State Legislature

Thursday Morning News Roundup

Representative Howie’s grand scheme to raise taxes is met with criticism – God I hope so!

“Anytime I hear that we are going to raise sales tax, I think, as a business owner, that that makes less money out there for people to spend. Right now is not the time.  If anything we need to be lowering them so people can get out and stimulate the economy,” business owner Jeff From said.

Todd Epp Hearts Daschle;

“He’s a good enough politician to realize the scrutiny he was going to go under was going to probably ruin his effectiveness as the secretary of HHS,” political blogger and Daschle supporter Todd Epp said. 

Who cares, Daschle screwed up, move on already.

Dave Knudson points out the obvious flaw in Heidepreim’s grand Casino scheme;

Sen. Majority Leader Dave Knudson, who is the most notable opponent, called that naive.

“Regardless of its motivation, it is an unbridled expansion of gambling,” he said of Heidepriem’s scheme.

“The ability of the gambling industry to control state government is manifest. I think that is true nationwide.”

Well said Dave, now don’t wuss out like you did with the smoking ban.

Get a mop Jodi, there will be alot of drool under Munson’s desk once he here’s this news;

South Dakota is due for a cool $662 million and thousands of jobs if the nearly $900 billion stimulus package wins Congressional approval, according to Senate Democrats and the White House.

The Pavilion has some good news for once;

The new “Laughs at the Pavilion” opens March 6 in the Belbas Theater, bringing in headlining acts from across the United States.

I’ve been laughing at the Pavilion for years!

Tapes and Tapes to play Nutty’s North tonight!

Minneapolis indie rock band Tapes ‘N Tapes’ sophomore release title, “Walk It Off,” alludes to an exercise in determination.

“The analogy was that (drummer Jeremy Hanson) was talking about being in Little League and getting hit by a ball. You just have to get up and walk it off,” says bassist Erik Appelwick during a recent phone interview. The Yankton native and 1998 University of South Dakota graduate joined the band in 2006.

Erik also played in Sioux Falls’ alt-country band The Harvestors for awhile.

South DaCola legislative update 2/04/09

Dave Knudson wins biggest wuss of the day award;

The bill died in the Senate by a single vote on Tuesday. Sponsors had planned to seek another vote Wednesday, but Republican Senator Dave Knudson said he doubted anyone had changed their mind.

“And like, I’m afraid to try to convince anyone, I mean, I don’t want to be known as a bully like my former boss Bill Janklow.”

Scott Heidepreim wins ‘worst logic’ award of the day;

“My desire is to see there is no casino in Larchwood and no casino in Sioux Falls,” Heidepriem said. “My goal is to not have any more gaming.”

Yeah, Scott, why not endorse a bill that requires firetrucks to carry gasoline instead of water. Remind me never to hire him as a lawyer.

HB1184 wins best ‘Legislative paranoia’ award of the day;

Supporters of the bill say sponsors of ballot measures now craft their own explanations of what a proposed law or constitutional amendment would do, and that makes it easy for them to get people to sign petitions placing those measures on the ballot.

HB 1184 would require that petition circulators also have an unbiased explanation of the proposal written by the state attorney general.

Give me a break, anybody can read the language on the petition. While I have been collecting petition signatures, several people have asked me to read the language. Besides, all a petition does is get something on a ballot, it is NOT a vote. This is more intentional misinformation being put out there to scare people from signing petitions. And it is working. I have had registered voters tell me they support our drive but are scared to sign a petition because they think we are goingt to turn the info over to someone. This is just the legislature trying to make it more difficult for citizens to overturn their stupid decisions. Get a grip.

SD Legislators really need to grow a brain

It’s Alive! More stupid legislation.

My favorite (and only qualified journalist in Sioux Falls) Ellis wrote an article today about a new brainchild(?) legislators Heidepreim and Abdallah are cooking up. They want to change the state constitution so we can become (more dependent) on gambling.

Faced with the threat of a large-scale casino resort opening just across the Iowa border, two Sioux Falls lawmakers are proposing a simple but controversial solution: Clear the way for a casino of our own.

A Las Vegas-style gaming casino in or near Sioux Falls would stymie a similar development in nearby Larchwood, Iowa, that officials long have feared will take money out of South Dakota’s pockets.

But the proposal first must overcome a series of obstacles, including a change to the South Dakota Constitution.

Though I do understand their revenue concerns, changing the state constitution to allow more harmful social ills is the wrong move.

Sioux Falls lawyer Brian J. Bauer said he suggested an effort be made to change the state Constitution, an idea that Heidepriem agreed with. Bauer said he doesn’t want to see the Sioux Falls economy hurt by a resort in Iowa.

Study, after study has proven gambling costs taxpayers more than we gain from it, in criminal and social costs. But hey, look who is proposing the change – lawyers – go figure, the very people who suck from the criminal sow’s tit. I’m sure video lottery laoyyists had a hand in this to. This isn’t about keeping the state’s $111 million dollar cut, it’s about keeping their cut, even though, they would like you to think differently though;

He proposes that revenues from the facility be put in a “lockbox” to be used specifically for education.

LMFAO! Lockbox, smockbox. They use this bullshit argument everytime and it is starting to get old. can’t they get more creative and say the money will be used to buy Hoverounds for all Senior citizens that can’t afford them or FREE icecream for kids under six on Sundays?! Cut the crap!

If approved, it could open the door for a significant expansion of gaming in South Dakota.

Bauer realizes the proposal is likely to draw fire.

“Bottom line is, it’s coming to this region anyway,” he said. “You might as well have it on the South Dakota side rather than the Iowa side of the border.”

Enough already. Instead of expanding gaming, start taxing people based on their income, that’s a no-brainer of a plan I would be willing to put a bet on.

Gov. Mike ‘Pants on Fire’ Rounds backpeddling again;

My friend Joy Crane wrote an interesting letter to the editor today about the ‘actual’ costs and revenue of tourism in our state;

A subsection under Goal 1 includes Progress Indicators, which list the actual monthly tourism and Deadwood gaming tax revenues collected from April 2007 to April 2008. A footnote states that these monthly deposits of revenue are used to fund the South Dakota Office of Tourism. The total 13-month tax revenue added up to $9,228,592.

The Jan. 11 Argus Leader article about South Dakotans feeling the money pinch in regard to Gov. Mike Rounds’ new budget contained the following: “Heidepriem, though, suggests there are notable savings to be realized. While the state Constitution ‘doesn’t say a word about tourism, we are spending $12 million this year promoting tourism in a no-bid contract with Lawrence and Schiller. Is it more important to fund K-12 education or tourism? I know what the founders tell us,’ he says.”

It appears Rounds is spending more on the annual Lawrence and Schiller no-bid contract than the total annual tourism and Deadwood gaming tax revenues collected to fund the Office of Tourism.

Well it seems Lousy & Shister are at it again, sucking off the taxpayer tit.

The Mitchell Daily Republic also did a story about it, I would have a direct link, but their site is having issues today.