South Dakotans support a sales tax increase, say it ain’t so!

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South Dakota Voters Show Support for Initiated Measure 15

Last week, Nielson Brothers Polling (NBP) released findings from their 2012 South Dakota Labor Day Survey, showing Republicans widening their lead in major statewide races. In the same poll, NBP asked South Dakota likely voters about their views on Initiated Measure 15 (a proposal to add a penny to the state sales tax), their economic situation, and the direction of South Dakota.

NBP finds that 43.7 percent of South Dakota likely voters plan to vote for Inititated Measure 15, while 31.7 percent plan to vote against it, and 24.6 percent are undecided. Republicans are evenly split on the measure (37.8 percent “for” and 37.9 percent “against”), but Democrats support it by a 2 to 1 ratio (50.3 percent “for” and 25.5 percent “against”). Similarly, Independents support it 49.2 to 28.2 percent. Approximately a quarter of each political party remains undecided. Voters who associate themselves with the Tea Party are most likely to oppose the measure (46.6 percent “against”), and those who consider themselves Liberals are most likely to support it (64.5 percent “for”).

 

Are taxpayer’s overfunding essential services? Embezzler’s think so.

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While it is ‘sad’ that people embezzle, what is even more sad is that it took so long to notice. Why is that?

I’m not the judge and jury, and I am sure Baustian will get her day in court. But let’s look at the big picture here. Minnehaha county had a similar incident with the embezzlement of the Sioux Empire Fair, which went unnoticed for a long time.

I don’t want to point fingers at people who neglected to notice these misgivings, but I do want to bring up something that has been bugging me about the embezzlers (both TEA and Fairgrounds): The constant begging of funds.

Why is it that these organizations focus so much on ‘Needing more money’ and asking for the public to fund them, but don’t miss hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Maybe they are overfunded?

If embezzlers can steal large amounts of money for several years without anyone noticing, doesn’t this send a message?

Even in the pimple of a town like Tea, they are milking the taxpayers for something as basic as fire service while their accountant is living high on the hog.

Enough with chasing the embezzlers down, we need to be questioning the politicians that are legislating the funding of these entities.

Sales Tax revenue in SF up about 3.2% from last year

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Okay, this is good news. But certainly not organize a blowout BBQ bash good news. More like, I’m going to eat at Red Rossa instead of Burger King for lunch kind of news. See, when you factor in inflation and the fact sales tax revenue was down last year a 3.2% increase is kind of like, well, ah, really nothing.

Of course, I’m sure they will talk it up at the informational meeting today, but seriously, just look at the numbers: SFTAX

I also can’t help to bring up the fact that taxpayers have been bilked for $45 million for arterial streets while developers (who were supposed to give equal amount) have put in under a million. Don’t remember this meeting when they begged for the tax increase and promised to put in matching funds? It was the meeting where Quen Be De Knudson was watching TV and complaining how she was tired. In fact she was so damn tired she wasn’t using her brain and voted for the tax increase. Boy, that turned out well.

House Republicans, including Noem, tell us how they really feel about the working class.

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Of course this debate has been going on for awhile, and Noem is starting to show her true colors, now that I have been elected to heck with my constituents;

WASHINGTON — President Obama and Senate Democrats appealed to House Republicans on Wednesday to return to Washington and approve a two-month extension of Social Security payroll taxes and unemployment benefits before they expire Dec. 31.

House Republicans resisted those pleas, instead calling on the Senate, which already approved the two-month deal, to negotiate a one-year extension.

The $33 billion, two-month plan extends a payroll tax cut for 160 million American workers, benefits for the long-term unemployed and Medicare payments for doctors. Barring any action by Congress, Social Security payroll taxes will go up almost $20 a week for a worker making a $50,000 salary — that’s $40 less for a typical paycheck or $1,000 over the whole year.

Oh, but we need to keep the tax cuts in place for millionaires and billionaires so they can create jobs . . .