ride is being planned for next year. (Barring additional mojo.)

And on Friday, Jesse Jurrens, who runs the Top 50 Rally Park, scheduled a women’s day to honor women bikers. A rather modest Top 50 Bike for Breast Cancer Charity Ride to benefit the American Cancer Society took place and Lisa Baker of Baker Drivetrain was presented with the first Industry Leader award for women. Kristen Whittle from Sunder- land, Massachusetts, won a riding jacket from sponsor ICON Motorcycle Gear and saddlebags from Saddlemen/Travelcade. Jesse plans to step up his efforts next year and get a lot more participation from women in the industry as well as general female motorcycle enthusiasts. He’s also collaborating with Rapid City fabricator Jesi Combs to develop a new motorcycle frame designed specifically for women.

Although some of the female-oriented exhibits this year missed the mark, most of these efforts are worthy, whether it’s designing specialized motorcycles, creating riding gear, or acknowledging the female contributions to the industry. But it does bring up an interesting question: What will be the next big thing?

This year we were offered a huge slice of the female biker experience. But we also had the chance to meet “kid” builders—brothers Joey (16) and Cody Cihak (12) from St. Petersburg, Florida, displayed their creations at Thunder Road for the first time this year. While one banner strung across Main Street declared pork as the “Official Meat of the Sturgis Rally,” another one farther down the block announced Sony as the official electronics company of Sturgis. What? On Junction Street, a house owner had set up a front porch business selling lattes and espresso. You laugh, but there was always a line of customers. In Rapid City a company was offering Biker Yoga: A New Way to Refuel (at $50 a person for a 45 minute session). CrumGobbler Press had their booth on the corner of Main and Junction and was hawking their latest book, a rally-based children’s picture book about the misadventures of two dogs that ride in their owners’ sidecar rig and go to the Black Hills. This was across the street from Gunner’s bar, where not that long ago shots rang out between rival bike clubs. And at any time you could log onto one of five live webcams and check out the action on Main Street or Glencoe CampResort (now with the click of a mouse you can witness the happenings and decide whether the party is worth leaving your house or RV).

She’ll get over it

There are signs of hope. The road to Van- ocker Canyon was finally paved all the way to Sturgis and saw a huge influx of riders. And just in time, the town of Nemo (located on Vanocker Canyon Road) has reopened several establishments under new management and is offering a great beer break, restaurant and cabins. Tent camping in the locals’ front yards is apparently seeing a resurg- ence as an alternative to high-priced campgrounds. And as long as Needles Highway, Iron Mount- ain Road, Spearfish Canyon and Custer State Park are available for two-wheeled cavorting, this event may have its cyclic mood swings but will remain one of the finest rallies in the world. Shadow contributed to this article.

Sturgis 2007 Motorcycle Rally Wrap-Up

 

The music from the Buffalo Chip's Amphitheater is but a distant echo, tents no longer dot the landscape of Glencoe Campground and you can once again find a parking spot on Main Street. As riders return to the 9 to 5 with a camera full of pictures and stories to share with whoever will listen, residents of Sturgis pick up the pieces and attempt to return to a normal life as the book closes on Chapter 67 of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Initial tallies have attendance at this year's event lower than in previous years. But it's hard to consider a couple of hundred thousand people a low number. It's just low in comparison to the big attendance numbers put up in the 90s. Sturgis Rally Director Pepper Massey did confirm that attendance at this year's rally was down. Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin corroborated Massey's assessment, saying that rally numbers were down "quite a bit."

"Having fewer people come to town for the rally makes things easier for law enforcement," said Merwin. "It makes it so there isn't so much tension."

Dan Staton, regional traffic engineer for the state Dept. of Transportation (DOT), acknowledged that traffic within Sturgis has been less congested than other rallies. Staton said that DOT put out traffic counters on Wednesday, Aug. 1, before the rally started and collected data for about 12 days. On Monday, Aug. 13, the DOT began rounding up the counters and processing the data from them, but the results have not yet been tallied. Even with the statistical data of people going in and out of Sturgis, the attendance figures are still only estimates, as riders sometimes enter and leave the city several times in one day, so they pass over the counters numerous times. Last year's attendance was in the ballpark of 450,000 people, so by the end of the week we'll be able to see what stats ODOT came up with this year in comparison.

And though attendance numbers in the city of Sturgis itself might be lower than in the past, many riders are opting to stay in less crowded towns close by.

