Gov. Noem: Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Hi, I'm Governor Kristi Noem. Nearly six months ago, I outlined many reasons why South Dakota is a unique state. And I encouraged people from across the country and around the globe to make this great state their home, too. Our people, their work ethic and their values, our government, one that lives within its means and serves our people, and our way of life, one that respects and cherishes the principles of thrift, hard work, family and self-governance, are second to none. Then a global pandemic hit. Now rightly so, our attention shifted from how South Dakota is open for business to making sure that South Dakotans have the best information possible to respond to this virus. COVID-19 has given us many challenges. As I've repeatedly said, the situation is historic in the worst way. But with every challenge comes the opportunity to learn, to adapt and to improve. Today, I'd like to take a minute to outline some of the lessons that we've learned to date. Perhaps the most significant takeaway so far is that more freedom, not more government, is the answer. And while freedom alone won't solve all of our problems, it does present a better path towards where we want to go. Freedom is a better friend of true science than government-centered and government-controlled science. Freedom, not government, is a best friend of innovation. Freedom focuses our politics on persuasion and the intellectual strength of our positions, not on control, coercion or the heavy hand of government. And if someone is interested in the common good and all its iterations and complexities, freedom is the one and the only choice. Now my approach to this virus was to provide South Dakotans with all the information that I could, and then trust them to exercise their freedom to make the best decision for themselves and for their families. We took a unique path. We haven't locked people up. We didn't force businesses or churches to close or order a statewide shelter-in-place. In return, the mainstream media has spent many hours and nearly endless column inches attacking me for that. But countless South Dakotans have thanked me for trusting them. Recently, I was able to spend some quiet time with my family. We went out to the Black Hills, which is one of the most picture-perfect places on the planet. Folks, we were not alone. I've never seen so many visitors to the Black Hills in my life. License plates from every corner of this country. You see, while the media was attacking me, the people were watching. As many of my peers applied a one-size-fits-all lockdown, ordinary Americans, the lifeblood of this nation, they saw what we were doing. And many said that's exactly the way I want my government to treat me, to trust me, not dictate to me. So that leaves me to wonder, what does this say about the state of our media? The mainstream media attacked those who push for freedom and for people to be able to make the best decisions for their families. But politicians who take away people's freedoms and enforce lockdowns are praised and shielded from real scrutiny. So this brings me to the question of modeling. While modeling certainly has a place, models have two major shortcomings. No model can actually predict the future, especially when it's based on data that is incomplete. And no model is capable of replacing human freedom as the best path to responding to life's risks, including this virus. That is why central planning of the economy has failed every time the government has tried it. In South Dakota, we saw modeling as a tool, and we used it to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. I thank God that the worst case hasn't happened. But we were ready, and we are still ready if it does. But there is no model that can take into consideration all of the factors that make real life work. A blind reliance on insufficient modeling has led some politicians to institute disastrous lockdowns that have not only jeopardized their people's health and their welfare, but also created conditions for a financial catastrophe that will cause untold burdens and costs on their people for generations. Now this financial burden of government lockdowns makes one thing clear. Urban life isn't necessarily all that it's cracked up to be. In South Dakota, the rule of life is often a preferred way of life. Folks want to stay on the land their grandfathers and their grandmothers once farmed. They want to stay in the communities that they have called home for generations. They want to eat in a small mom-and-pop restaurant, visit some of the world's most beautiful places, and have their kids spend more time with a tackle box than an Xbox. So sure, big famous cities like New York are home to some iconic buildings and some really great museums. But they also come with traffic, with noise, and in a post-COVID world, plenty of sanitation issues. Now, as we've thought throughout this pandemic, population density does come with a steep cost. Some think COVID-19 will accelerate the move of people out of cities. That story is still being written. But one of the few things we know about this virus is that density is one of the key factors contributing to its spread. Because of that, New York and Silicon Valley may look very different in the future. But the lessons from this virus don't stop at city limits. While many can work remotely from their laptops indefinitely, a key takeaway from COVID is that America's essential workers, the farmers, the ranchers, truckers, plumbers, grocers, healthcare workers, the builders and producers in this country are more critical than ever. The fundamentals of life haven't changed. People still need basic necessities to survive. Grocery stores need to stay stocked. The lights need to stay on. And doctors need to keep seeing patients. To the builders, the producers, and the essential workers scattered throughout the country, if you've seen how South Dakota has managed this pandemic and you like what you've seen, come to South Dakota. To those professionals who will be working from home permanently, if you value our way of life, where people love freedom, smaller communities and lots of wide open spaces, I want you to think about doing your work from a new home in South Dakota. And to business owners in other states who are frustrated that your business was forced to close, South Dakota has the friendliest tax and regulatory system in the nation. We didn't order businesses to close. We trusted them to innovate and to continue serving their customers. And we'd love for you to do your business here as well. South Dakota truly is open for business. Now not all governors trusted their people, but I did. Different paths mean people have different choices. And South Dakota chose common sense solutions. If you want freedom, personal responsibility, and a government that works for you rather than dictates to you, South Dakota is the place to get it. Our trips to the store might look a little different. Our sporting events might change. I was in a meeting just recently about our state fair. It's going to change too. But that's not a bad thing. It's a chance to innovate and to get creative. I want to leave you with this thought. No one saw this first half of the year playing out the way that it has. Each and every one of us has dramatically changed our day-to-day life to adjust to this situation. And to all those who've lost loved ones, my heart breaks for you. Our new normal may be very different from the past, but don't ever forget this one fundamental truth. The windshield is so much bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason. In South Dakota, we always confront adversity and we emerge into even greater prosperity. The future, our future, is bright. Hope is in front of us. We will come out stronger than ever before. And to those concerned about what the future might hold for you, if you stay where you are right now, come to South Dakota. The air is fresh, the people are free, and the possibilities are endless.