I do agree that it was only an 8% voter turnout, but either way, it was a blowout. I have felt for a long time that both County Commissions, the City Council and the School Board are NOT listening to what the citizens want, or in this case, don’t want. They simply show up and vote for tax increases on the minions so they can turn around and give contracts or tax breaks to the welfare queen developers, banksters and bonders.
The system is rigged.
We no longer have representative government in the Sioux Falls Metro Area or even in the state. This is what happens when you have one-party rule by authoritarians who only serve the ruling class. Don’t believe me? A majority of all of the members of all of these governing bodies are Republican. I think the only members that are registered Democrat are Pat Starr, Jeff Barth and Kate Parker (there may be a couple more, but they ain’t telling anyone.)
The irony of the Tax Levy revolt is that it was spearheaded by Republican voters! That is why it still baffles me they continue to vote for the very representatives that don’t listen to them.
I told an older Democrat not to long ago that no matter who the majority party in local government bodies is, you will continue to get tax and fee increases. The difference is the Dems will spend it on the citizens and the Repugs will spend it on their welfare queen developer bankster buddies.
Recently, didn’t the Lincoln County voters say “No” to a new jail, too? Lincoln County has become a battle between the citizens of Lincoln County and the citizens of Taupeville and its demands and needs. All the more reason as to why Sioux Falls should be its own county/city.
Recently elected (Nov 2020) Lincoln County Commissioner Jim Jibben is a Dem.
Was elected with endorsements and widespread vote support from Republicans.
As a retired educator, Jibben has developed trust in the community; professes to be a fiscal conservative and was against moving forward with relocating the jail and law enforcement to Tea (an expensive project which lacked transparency concocted in the dark of night by three of the four other commissioners, who are all Repub … well, Jim Schmidt is at best a Knobe Repub, most certainly a social club republican [small r]. Jibben’s opponent was a Republican courthouse insider, who most voters thought represented more of the same underhanded tactics.
VSG,
Interestingly enough, all three of the commissioners who have been on the wrong side of these issues do, allegedly reside in Sioux Falls … even the one elected to represent a county district in and around Tea.
Popular lore has him claiming a primary residence tax exemption in Sioux Falls … the Minnehaha County portion of Sioux Falls.
The matter was referred to the County Counsel (who commutes to his job in the State’s Attorney office from Hartford) in order that he could investigate and issue advice.
Crickets.
You are smart enough to know that both parties are one in the same and that NEITHER do the will of the people and only do the will of their handlers and those who have privately bribed them, and those people may not even be city, state, or even country citizens. It baffles me that so many still believe that there is or ever was anything other than a charade that the US had a two party system. 🙄
It’s one big party and they have done a great job of keeping American citizens fighting amongst ourselves blaming one another or the “other party” when it’s always truly a them (UNIPARTY) vs. us (the taxpayers citizens they steal from for their “Govt” funded agendas.
Fascinating TGFG,
Tea would be a great place for a massive RV mailbox site. Because with these new voters, the Lincoln County Commission would then no longer have to suffer embarrassing defeats at the ballot box.
( and Woodstock adds: “I’ve got the perfect economic development slogan for our southern friends”…”‘Welcome to the Land of Lincoln, where our leaders are not from…. Not even Lincoln'”…. )
Oh bologna. The entire “vote NO” movement was orchestrated by Rep. Ernie Otten, or should I say, his manager/wife, Betty, who just hates round-a-bouts. the fact the money was going to be used to build round-a-bouts was their whole incentive.
She/They of course came up with the bogus “lack of transparency” rhetoric when I pointed pout to them the comparatively much higher safety factors of round-a-bouts vs. “traditional” intersections, directing them to studies done by the insurance industry.
Then when I asked Ernie when he suddenly became such a supporter of transparent processes in government, since he freely participates in the hog-housing nonsense in the state legislature, not another word was engaged in with me in conversation.
BTW, this was a vote of less to 6% of voters in Lincoln county.
Let’s see….let GOP run all govt in SD or vote Dumbocrat, and be like, oh, I dunno, Minneapolis, Chitcago, Seattle, San Francisco? NO thanks!!!!! You guys could always move there and make South Dacola an even better place to live?
Say Dumbocrats,
Democrats are left to run those challenging cities because Republicans run to the suburbs due to white fear. If the GOP had any true values and talents, they would stick around to help solve inner city problems.
My guess is that those cities you mentioned probably pay in more in federal taxes and produce better paying jobs, which further helps the federal coffers, then they get back in federal dollars. Which is unlike South Dakota, which continues to live off the federal checkbook thanks to the South Dakota Republican Party’s economic development strategy.
VSG,
Those conservative RURAL AREAS are all self funded, most conservatives are fully vested in Land, Property, which generates revenues to provide for Rural Roads, Jobs, and Other State and Local Services provided back to rural communities.
Yeah, all those Large Democrat led Cities are not innocent here, they live on Federal Grants, Monetary Funds, and depend highly on the Federal Govt.
Case in point – the City of Sioux Falls Budget is made up of nearly $100 million in Federal Grants and Monetary Funds.
Show me a Small Rural Town being subsidized that heavily by federal funds?
WHy cant Sioux Falls live off its own tax base paid by Sioux Falls Residents, yes, the $400,000,000 million dollar in state and local taxes collected by Sioux Falls residents? Oh no – The CITY OF SIOUX FALLS has to spend $654,000,000 million in total revenues, much of it coming from Federal Grants, Monetary Funds, Municipal Bonds, Other Funds.
This is what keeps The DISTRICTING COMMISSION in this State in the hands of the Legislatuire, and not some Independent Group of People surely who would be beholden to Large Corporate Cities. It is the only manner and way to “Control” the City of Sioux Falls ensuring the MAJORITY here in South Dakota that Sioux Falls follows the State Constitution.
Your Argument is hands down, silly…
VSG, do you even LIVE in Lincoln County? My guess is no.