"While it appears like numbers are down, we see a lot of riders and activity in surrounding areas such as Spearfish, Deadwood, Lead and other cities. Is this a trend reflecting the desire of the people to get away from the commercialism, hoarding, crowds and BS that's now Sturgis? Not sure," said Carl Hanlon, Guilty Customs owner and a veteran of the rally.

This year's event saw five fatalities, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP). The last fatal incident happened Thursday, Aug. 9, after an Idaho couple died when the 2002 Honda trike they were traveling on down Interstate 90 left the roadway and went down a steep embankment. Overall, SDHP reported 86 injury accidents. Inside city limits, the Sturgis Police Dept. reported five injury accidents.

Main Street comes alive at night. Sturgis 2007 had a bomb scare that required the Sturgis Police Dept. to close down a downtown block for the first time Police Chief Jim Bush can remember.

On a positive note, motorcycle thefts were down. Inside Sturgis city limits, there were only three confirmed reports of stolen bikes, compared to six last year. Generally, the number has continued to go down over the last few years, said Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush. The number of thefts does not include reports investigated by the SDHP and Meade County Sheriff's Dept.

This year's rally saw a first-ever bomb scare on Main Street. A suspicious package was reported Saturday, Aug. 4 and a block of Main Street was evacuated after the state Division of Criminal Investigation arrived to remove the package. It took about an hour and 45 minutes to clear the third block of Main Street west of Junction Avenue and remove the item, according to the police chief.

"It's one of the first times that we cleared a block during the rally," said Bush.

The suspicious package turned out to be somebody's abandoned cooler, complete with food inside. Ten years ago, the cooler wouldn't have aroused any suspicion. Unfortunately, the authorities' reaction is symbolic of the frailty of the American psyche since 9/11 and not even a haven like Sturgis is safe anymore.

Sturgis paid tribute to our men and women oversees as a live satellite feed connected soldiers with the1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division in Camp Taji, Iraq, with the action taking place at the Broken Spoke Saloon. The brigade was treated to live music, motorcycle-themed events and was able to talk with fellow bikers at the Rally via the uplink. A handful of soldiers were also able to send messages to their families. The soldiers received some much-needed down time and a boost in moral from the support of people here at home.

Sturgis 2007 also saw conflict arise between One Eyed Jacks' owner Ray Gold and State Representative Jim Putnam, a Republican representing the Armour District, when Putnam was refused entry into Gold's bar for wearing his colors. Gold is tired of Hells Angels coming in and intimidating patrons of his bar so he has enacted a No Colors policy. The Hells Angels have a headquarters nearby and frequent Gold's bar. When Putnam attempted to get in to One Eyed Jacks last week wearing the colors of his motorcycle club, the Lawmakers, he was denied entry. Putnam is now supporting a boycott of the saloon and legislation to protect riders wearing motorcycle-club colors is being considered if the ban continues.

Hard Bikes has a pair of hard bodies posing with their bikes for tips. This man's name is Derek and he does not want his girlfriend to see this picture. but he does want it to appear in a magazine.

Women riders were well represented at this year's rally. Harley-Davidson had a booth in the Rapid City Civic Center at the Harley-Davidson Road Tour dedicated to women and riding. H-D declared Thursday, Aug. 9 "Women's Day" and held Women-only demos, bike lift and customization seminars, a motorclothes seminar featuring apparel designed specifically for women hosted by Karen Davidson, daughter of Willie G., and a meet and greet session with Women Rider's Now.com (WRN) founder Genevieve Schmitt. Ten lucky women who showed up to participate in Harley's women-only demo rides on Thursday morning were picked to take part in a ride to Mt. Rushmore. Geraldo Rivera and his producer Greg Hart were in attendance shooting footage for an upcoming episode and videotaped the women's ride to Mt. Rushmore for his show, "Geraldo at Large." The TV personality also interviewed WRN's Schmitt during H-D's "Women's Day" to include in his Sturgis segment.

The Rally has no difficulty attracting celebrities. Among them are the premier master builders in the world. Many entered their custom creations in the American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) 2007 World Championship of Custom Bike Building. The show is one of the truly international competitions, as 10 of the top 20 places were won by builders from countries outside of the U.S.

"Best of Show" for this year's event was awarded to Stellan Egeland of SE Service, a builder out of Skogas, Sweden. Egeland took third place last year with only the second bike he'd ever built. This year he brought home a fat paycheck with a speedway-inspired board tracker titled the Hustler 8-valve. Egeland took a Knucklehead engine and handcrafted cylinders and heads for it and hooked it up to a reworked Norton 4-speed tranny. The frame and front end are both original SE Service handiwork, and in true board tracker fashion, there are no front brakes.

