Johnson: Stop Ads that Disparage Yankton

Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today expressed his disappointment at recent ads that demean the city of Yankton. Johnson wrote a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urging the Justice Department to roll back the ads, funded by federal tax dollars through the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

The ad threatens to punish violent criminals from the Eastern District of Missouri by sending them to Yankton, which posters describe as "600 miles away from nowhere." Presumably, the poster is referring to serving time at the Yankton Federal Prison Camp, where convicted criminals from the North Central Region, as designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, can be housed.

"Violent gun crime is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, but not at the expense of a community like Yankton, and not using federal dollars to disparage such a thriving, historic community," Johnson said. "In the future I hope the Project Safe Neighborhoods program can find creative means to deter criminal activity that do not negatively portray rural America."

The public service announcements (PSAs) have run in East St. Louis, Missouri, in efforts to deter gun violence. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a program that cites as its mission "a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America in a manner that is contoured to fit the specific gun crime problems in that district." The grant program was first funded in 2002 and encourages media campaigns to educate and reduce gun violence.

To view the ad, go to Johnson's website, at http://johnson.senate.gov/.

Below is the full text of the letter Johnson sent to the Justice Department:

Dear Mr. Gonzales,

It has been brought to my attention that under the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program the Department of Justice has funded advertisements that are derogatory and offensive to the community of Yankton, South Dakota. These public service announcements, which have run in the Eastern District of Missouri describing Yankton as "600 miles away from nowhere," are inaccurate and an inappropriate expenditure of federal funds.

In contrast to the image portrayed in the public service announcements, Yankton is a vibrant city with a rich history and a bright future. Yankton was one of the very first settlements in the Dakota Territory and served as the territorial capital from 1861 to 1883. It is now a prosperous community that is home to a variety of manufacturing, agricultural, and service-oriented business. Nearby the extraordinarily beautiful Lewis and Clark Lake provides a variety of recreational opportunities that make Yankton a popular destination for visitors. In contradiction to a false statement on the poster, Yankton offers air service at the Chan Gurney airport, which is named for one of my predecessors as U.S. Senator.

As a resident of South Dakota and as a taxpayer myself I strongly object to the use of federal funds to belittle a specific city and, by extension, a state. In the future I hope the Project Safe Neighborhoods program can find creative means to deter criminal activity that do not unfairly portray individual American communities in a negative light.

Sincerely,

Tim Johnson

US Senator