Are dirty deeds really done dirt cheap? And how did they let out the bid for that one?

I read with interest the AP story in the Rapid City Journal website on the changes in rules to take care of problems which arose in the last minute stoppage of last year's death penalty, as I'm catching portions in what's being said that I question whether or not they can really do that.
The new policy makes it clear that physicians will not be required to attend an execution. The Legislature put those provisions in law after doctors said taking part in executions would violate the oath that requires them to preserve life or save life whenever possible.

State law and prison policy require that executions be conducted by people trained to do intravenous injections. Officials told lawmakers earlier this year that the state planned to hire people who have conducted executions in other states. Reisch said he cannot reveal where those people are from because the state must protect the privacy of those involved in executions.

"The people who are going to perform these functions will be qualified to do so, and they won't be members of our own Department of Corrections staff," Reisch said.
Read that all here.

So, the people being contracted to do the execution are from another state, and their identities are secret? (Aside from the fact I heard through the grapevine where they were from over the past year since the aborted sentence) I'm scratching my head at that statement. There's a lot involved with this that I would anticipate would be public information, unless excluded from the public domain by law.

If they're a consultant or a vendor, wouldn't those contracts be considered public documents available and on file? And wouldn't the voucher for payment of the aborted execution attempt be public? I understand that information isn't public unless state law says it is (at least according to the Argus vs. the State of SD), but I think the law says much of it is specifically open.

But then again, this is one of those areas that I think the general public is a bit squeamish about. No one really knows - or wants to know - who's doing one of the most thankless jobs. In fact, we're so squeamish about it we're contracting it out.

Which makes you think - How would you go about letting the bids out for that one? And would the letters with the return bids have little logos on the stationery with hangman nooses, or little electric chairs on them? And how low would the low bid go?

In all seriousness, it IS a dirty deed, and we don't care if it's done dirt cheap. We just want it done.

Comments

Anonymous said…
"In all seriousness, it IS a dirty deed, and we don't care if it's done dirt cheap. We just want it done."

Mighty generous with the "wes", arentcha?

No, "we" aren't all as filled with bloodlust as you, PP. "Vengeance is mine," saith Pat.
PP said…
Didn't I ban you?
Anonymous said…
yep
Anonymous said…
He's right though, Bob: the majority of South Dakotans do support the death penalty.
Anonymous said…
I am a pro-life conservative and I couldn't be more against the death penalty. This is a terrible thing that is going to happen in our state; so terrible that we won't even do it ourselves. We are going to bring in a hired gun to do our dirty work.

People who think the death penalty gives closure to victims families could not be more wrong. It appears to me that the long appeals process takes them down a path that makes them more frustrated and angry until the only thing that will satisify them is the death of the person who hurt them. The problem is that the person who is put to death is seldom the same person who caused them their pain. Time often turns the heartless killer into a person who has grown older and remorseful and has come to love and be loved by others. They often seek forgivness that is seldom given and in the end, the tables are turned and the murderer becomes the murdered. Those who love and care for the condemed become the victims while many of the seemingly innocent citizens cheer the death of a fellow human being.

Taking a human life is never a good thing; weather it is an unborn innocent baby or a convicted killer. The world will not be a better place when Page is dead. Anyone who thinks it will be is wrong.
Anonymous said…
The majority of South Dakotans also believe that Indians should go somewhere else. Don' mean sh*t. It's still wrong. It's wrong because it's stupid and counterproductive, a bad deal for those who pay for such things.
Anonymous said…
PP, you'll have to ask the Governor about those return address logos. You can find him hiding behind his desk.

jrm; To equate the murder of the innocent unborn with the termination of a cold blooded killer is an example of the liberal secularist notion of relativism.

The death PENALTY is not just meant to end the suffering of victims families, it's also meant to end the suffering for the public AND the perpetrator of the crime.

pp, I thought you excommunicated Bird Flu Bob.
Anonymous said…
isn't there a long tradition of protecting the secret identity of the executioner going way back to the reign of Bloody Mary (and maybe before - didn't the Romans originate that?). maybe we oughta hand out the ol' black hood with eye peepholes for this guy...

coffeemonkee, sometime the executed are innocent...

sorry, didn't mean to ruin your theoretical premise.

have a good day!
Anonymous said…
Anonymity, in addition to being favored by posters on this blog, is important for people involved in executions because in other states they've been threatened and hounded by death penalty opponents. They are being asked to do a difficult job carefully and professionally, they do not need to be victimized by every yahoo with access to the Internet and a grudge. 6:24 has it right, this is not a new development.
Anonymous said…
8:47 If I were an executioner, I would worry more about being hounded by my own nightmares. And if I were a Christian executioner, I would worry about that pesky "Thou shalt not kill" commandment (...or is it "premeditated murder"? And if so, in this case, what's the dif?)
Anonymous said…
For you people that think you can't be pro life and be pro death penalty really need to read the scripture and not simply recite the 5th commandment. I won't go into that but what needs to be understood......is that if an inmate is taken off of death row and gets life imprison, they are not sitting in a hole for the rest of their lives. They are in with the general population and have shown no problem trying to kill again. As long as you keep the person alive, they have civil rights that won't allow indefinite solitary confinement for you naive people who say that is the answer to the death penalty. Do you want to explain to a prisoners or DOC employees family that the killer killed again because of pansies who don't believe in the death penalty.
Anonymous said…
Kill 'em all, 10:12. Don't even wait for them to commit crimes. Just kill 'em all.
Anonymous said…
How 'bout pansies who post anonymously or using my name?

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