Posted on 01/12/2012 10:43:53 AM PST by NormsRevenge
PIERRE, S.D.—As governor of South Dakota for 16 years, Bill Janklow was always in a hurry—pushing lawmakers to approve his proposals and racing to disaster sites to take charge. His need for speed also likely played a role in his one regret: the 2003 fatal traffic accident that landed him in jail and ended his political career.
As South Dakota's attorney general, governor and congressman, the colorful politician dominated the state's political landscape for more than a quarter century, changing the face of the state's economy, education system and tax structure. Even his enemies—and there were many—admitted the Republican had a talent for getting things done, even as they complained that he ran roughshod over his opponents.
Janklow died shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday of brain cancer after being moved to hospice care in Sioux Falls earlier in the week, his son Russ Janklow said. He was 72.
"My dad loved this state," Russ Janklow said. "You know that."
At a final news conference in November, Bill Janklow had announced he had inoperable cancer and said his only regret was running a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist. The accident happened less than a year after Janklow was elected to the U.S. House.
"If I had it to do over, I'd do everything I did, but I'd stop at a stop sign," Janklow said.
Janklow was known as a brilliant lawyer, a dynamic and brash speaker and an innovative governor. He had a long list of accomplishments, including saving rail service for much of the state, cutting property taxes and leading the nation in connecting classrooms to the Internet.
"To me, it seems indisputable he was South Dakota's greatest governor," Dave Knudson, a former legislator .. Janklow was driven to solve problems, Knudson said.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Rest in Peace
Well that's one stop sign he couldn't run.
GMTA...shame on us.
RIP....
An ironic thing is he signed a bill in 1985 or 1986 where South Dakota did away with points for speeding and now there is a bill being pushed to put speeding on the SD points system again !
RIP.
tell that to the motorcylists that he killed
Okay...shame on me. I know what he did, but I’m not proud of myself with finding humor in brain cancer...even in Janklow’s case...YMMV.
Sorry, I phrased that very poorly - what I meant was shame on him for being so careless as to kill a person for no other reason that he didn’t feel like stopping for a stop sign. I see no shame on either of us for thinking that. (I hope that was clearer)
100% agree...
RIP...
There are many a biker that will not miss that POS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.