Egeland dethroned last year's champion Chicara Nagata of Japan's Chicara Motorcycles in one of the closet votes in the event's history. His entry, Chicara Art Two, also has a board track design, only with an edgy, modern look. Chicara's bike uses a 1942 Flathead 750cc motor on a rigid Chicara 8 Unit Frame and a custom Chicara front end. Chicara also chose to use a Triumph gearbox, electing to use a 4-speed from a 1960 model. His bike was similar to the one he entered last year, but includes new suspension out back provided by a single shock.

Third place went to Keiji Kawakita of Hot-Dock Cycles, from Tokyo, Japan. His Red Gladiator has a Bobber-styled tank and handlebars contrasted with a European-inspired tail end and swingarm. The Red Gladiator is powered by Hot-Dock's HR4V engine that takes an H-D motor and adds four-valve heads and custom fuel injection. The frame and front end are original Hot-Dock craftsmanship.

Riders make the journey home to spread the word of the festivities from the 2007 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to friends and co-workers who wish they would have gone.

The highest-placing U.S. competitor was Dave Cook of Cook Customs out of Milwaukee. He took home fourth place with his customized softail highlighted by Cook's own hidden suspension and perimeter brakes. The motorcycle's oil tank, battery box and seat are integrated into the frame, which won him styling points. Once again, the U.S. was denied gold. The U.S. has never won the top prize in AMD's World Championships.

If you didn't get a chance to catch the action at the AMD contest, there was no shortage of custom shows spread throughout Sturgis. Thunder Road's lineup included a new show almost everyday, Harley-Davidson held its popular Ride-In competition, Ted Smith and the crew from the Rat's Hole is always a big draw and Metzler held its 5th Annual V-Twin Custom Bike Contest. With unprecedented national coverage by the print and broadcast media, Sturgis is the place to be if you're looking to get your work recognized.

Before the final rider has packed up the saddlebags and rumbled off into the Badlands, hotels and campgrounds are already taking reservations for next year's run. Until next year though, Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington and Roosevelt can keep a vigilant gaze over the Blacks Hills and await the return of the two-wheeled armada.

Nick Broomfield needs our help to get his documentary film "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!" into theaters.

From Kickstarter:

Nick Broomfield's quest for the real Sarah Palin involves battling the icy snows of Alaska in mid-winter to speak to the school friends, family, and Republican colleagues that in previous days gave their heart, soul and belief to the charismatic, charming, intoxicating ex-hockey mom. But it's not all plain sailing. People are frightened to talk; Wasilla makes Twin Peaks look like a walk in the park. It's a devout evangelical community – 76 churches with a population of only 6 thousand, and the Crystal meth capital of Alaska. Broomfield brings his celebrated wit and determination to cracking her story. 

The provocative and entertaining documentary is directed by Nick Broomfield (Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam,Kurt & Courtney) and Joan Churchill. The film is produced Marc Hoeferlin (Battle for Haditha). 

But producing the documentary was only half of the process. We need YOUR help to raise enough money that he can distribute the film. The release of Nick’s film before the potential candidates of 2012 announce their candidacy is a pivotal moment. Getting this film into theaters, and educating the public on Palin needs to happen as soon as possible to truly allow Nick’s vision to be achieved. This Kickstarter will help raise the capital to fund the nuts and bolts of the distribution (print and advertising fees) and help get SARAH PALIN: YOU BETCHA! into theaters.

As of last night when I wrote this post, Nick had about  $1,893.00 ($100 of it was from me), however he needs about $30,000 to start the wheels moving toward distributing the documentary and making it available to movie audiences.

I can attest to the struggle that Nick went through to find people to go on record, and allow their images to be filmed, for this important documentary (Hell even I balked at first!)  I would really hate to see all of that hard work go to waste.

And remember, unlike Palin's propaganda film "The Undefeated," THIS  movie did not have anybody with one million dollars to help finance it or a panting flock of sycophants ready and willing to pimp this movie to friends and family on behalf of their idol.

That movie failed miserably because it was telling an obvious lie, however this movie is trying to get the truth about Snowdrift Snooki, to a wider audience of Americans who may not be interested in sitting down with a good book.

Anyhow I know that Nick and his team would appreciate anything you could do to help.  And so would I.

Thank you ahead of time, for your support.

Are you as pissed off as I am about the fact that Marcus and Michele Bachmann charge YOUR government to provide Reparative therapy for gay men? Well now you can do something about it.

"Here's Shelly!"

