Where can I get a hold of one of these brochures?

Over the course of this last week, I've seen two separate articles on a brochure recently released by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development.

The first article was from Robert Morast in the Life section of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader referring to how Taco Johns was apparently now a South Dakota Tourist attraction:
Recently, the South Dakota tourism office sent out a "Great Getaways" brochure that highlighted eight of our state's attractions. Under the heading "Land of Cultural Variety," the flier - which was distributed in-state - showcased the likes of Brookings' McCrory Gardens Party, Huron's city murals and Taco John's.

Yes, our state is pimping a fast food chain serving diluted Mexican recipes alongside South Dakota thumbprints like DeSmet's Laura Ingalls Wilder heritage.

Apparently, as the flier says, "great tacos and burritos are practically synonymous with Taco John's and South Dakota."

When did this happen? I'm still trying to comprehend the mystery of the local delicacy chislic, and now the state tourism office is telling us that tacos and burritos are part of our state's DNA?

So, was Black Elk, like, sitting around the fire 130 years ago rolling burritos with his boys and telling stories over the crunching sound of hard shell tacos?

Ouch. You can read it here. But the criticism of the brochure doesn't end there. Apparently the brochure made Huron mad as well. As in the whole town of Huron. Why? Because while it did include the venerable institution of "Taco Johns" (where there's a whole lot of Mexican going on), it sort of left something else out:
South Dakota State Fair Advisory Board members were miffed Tuesday that the latest state tourism brochure omits any mention of the 2007 State Fair.

Several members suggested that letters, e-mails and telephone calls be made by each member of the commission to the tourism director about the matter.

Commissioner Ed Goss of Belle Fourche said the fair has been fighting this omission for the past seven years.

State Fair Manager Susan Hayward said she relies on Peggy Woolridge of the Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau to send the information to the state.

She said Woolridge was “just as surprised” that the information was omitted from the latest brochures.

Commissioner Dick Shelton said the omission “is inexcusable.”

“I think the governor should be apprised of the issue,” he added.
Read that here. And you know what's worse? My wife told me we got one of these in the paper, but it went out in the trash. Aaaargh! I want one. I want one.

I want a brochure, that is. But hold the state fair sauce. It always gives me an upset stomach.

Comments

Publisher said…
Professor,
Just out of curiousity, I'd like to know what you have against
the State Fair. I for one fully intend to go to the fair someday. Not while we got $3.51 gas though!
Anonymous said…
Taco Johns. A destination site for tourists. Come to SD and sample our local quisine.

What I want to know is who in state government got the kickback to include TJs in a tourist brochure above all of the real tourist attractions.

Whoever is responsible for this needs to be fired. Their lack of judgment just made SD an embarassment, a joke. The Operations and Audit Committee really needs to get to the bottom of who signed off on this taxpayer funded debacle. Somebody in Tourism must have been thinking this would be really funny.
Anonymous said…
is Billie Joe Weara still running that show?
PP said…
PDM -

I have something against it?

-pp
Anonymous said…
As probably the only South Dakotan who has eaten at every Taco John's in the state I heartburnidly concur with its inclusion in the fryer, I mean flier. It is with beburbing, I mean begrudging respect I differ with those who don't stink er, think so. Taco you later.
Anonymous said…
Do businesses pay to be included in the brochure? That may be a good question to ask. I there a rotation base for placement in the brochure say every 2 or 3 years?
What are the standard guidleines. Hummmmm goes the brain.

Prairie Deacon, i didn't read that PP was against the state fair, i thought he was letting us know it was omitted in the brouchure. What gives on the comment?
Anonymous said…
Well for one not all the TJ's taste the same around the state.
I for one have my favs.
Just for brochure sake and no i did not see it and didn't know about it.
Anonymous said…
PP, it sure sounded like a slur against the state fair to me. If you didn't mean it that say, just say what you meant.

When the state fair is struggling to become self-sufficient, and the state is struggling to get out of paying anything for this wonderful activity, it would seem that the state should be promoting the fair very chance it gets. It would be to the state's financial advantage, not to say it's something the state should be proud of.

Lots of kids and parents work hard all year to showcase exhibits and learn self-confidence and the value of hard work, and to enjoy the camaradarie found at the state fair.

We have been going every year for years, and it's great! I encourage everyone to attend. Great entertainment, free and otherwise, good food, just plain ole fashioned fun.

The state fair SHOULD be in the brochure. I love Taco John's, but to associate that with SD is ridiculous.
Anonymous said…
Does Lawrence and Schillar (sp) have a relationship w/Taco Johns? That is the $100 question.
Anonymous said…
"Their lack of judgment just made SD an embarassment, a joke."

Napoli (and now Klaudt) already took care of that.
Anonymous said…
Yes, Billie Jo Waara still runs that show. I would agree that these errors and omissions are inexcusable. She needs to step up and take responsibility. But I'm sure she'll blame someone else as is typical.
PP said…
Nonnie. - It was a bit of a joke. I love taco johns, and not just a little. (The Pierre TJ's is the best, Brookings is pretty good, but vermillion's was just so so....)

