This is what I said about the sales tax increase last February for teacher pay;
As I have said, it is purely ignorant to raise regressive sales taxes for teacher pay when the money is already there (heck, probably sitting in reserves). This is about presenting intelligent plans to raise teacher pay, not knee jerk reactions. People want this increase SO bad, they are willing to fall back on fiscally irresponsible and ignorant taxation plans to get it. That my friends is called GREED.
They went on to pass it anyone. And guess what, they could not have done it without the help of the Democratic legislators (and as Pam Nelson has pointed out, maybe a reason why they failed so bad this past election season). The worst part about it is they had a better plan, but didn’t present it, instead they went along with the Republican Governor’s plan, and guess where that got us? Exactly where I knew this would end up!
The House of Representatives on Tuesday night approved Senate Bill 35, which strikes the specifications for how the half-cent sales tax are used. Appropriators on Wednesday morning said that given the strained state economy and lower than expected revenues, education funding would remain flat.
Only one year later and the Governor (who cooked up the sales tax increase to begin with) already wants to rob the pot. ONLY ONE YEAR LATER! And once it happens, there is NO going back. The tax will NEVER be repealed and the teachers will never fully receive the money.
Some accuse me of being too cynical. But it is my cynism that sees this crap a mile away. When crooks are in power for the past 40 years, you don’t just wake up one morning in 2016 and say, “Let’s trust them this time, it’s for the teachers.”
Can you hear that sound . . . it gets louder the closer you are to Pierre.
Yep, it is amazing, isn’t it? If you remember, last year in their first attempt to pass HB 1182, which was the House bill to raise the sales tax, they attempted to pass the bill on a Thursday before the last legislative coffee sessions without the word “education” in the bill, but after returning from a weekend of legislative coffees they added the word “education” and such an intent to the bill to garner passage…. That political stunt alone should have been a warning to everyone about what was the real intent of HB 1182 and the 1/2 cent sales tax increase.
But oh no, instead of fighting the Republicans on the regressively of a sales tax increase and finding the funding for increased teacher pay within the budget itself, which I think was realistic and still is if you make it a priority, the Democrats chose to be the water boys for the Governor and his political party in increasing the sales tax without any obvious true long term commitment to education.
Just as the extra penny with the City’s two cents sales tax has gone from an intent just for roads to now capital improvement in general, so too the 1/2 penny increase in the State’s take of the sales tax is going from education to the general fund….. I believe they call that “mission creep,” but that is the fastest creep I have ever seen. And it’s just further proof of the audacity of our “House of Lords” legislature…
I am anti teacher union. With that said, I would support a walk out demonstration of all teachers in this state if the bill advances.
Ah the old bait and switch. Classic.
Gosh let’s be surprised the powers that pretend to be in Pierre are going back on their word on anything. The video lottery and gambling in Sioux Dakota were supposed to cover education until the pot of gold was too tempting to leave alone.
Instead of having a fair and simple funding plan to operate the state, we have to have a complicated system to rip off the taxpayers because we are to much like simpletons to know it is complicated. Love the circle logic.
democrat republican
no difference
its a big club
and u ain’t innit
george carlin rip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4kR1E6ltMk
obey
nsfw
iaal obg
Don’t forget, years ago, the law enforcement training fund (which was funded by portions of fines) was to lucrative for Gov Janklow and the legislature to pass up. Bills were passed and a great amount of that money was diverted elsewhere. Now, advanced law enforcement training in our state is a joke and nearly non-existent. In addition, the state demands 20 hours of continuing training and that training is rarely on the leading edge of innovation.
It is always easy to spend other peoples money. Especially if you over spend!!! You just figure out a new way to push a new tax to gain more spending money. Seems most Politicians care little for the taxpayers footing the bill? We are told time and time again; there is no reason that you cannot pay your bills, included taxes. This comes from those that cannot budget their own spending. No matter how many budget committees or outside sources they hire or selcet. No one can fix compulsive spending. So many “Leech Programs” that we do not see as taxpayers. The old saying what is a politicians job is so true? Their job is to get re-elected. that was never the intended reason for becoming a servant to the citizens!!!!
What the hell is going on in Pierre?!?! Is Nelson the only one who will stand up to this corruption!! Can we inact an immediate recall of our representatives?