From Credo Action:

It's bad enough that Bachmann and Associates, after denying for years they practiced ex-gay therapy, clearly encourages patients to pray the gay away. Our taxpayer dollars shouldn't be funding it. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees Medicaid, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), which distributes the funds within the state, should immediately pull public funds from Bachmann's clinic. 

Going to the Bachmann family for counseling is like attending a peace rally hosted by Dick Cheney. 

Their views are extreme, hateful and crazy. Michele Bachmann has called homosexuality "a part of Satan," and "a real issue of sexual dysfunction" while her husband Marcus has called gays "barbarians." 

And even as Michele Bachmann's family was collecting over $160,000 in Medicaid and other public funds, she was leading Tea Party calls for drastic cuts to the social safety net - especially to Medicaid which she has said swell the "welfare rolls" - and even voted to shut down the government rather than continue funding Planned Parenthood and the Health Care Reform Act.3Tell Secretary Sebelius and DHS Commissioner Lucinda Jesson: Stop funding Bachmann's anti-gay clinic.

If you click the link provided at the top it will immediately take you to the Credo Action website where you can add your name to a petition demanding the following:

"Public money shouldn't fund a discriminatory, hateful religious agenda and medically-unsound ex-gay therapy. In light of recent investigations, please take action to immediately stop funding Bachmann and Associates."

I did it yesterday and, I have to say, it kind of gave me a good feeling.

Dairygate Summary

From The Moderate Voice

In December of 2006, the historic Matanuska Maid dairy closes its doors after years of financial troubles. Operating since the 1930′s, it was taken over by the state to keep it solvent during the 80′s but remained a money sink for most of its operating life.

Spring of 2007. The government has moved again to use state funds to keep the struggling dairy afloat. More financial woes ensue, and in June of 2007 Sarah Palin swoops in to the rescue, declaring that the dairy situation is “a mess” and the she is “going to clean it up.”

August, 2007. The previously discussed Franci Havemeister is appointed to the position of Director of Agriculture at a salary of roughly $100K, considerably more than she made in her real estate business. (Remember the real estate connection for later.) Her appointment comes despite her previously noted “thin” credentials for the position. She is the daughter-in-law of local dairy farmer Bob Havemeister. (We’ll be getting back to Bob in a bit… keep reading.)

Nov. 19, 2007. Franci Havemeister issues a gag order, saying that nobody other than fellow political appointee Ray Nix, of the Dept. of Agriculture, is allowed to speak to the press about the situation with Mat Maid.

Dec. 20, 2007. Troubles continue at the dairy, and four local dairy farmers, including Bob Havemeister, are worried that they will have to begin dumping their milk on the ground, spurring concerns from environmentalists. An offer comes in from Kyle Beus (remember that name for later also. we’ll be getting back to him) to purchase some of the milk for a dairy coop he’s starting up to produce cheese and other creamery goods.

Dec. 24, 2007. Good news comes just in time for Christmas for the four previously mentioned dairy farmers. A $600,000 grant has been made available by the state government to cover costs related to Mat Maid and the farmers will be able to tap into that for cash payments of $40,000 each to “cover their losses.” State Senate President Lyda Green (R-Wasilla) initially objects to the cash payouts, saying the money was appropriated to cover the state’s debt, but later relents, saying, it was an appropriate use of the funds.

March 21, 2008. Reports surface that Kyle Beus (remember him?) has landed himself a sweetheart of a deal, gutting and leasing dairy equipment from the now effectively defunct Mat Maid facility for his new creamery coop. Both Beus and Ray Nix (see above) brush off the reports, saying that the discount prices are “nothing unusual” in these types of situations.

May 15, 2008. State auditors say that the government went against the law in handing out the $40K payments to the farmers, including Franci Havemeister’s father-in-law. State senate president Lyda Green (R-Wasilla) reiterates her feelings that the payments were made “with good intentions” and that she “didn’t view it quite as harshly” as the auditors.

May 31, 2008. Kyle Beus has a ribbon cutting ceremony, opening his new creamery. Reporters find him looking “deceptively at ease for a guy who is currently propping up the state’s dairy business.” And he probably should look that way. In addition to the discount equipment rentals, he’s recently received a $643,000 grant from the Alaska Dept. of Agriculture under the direction of… Franci Havemeister.

Kyle Beus turns out to be an exceptionally fortunate fellow in the dairy game. His background bio indicates that he moved to Alaska in 2000, and since then received $116,967 in dairy related government subsidy payments from the Dept. of Agriculture between 2002 and 2005. This is a very fortunate situation for somebody who has been under investigation by the state’s labor board for years over charges that he failed to provide workman’s compensation insurance to his employees, among other “oversights.”

