Meet the Candidate: Anthony Kathol

Kathol one of two Republicans running for chance to unseat Democrat in Senate

Anthony Kathol is running for the South Dakota state Senate in District 27. He faces Bruce Whalen in the primary.

The district picks up east of Box Elder, and includes landmarks such as Badlands National Park and the Pine Ridge reservation. Other communities in the district include Martin and New Underwood.

The Dakota Scout sent a series of questions to all legislative candidates running in contested races for the state House and Senate in the June 4 primary election. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each question to 150 words or less.

Age: 55
City of residence: Martin
Profession: Registered Professional Engineer, Engineer Consultant, Elementary Ed Teacher Candidate, Small-business owner
Public service/community service experience: 21 years served my country in the U.S. Public Health Service (1991-2012) - retired Engineer Officer (Commander), President of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Finance Council, City of Martin Point of Contact for Pedestrian Safety Corridors and Infrastructure Revitalization Committee, 2022 - Present, President/Member of the Board of Directors of the Bennett County Wellness and Recreation Center, 2008-2014, Commissioned Lay Minister, 2012 to Present
Family information: Single

1) What's the government's role in facilitating economic development in South Dakota?

Government's role is to provide the necessary infrastructure to support economic development activity (i.e., adequate water storage capacity, fire flow protection, solid waste facilities and landfills, sewer collection and treatment facilities, and roadways that meet and support the future economic growth of a community). It is not the government's responsibility to provide tax incentives for economic development where there are real winners and losers chosen. A free market economy should not rely on government to provide the necessary capital to benefit only the corporate shareholders. I challenge anyone to review a classic case of government rolling out incentives by evaluating what happened to the small town of Sydney, Nebraska when Cabela's shutdown it's world corporate headquarters. This rural town was devastated and those who lost their jobs were the losers while corporate shareholders reaped the benefits of the tax incentives at the cost of the local taxpayers.

2) If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Jesus Christ. I would like to ask Him three things: 1) You have a human nature and divine nature. When dying on the cross, how was it possible for you to maintain the two separate natures when you could have come down off that cross using your divine power, but you surrendered to the will of the Father under your human weakness? 2) Why was it necessary that I be born in this time period vs any other period of history? 3) Why did my dad have to die at a fairly young age? 

3) Does the "Landowner Bill of Rights" -- adopted by the Legislature amid opposition to carbon pipeline companies using eminent domain -- strike the right balance between the interests of property owners, counties and the ag industry - and should voters get a say when they head to the polls in November?

No, it does not strike a balance. Local control was stripped from counties and put in the hands of government bureaucrats in Pierre. All one has to do is follow the money. Local people should be able to protect their natural resources. Eminent domain should only be used as a last resort and should only be used for the common good such as a highway expansion or the development of a water main distribution system whereas the public benefits as a whole. Private investors using tax payer funded subsidies to reduce their carbon footprint are using eminent domain to push their corporate profit margins for the benefit of their shareholders on the backs of private landowners: a classic land grab, if you will. If this was a stadium or big mall being constructed by a private investor, I can guarantee you that many private land owners would be opposed to the taking of private property through eminent domain. Across South Dakota, school districts are managed at the local level, but apparently counties and municipalities can't do the same when it comes to pipeline development. Voters will have the final say come November.