I don’t know who is more ignorant, my students or my state legislators
I recently thought a way to get more money for both would be for the public schools and counties split a statewide room tax. We could dedicate 100% to fixing roads and paying teachers.
I have often been baffled that the state doesn’t have such a tax, especially with all the business travel to Sioux Falls and tourism travel across the state.
Didn’t Munson want a room tax to pay for the event center, but hotels claimed everyone would stay in Brandon? Funny how it’s ok when the hotels get to pocket the tax for themselves. They would cry that no one will come to South Dakota if we have a room tax that they don’t get the money for.
Education funding needs attention. Roads too but it’s not so urgent. This state desperately needs higher teacher salaries. I see state lottery casinos everywhere. They were supposed to fund education. What happened?
I’m not sure hotel taxes is an answer. Tourism could suffer and a bed tax increase is still not enough. I’m not a freethinker but it’s time to legalize pot so the revenue lost from cigarette tax returns.
IMO, the state lottery and video lottery has lost its appeal, so people are not paying as much as they used to. Same old games for a long time leads to boredom.
The first time playing the game of Monopoly is more exciting than playing it for the 500th time.
The issue I see with the penny tax increase during the summer months is that it shifts the responsibility of educating SD youth onto out of state, and people from other countries, instead of SD being responsible.
It is like my adopting a pet from the humane society, then expecting my neighbor to clean up my pet’s poop.