Thanks for the extra tax on your food Mrs. Smith, it helps pay for the next Cher concert in Sux Falls.
There were several parts of this article I could pick apart and bitch about, but it’s a Sunday, and I don’t have the patience or the time, I will, however comment on this part;
The city would need a new funding source – probably through an increase in the local sales tax, which is at 2 percent. That would take legislative approval in Pierre.
Even if my whiny little ass was on street corners, 24/7 before the this tax increase vote telling people this tax increase is ‘stupid’, it would not matter. It is stupid. And common sense will tell people that. I can’t believe that these supposed ‘city leaders’ came up with this option to fund the EC. Voters will shoot it down. A bed and booze tax is the best way to fund this place, not an increase on food and utility taxes to people who will never use this facility.
I do support a new EC, but don’t I don’t think making the people who will never benefit from it, pay for it.
The EC Task Force needs to grow a brain, seriously.
A bed and booze tax is the best way to fund this place, not an increase on food and utility taxes to people who will never use this facility.
I do support a new EC, but don’t I don’t think making the people who will never benefit from it, pay for it.
The EC Task Force needs to grow a brain, seriously.
~l3wis
Very well said. Two stories on this. Can’t decide which is stupider. Think I’ll go with this one for now.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20090531/NEWS/905310314
Lewis…are we as taxpaying citizens paying this 18 person “task force” anything? I mean if this is as far as they’ve come is word association in selling this concept, they’re in bigger trouble than they can possibly imagine.
Saw that story, though DeCurtins is a pretty smart, he must really think the public is stupid if they don’t know the difference between a recreation center and a place that has concerts.
Also, I don’t think the EC group is getting paid, BUT, this is a big BUT, all of their expenses are comped, traveling to other locations etc. So in a way, they are getting paid.
I mentioned Saturday night that it didn’t look like the food was taxed an extra .08%. Our Menard’s reciept shawed two different tax rates, and the peanut butter cookies Mrs. Dude- ahem…the baby – wanted were only taxed at 5.92. Not sure whether that’s a Menard’s problem or true elsewhere. I’ll have to look at my next grocery reciept.
Anyway, if they try and pass a higher sales tax to fund the new EC, they’re screwed. The taskforce hasn’t yet shown an ability to sell the concept to the general public. They’re great about holding meetings (in the daytime)and publishing videos on youtube, but no real PR work has been done.
The tax is 6%. I checked my grocery receipt yesterday. Menards better have their accounting department fix that.
Like I have said, a bed and booze tax would be the best option, it almost makes you wonder if the Hospitality lobby advised the task force against that. I would be willing to bet on it.
The other thing we need to be cautious about is Munson’s practice of using money for entertainment facilities that don’t come out of a special fund. For example the city of sioux falls has to pay for all of the building upgrades to the Pavilion out of the CIP because the city owns the building. Which has costed the city millions over the past 10 years. The entertainment tax is ONLY used to subsidize operations at the Pavilion.
Yesterday on Inside KeloLand, councilors Litz and Costello were on talking about the Quality of Life Bonds. Litz was using his same old ‘moving forward’ BS talking points as usual, but I think Pat really looked and acted a lot smarter and professional. He also was able to get in that the city has borrowed over $240 million just over the past year and we need to pull in the reins.
Jorgenson said something funny, “Some people tell me that our bike trail is better then our roads.” In reference to why are we not using this money to fix roads.
Litz did look like a big dumbass on the show. Costello at least acted cautious about spending more and more money and about how the 2nd penny tax is being misused already.
I also thought it was funny how Bob blamed the ‘harsh winter’ on the way the streets looked. Well 1) It wasn’t a ‘harsh winter’ anything but, and 2) if the city would plow the side streets after every snow there would not be so many problems with ice and melting on them. I just can’t understand why it is so hard for this city to spend money on infrastructure first, then Flamingo barns second. The developers must really have their balls in a vice.
Gawd, some serious Groupthink has set in at the Task Force. I agree that B&B should be used to fund it, which would be easier to get through Pierre as well.
But now they are going back to the “Let’s build another big concrete box next to the one we have” which means tearing down HWF. They also went from 12K seats to 15K, in a slightly veiled attempt to justify indoor football there. These fools don’t get that the payback comes from the location. Seriously, how much new stuff will go in around the Arena? Hammons just expanded his hotel, and they just renovated the one across the street. Beyond that, there isn’t much space nor a good concept that would improve the overall area, no matter how big a box they build there.
Plus, think of how much revenue we will lose for the 12-18 months the place is torn up?
If we are going to build it at all, build it where it will have the best impact: Downtown!
I still think until they figure out a sellable funding source to the voters this thing is dead in the water.
They need to sell the facility first, then sell the funding options.
When a good salesperson is trying to get you to buy something, do they ask “can I have three easy payments of $19.99 from you?” No. They show show you a need you have that needs to be met, then they show you a product to fill it, then they tell you how to get it and for what price. You have to want it first in order to pay for it. These dumbasses can’t figure out a size, location, or a use for a new EC.
Get enough people excited about the new EC by having a real plan, then tell them the cost and the options out there to fund it. It will get finished much quicker that way.
Wow. You get interrupted in the middle of a post and it comes out as gibberish. I wish we could edit these things.
Sy.
There are damn few people as far as right to the center as you are that I have ANY respect for. You are one of them. We have a common bond that has nothing to do with that respect. So take this link with the grain of salt it deserves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUSYb3igXzI
LMAO! I love that song!