The MSM’s FEAR of the Advertising Tax

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The MSM pretty much sucks all over our country. I often find myself watching BBC news in the middle of the night just so I know what’s going on in the world (and in our country). Ever wonder why 80% of Europeans support Obama over McCain? Because they are INFORMED! Don’t get me wrong, Obama ain’t no savior but he’s a Hell of a lot smarter then Mr. 890th or something in their graduating class compared to Obama’s Editor of the Harvard Law Review under his belt.
Now to my point. The media, especially our local jokalists pander to advertisers, whenever they have a chance, and if it seems like they are endorsing a position that is not in line with those advertisers they squash the speculation. It’s been called advertorial writing. Disguising advertising as news.

Some magazines don’t have a problem admitting that’s what they are, for example ETC. and SF Woman. Their main objective is to kiss ass and sell advertising. Duh. But what about our local TV news and our only daily newspaper? Isn’t the Fourth Estate supposed to be watching out for us? The citizens? To often they are looking out for their bottom line.
My involvement with the petition drive for the sales tax decrease has reared the Sioux Falls MSM’s ugly head. It all started when I emailed KELO-TV shortly after they ran an episode of Inside Keloland about the sales tax increase. The program featured only one opponent, Councilor Staggers, and no citizens. I told the news director that was wrong. Nothing happened. Recently I posted some stuff on my KELO political blog link about the petition drive. KELO deleted the posts saying I can’t post that stuff because I was directly involved and it makes it look like KELO is endorsing my endeavor.

Bologna.

First off it says right at the top of the political blog page “The views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the blog author. “ on top of that, I have noticed other contributors to the page on both sides of the aisle have consistently promoted their political agendas. They haven’t been deleted.
What do I think the reason KELO-TV deleted my posts and why our daily rag endorsed the sales tax increase?
1) I’m sure someone cried to the station and paper, I’m sure it was an advertiser or a developer, or some other corporate welfare recipient in our town that takes our tax dollars in the form of handouts and tax incentives.
2) The media loves sales taxes because it keeps them from paying taxes on advertising. See, advertising isn’t taxed in South Dakota, because if it was, it would cut into how much profit they could make from an advertiser on a budget. The Fourth Estate doesn’t have a problem with old ladies on fixed incomes paying taxes on food to help pave our streets, build Jr. football fields and putting historically correct million dollar windows in the Pavilion, just as long as it is not coming out of their bottom line.
The MSM in Sioux Falls supports growth, just as long as they don’t have to pay for it. F’ing hypocrites.

Posted in: Media, Sioux Falls, Taxes ⋅ Tagged: ,

What’s so wrong with open government?

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I did this toon in response to an Amendment that councilor Staggers proposed on changing the language in a budget appropriation. He wanted it to state that raising property taxes is a ‘tax increase’ (which technically it is). The council was split, which surprised me, and Munson voted against the proposed (transparent) language. Very dissapointing.

Here it is from the minutes;

A motion to amend was made by Council Member Staggers and seconded by Council Member Anderson Jr. to amend the title of the ordinance to comply with City Ordinance 2-22 (d), to read “An Ordinance of the City of Sioux Falls, SD providing appropriations and the means of financing them which includes a property tax increase of 2.9% or $1,101,930 of tax levies for the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2009″.

 
Vote to amend:  Roll Call:  Yeses, Litz, Staggers, Anderson, Jr., Beninga, 4.  Noes, Brown, Costello, Jamison, Knudson, 4.  Mayor Munson broke the tie with a no vote.  Motion Failed.
Posted in: Munson, SF City Council, Sioux Falls ⋅ Tagged: ,

KCPO ‘The Facts’ Shocker!

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Jason Folkarts had a Republican on his KCPO political show. Wait, he always has on Republicans. Kidding aside, he had my favorite city councilor Dr. Kermit Staggers on the show. It was refreshing because;

1) Kermit knows his stuff when it comes to civics (He has a PHD in that stuff).

2) He is an old skool conservative – which is cool – low taxes – small government.

3) He slammed the bailout, I think I liked this quote, “This is going to have to be paid for by people who haven’t even been born yet.” (I think Leslee Unruh is working on that).

4) And best of all, he pretty much made fun of the Vote No on IM 10 TV commercials about teachers not being able to talk to their husbands. Kermit and I agree on this, it is complicated language, but it is a good measure and the other side is LYING THRU THEIR TEETH in the commercials. No surprise though, it is NOT supported by either political party.

5) He loves Sarah Palin. C’mon Kermit! Really?!?! Well not quite, but he was pretty complimentary.

Posted in: Kermit Staggers, SF City Council, Sioux Falls, VP Palin

Scotty Hudson chastises the local TV media

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I agree 100% with Scott on this one. I’m always baffled why the local media lets local politicians, convicted felons and whack jobs push them around?

Reminds me of an email exchange I had with a news director at KELO-TV recently. Inside KELOLAND which is produced once a week and airs twice on Sunday had a program a couple of weeks ago about the Sales Tax increase. The first half featured Munson, Brown and Staggers the second half featured two developers, but no citizens (you know the ones who are affected by the tax increase). I emailed the news director about it, and she told me that they featured Munson, Brown and Staggers instead because they are elected by the people and represent the citizens (insert laughter here). I had a pretty long rant I was going to send her about journalistic integrity, etc. etc. but instead I replied “Yes, Staggers did a fine job representing the citizens.”

Posted in: Janklow, Media, Unruh ⋅ Tagged: , ,

What two little birdies told me today

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The first little birdy told me that apparently councilor Litz thinks I filed an ethics opinion against him because a certain politician urged me to. Let me make something very clear to Mr. Litz, NO politician or campaign staffer tells me what to do, just ask Martha Vanderlinde’s campaign manager, when I read her the riot act on that very topic. My cartoons would be very ineffective if I was getting writing and editing advice by the very people I was supposed to be making fun of. I took action for the citizens and it was the right thing to do, something Mr. Litz knows very little about.

This same birdy also told me that I wasn’t the only one who filed the opinion, another citizen did to, but they asked to be confidential – wonder who urged them – their conscience perhaps?

Shortly after the first birdy spoke with me, another one came to my window on this fine fall day and told me there is a rumor floating around that Mayor Munson is mentoring Councilor Brown, which made me laugh so hard that I think I blew birdy number 2 off of my window sill.

See, it’s no secret that Vernon is considering running for mayor in 2010 even though when he was running against Stehly he denied that, because his councilor term is not up until 2012. I think if I was running for mayor the last person I would want as my mentor was a big government spender that almost didn’t run for a second term because of a possible ordinance and campaign finance violation. I say go for it Vernon, but I would pick a different mentor, may I suggest Kermit Staggers?

Posted in: Bob Litz, Ethics, Vernon Brown ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,