But by the same token (25 cents off?) to include TJ's and not the fair does seem a bit silly.
Anonymous said…
I think Brookings is better than Pierre, I hate to say it but i don't care for Watertowns, Sioux Falls, or Huron's (sorry) Brandon's is okay but a little on the greasey side (like it went all over the place)Rapid's is okay. Those are the ones I have eaten at the most. It has been awhile since I have been around the state though. Okay who started this one ...o yes PP did.
Sorry i think this is off topic but now that i have written I am sending it in.
Anonymous said…
Qdoba rules.
Anonymous said…
I think I had Wendy's on Saturday with the person who says "Qdoba rules."
Anonymous said…
have to admit i have been to Qdoba's
Anonymous said…
sorry i ment to say I have NEVER been.
Anonymous said…
You're missing out. Qdoba makes Taco John his beeyotch.
Anonymous said…
We really need to hand this over to a decent out of state marketing agency. The office in Pierre has a couple of problems. One being that they can't attract anyone with a clue or talent to work in the tourism or economic development office. Nobody in marketing with either talent or a life is willing to go live in Pierre. I had the displeasure of seeing how these offices work for myself. Sorry but some isolated people stuck a decade behind the times are not the people who should be promoting our state.

I know they want to keep those two offices in Pierre out of some sense of loyalty to keep every state office in that podunk hole in the ground in the middle of nowhere. They need to move both of those offices to Sioux Falls. They are public relations and marketing and need to be connected to the rest of the world. These functions also should be handled by people who have some experience with the outside world.

We are not marketing our state to ourselves. But that is expected when those two offices are more worried about the political affiliation of anyone who might work there over their skills and experience.
PP said…
I might be teasing the people who did the brochure a little with my post, but I know a couple of the people in creative, and they're extremely talented.

7:50, I think think harping on them as much as you did might not necessarily be deserved.
Anonymous said…
How can I promote my business in that brochure?

Who do I call????

Every other business in South Dakota should be royally pissed off!
Anonymous said…
Typical of the Rounds administration: Aim low and achieve mediocrity.

If someone's pissed off, just say, "hey, at least Mike's got goals and he's brave enough to lay them all out in advance."

Big whoop.
Anonymous said…
Everybody can quit moaning about Taco John's being included in that recent newspaper insert. Yes, they paid for the ad. The insert is called the Giant Step program, which is a cooperative marketing program the Office of Tourism runs. Go to sdvisit.com and learn how the agency works with businesses in SD.

I think the flap in Huron is about a totally different publication. It's probably the Vacation Guide. I think everyboy is jumping the gun on this in automatically believing it's Tourism's fault.

If Susan Hayward is saying Peggy Woolridge was supposed to submit the information, and Peggy Woolridge is saying Susan Hayward was supposed to submit the info, then neither probably did. One of them is at fault and doesn't want to admit it.

I used to work at Tourism. The folks in Huron were infamous for failing to meet ad copy and calendar of event deadlines.
Anonymous said…
9:25, how do you know this mr/mrs anon? Until we hear from someone at tourism your comment is pure speculation and not credible.
Anonymous said…
Anonymous 7:50 has a point. no one willingly lives in Pierre unless they maybe were born there and really like the place. Most don't like it because it's too far from the rest of the state, either west or east, but have to stay for the job. As soon as they can find a better job, they move.

It seems this is a job that could be done in a state office located in SF with no difficulty. The only problem is that once such a trend starts, more people will want their jobs moved too.

Maybe the state capitol should be moved. In reality it should, but I know that will never happen.
Anonymous said…
Again, one of those odd times that Nonnie says something I agree with. I spent a year in Pierre one month, and it would take an obscene amount of money to get me to go back. BUT if we move some state jobs out, everyone will want to move.

Perhaps we should start a plan – Rapid City for state Capital!
(I’d suggest Sioux Falls…but there is too much hostility for SF in the rest of the state)
Think about it – there are already all of those hotel rooms sitting idle in the winter. I’m sure we could set up a pseudo capital building in the gap. That way all of the legislators could still go west to get to a strip bar.

There are some real possibilities here.

Perhaps Hot Springs? We could have legislative sessions in Flintstones Village (saber tooth tiger toga’s are not required)
Anonymous said…
Why don't we just pack up the rest of the state and move it to Sioux Falls since everyone there seems to think the world revolves around them.
For those of us who live in Pierre we love it and for those who don't want to can live somewhere else.

7:50:
I had the displeasure of seeing your small penis.
You probably work for Lawrence and Schillar and want the state's marketing tit all to yourself.
Anonymous said…
The state's tourism expenses are obscene. No other state gets as little bang for the buck as we get. All of our surrounding states get more return on their dollar than SD gets - even though they have less to offer. North Dakota gets more tourism dollars than we do for God Sakes and they spend less on promotion! We need to clean house in the Tourism department and outsource it to experts.
Anonymous said…
nonnie wrote:
"no one willingly lives in Pierre unless they maybe were born there and really like the place."

You could substitute "South Dakota" for "Pierre" and it would be just as accurate.
Anonymous said…
I'm not sure what the issue was with the Taco Johns ad, but I suspect they, like everyone else included in the publication, had to buy space in it. I guess the question would then be, did everyone have a fair chance to be included?

As for state tourism, I encourage you to go to travelsd.com. They have come up with a great ad campaign this year - one of the best I have seen in years. Their co-op programs (like the one this issue is about) help smaller communities get the word out. Each community on its own (other than RC and maybe SF) does not have the budget to get the type of placement on their own.

It sounds to me like there are a lot of people getting their undies in a twist over something they don't know anything about (imagine that on this blog.) If you want to know the real answer, why don't you pick up the phone or e-mail state tourism. I'm sure they can explain it to you.
Anonymous said…
GOED already has some folks working out of Sioux Falls and Rapid City. I noticed this was omitted or falsely represented in previous posts.
Anonymous said…
As for the Taco Johns bit, consider this analogy:

Working with state government is like eating at a buffet: the chef cooks a lot of good food, but instead of bringing it straight to your plate and hand-feeding you, the chef puts it out on the buffet allowing everyone to GO AND GET what they want.

One more: "Seek and ye shall find."

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