Aug. 23, 2008. The former Mat Maid plant is unloaded off the state books. The state’s only other dairy interest looks into purchasing it, but somehow can’t get a bid qualified. The only qualified bid received comes from Franci Havemeister’s real estate colleague, Matt Bobbich, and the facility is sold for the minimum bid acceptable by the state, $1.5M. It’s termed a “break even” deal for Alaska.

Interesting enough, Matt Bobbich previously had delinquent tax charges against him dismissed when the plaintiff failed to appear at the appeal hearing. He was also a popular political donor on the local scene.

Todd Palin is confronted by Alaskan in Iowa who reminds the Palins that their BS no longer works up here in the Last Frontier.

Courtesy of SF Gate:

As we told you the other day, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hasn't decided yet to run for president.

One big question she will have to answer is why she quit after only two years as governor.The question came up as Palin and husband Todd swooped through the Iowa State Fair the other day. 

A woman, who identified herself as an Alaskan, questioned Todd about why his wife quit. 

He told her to watch "The Undefeated" -- the movie about Palin made by a conservative filmmaker. 

They got into it, and the exchange ended with the woman calling Todd a "sellout."

God I LOVED seeing that.

I cannot believe that Sarah Palin's personal purse valet suggested to this lady that she needed to watch "The Undefeated."

Hey asshole, we are Alaskans!  We don't need to see the movie, we fucking LIVED it!

That is how we know it is a poorly constructed piece of propaganda that NOBODY wanted to attend and which nowadays cannot even attract donations of pet foods in exchange for tickets.

Which is something that Spokane politician Mike Noder discovered the hard way:

Sarah Palin may not be much of a draw in Spokane. 

That’s one conclusion – and a charitable one, at that – to draw from an event a little more than a week ago at The Bing Crosby Theater featuring the new biographical movie about Palin. Planned as a chance to raise money for charities, food for Second Harvest Food Bank and pet supplies for Spokanimal, it was a disappointment, said organizer Mike Noder. 

Unsure how much it might bring in, and unwilling to run afoul of the state Public Disclosure Commission, he didn’t want to collect money for his low-cost mayoral campaign. But he offered hold the screening and collect for some local charities. 

Admission was free, with would-be watchers urged to bring food or pet supplies or donate to charity. 

“People responding were kind of vicious,” Noder said. Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery wanted no part of the gig and the Food Bank wouldn’t bring down donation barrels, he said. 

The movie, which aired on a Thursday night, didn’t draw a big crowd. Noder estimated it at 50, although others thought it might’ve been half that. The Northeast Community Center Youth Group got the door receipts. The Food Bank got some donations and a plastic grocery bag of food. Spokanimal got some donations and a couple cases of cat food. 

Noder actually got less than nothing: “My web traffic dropped. The association was not good for my campaign.” 

Time to face reality "Tawd." Alaskans know you and your wife pathetic quitters, clearly movie audiences know you are pathetic quitters, and the number of American voters who know you are pathetic quitters is growing everyday.

Michele Bachmann goes all "deer in the headlights" while being grilled by David Gregory. This is why Teabaggers avoid the mainstream press.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Check out those bug eyes.  She has NO idea what to say to this line of questioning.

"I am running for the Presidency of the United States. I am not running to be anyone's judge."

"But you have judged them."

"I..I..I don't judge them. I don't judge them. I am running for Presidency of the United States

WTF? Gregory reads off her own statements and she acts as if she has never heard them before.

And besides these clearly homophobic statements, she and her husband have charged the Federal government, through Medicaid, to provide psychologically damaging "reparative" therapies in an attempt to alter the sexual proclivities of homosexual men. If she and her husband Marcus had not judged this lifestyle as deviant than why would they provide a service to try and change it?

When Bachmann is asked if, as President (I'm sorry "Presidency"), she would appoint an openly gay person to her cabinet or to the courts, she lists three criteria: "Where do they stand on the Constitution, are you competent, and do you share my views?"

It should be crystal clear to anybody that, based on Bachmann's stated opinion about homosexuality, that the last one ("Do you share my views?"), ABSOLUTELY precludes any chance of a gay man or woman being provided any opportunities during a Bachmann Presidency.

I know she and her people probably think she effectively danced around that question, but I have little doubt that most Americans, especially gay Americans, had little trouble recognizing how the rights of homosexuals would be treated if Michele Bachmann had her way. 

By the way, I am not a David Gregory fan as a rule, but I thought he did a pretty good job here.