James will face incumbent Steve Duffy and Brook Kaufman in June 4 primary
John Robert James is seeking his first-term in the South Dakota state House in District 32. The district consists of downtown Rapid City, with the northern boundary spanning much of I-90.
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: 42
City of residence: Rapid City
Profession: Hospitality (also have an active Certified Financial Planner certification)
Public service/community service experience: 4-H Extension Advisory Board member and volunteer, volunteer and former District Captain for Convention of States, past mentor Plant-A-Seed Institute, former Chapter Advisor and Board Chair for Order of DeMolay, Project Manager for Journey of Hope South team (2005), Crew Member for Journey of Hope South team (2004), Cyclist for Journey of Hope North team (2003), Philanthropy Chair of InterFraternity Council (2003-2005), past volunteer at Second Harvest Foodbank and Midnight Mission.
Family information: Oldest of four children, two sisters and one brother. My mom is Laure and my Dad is Carter.
1) What’s the government’s role in facilitating economic development in South Dakota?
Government should enforce contracts and protect third parties. Beyond that, the primarily role of government should be limited. When the government uses taxpayer resources to promote economic development, it creates a system of winners and losers that can, over time, erode small businesses and the middle class. These expenditures also take away resources from our infrastructure and our schools.
