South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

State Legislature

Food food tax State Legislature

Another ‘Crash & Burn’ food tax elimination proposal? Maybe we should have a barbie?

l3wis 15Comments

Don’t get me wrong, I have always felt that a tax on (essential) food is immoral, idiotic and pretty much insensitive and unfair to the poor, and everybody for that matter. It’s kinda like health insurance. No one should be benefitting from essential goods and services to sustain life. But I also have the feeling that it will fail, again;

SIOUX FALLS, SD – You could be paying less at the grocery store if one South Dakota lawmaker has his way. For the second time in as many years Sioux Falls Representative Marc Feinstein plans to propose cutting the state tax on groceries. Feinstein says constituents have told him how difficult it can be to make ends meet.

And Marc’s idea has merit;

The major difference in this bill replaces the lost four percent grocery tax revenue by adding .35 percent to all other taxable goods.

But Marc, don’t you know that means the rich would have to pay more in taxes for all of their luxury items? Why not just continue to tax the shit out of the working poor who we fuck over on a daily basis in an almost non-existant worker rights state?

While I will give props to Marc for trying a different approach, business owner ran Pierre will have no part of it – off with their heads!

Daugaard South Dakotans State Funding State Legislature

New governor Doogard seems to be short on ideas

l3wis 6Comments

“Let’s give away the farm to businesses, that will help economic growth.”

While I have railed on the SD GOP in the past for their ‘Pack of Wolves’ mentality and only working hard on killing anything ‘Democratic’ I have often wondered why they just don’t use that energy to come up with some good ideas for the state, instead they either have really mediocre ideas, or ideas that have been tried already and don’t really have results. Take Doogard’s answer to saving our state economically;

Just three days after taking office, Daugaard proposed ways to expand low-interest state loans to businesses, encourage aviation companies to relocate in South Dakota and promote ethanol use by motorists.

Once again, the SD GOP is proposing the same old crap that hasn’t really done much for the regular Joe. SD already has one of the most friendliest PRO-Business climates in the country. And what has it given us? Some of the lowest wages in the country. I suggest more worker rights. Better paid employees spend more money, which in turn pay more in retail taxes. This isn’t rocket science folks.

I have no freaking idea what bringing aviation companies will do for SD? Maybe someone can fill me in on that one. As for ethanol, that ship has sailed, while I am all for developing cellulosic ethanol, I think it is time to stop subsidizing an industry that is taking food off of our tables. I would suggest subsidizing wind energy to be a much better investment.

Rounds proposed budget isn’t much better;

Former Gov. Mike Rounds, who left office Saturday, proposed $65 million in cuts, including 5 percent reductions in state aid to school districts and reimbursements to doctors and others who treat low-income people in the Medicaid program.

Instead of cutting his expanded FTE’s (which haven’t done us a damn bit of good) and no bid contracts, he goes after education and healthcare. Why? Because dumb sick people are good for economic growth. Who knew? Not us dumb sick people.

State Legislature

Argus Endorser? Liberal rag? Yeah . . . right.

l3wis 1Comments

I watched this dull video which was void of any competing opinions (all four legislators interviewed were Republicans). I have often laughed when people have called the Argus Endorser a liberal rag. LOL. They are neither a liberal rag or conservative cheerleader. They however will tow any line they need to push THEIR agenda on certain topics (Events Center, etc). And if that mean sucking up to Republican lawmakers, they will do it. That is what is so amazing about this video, they had four Republicans right where they needed them. They had to answer questions without pointing fingers at the Democratic boogeymen. Instead, they threw one softball after another. I have often blamed the mainstream media for the shape our country is in, they have sold their souls to advertising and no longer hold politicians accountable. Remember when people bought newspaper’s for the ‘NEWS’? Me neither.

Smoking Ban State Legislature

Casino owners still bitchin’ about the smoking ban

l3wis 10Comments

And now they have a whiney ass legislator on their side;

“People aren’t coming and that’s just a fact of life. We’ve noticed it almost immediately in the middle of November when the smoking ban started,” Republican Senator Tom Nelson of Lead said.

Good. Gambling is a poor way to fund government anyway, and maybe we will be killing two birds with one stone.

Video lottery revenues in the state have fallen off nearly 20 percent since the ban passed. And, just in November officials say the casinos in Deadwood saw a $10 million drop in revenues, attributing the fall completely to the smoking ban.

Why not raise the state’s take? I have often said that if a majority of South Dakotans think gambling is okay, we should increase the state’s take to 70-80%. It has often amazed me that all of these legislators have come up with 9 million different ways to nickel and dime citizens in user fees but not one single one of them has suggested taking more from gambling.

“It’s not the economy. It’s not the weather. It’s not the holidays. We’re comparing Novembers to Novembers to Novembers,” Nelson said.

Yeah, Tom, because the economy has been just peachy. Video lottery revenue has been down all year, even before the ban. It is the economy, stupid.

“We don’t need a complete lift of the smoking ban. We just need some accommodations so customers have a place to go where they can continue to play their machines or be at the card table,” Nelson said.

Oh, so because they have card tables, they deserve to have smoking? But if you are some dive bar with VL machines you have to keep the ban? Silly. The ban should remain, for ALL establishments. The citizens voted in an overwhelming majority that they wanted this to happen. We have a clear mandate. Besides, this is not about patrons, it’s about workers. How many times do we have to go over this?

Will the legislature try to amend this? Probably. Just like abortion, there are a few knuckle heads in the legislature who think they know better then the majority of South Dakota voters. But remember this, these are the same guys who don’t pay property taxes, molest foster kids, launder money and run stop signs resulting in killing someone.

I DARE the legislature to challenge the will of the people.

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