By Ed Randazzo
On Thursday, SD Senator Mark Johnston indicated to the press that he would be introducing an amendment that would schedule a special election for voters to approve or reject a sales tax increase. That was a very bad idea.
On Friday, no amendment was offered. That was a very good idea.
Just 3 short months ago SD voters sent largely Republican legislators to Pierre to represent them. Most of these legislators were elected because they ran on the Republican platform which calls for fiscal responsibility and reducing the tax burden. The looming structural deficit was a major issue of the campaigns for many.
None of us likes to cut our budget, but many of us have had to do just that. It was totally predictable that balancing the state budget and dealing with the structural deficit without increasing the tax burden would not be easy. Because funding for education and Medicaid is such a large percentage of the state budget, it was clear that cuts would be required in both those areas.
Governor Daugaard was quick to hear and understand the difficult and painful task at hand and displayed great fiscal responsibility and political courage in proposing his budget to the legislature.
A decision by the legislature to spend more state money (which we can’t afford) to finance an election to decide on a state sales tax increase is to totally ignore the message of the voters in November last and to display a complete lack of intestinal fortitude to make painful, but necessary, decisions.
Let those who wish to increase sales taxes or any taxes stand up and be counted for that which they believe and not just pass the decision to the voters so the legislators can wash their hands of the issue.
Let’s hope this trial balloon has already been punctured and has fallen quietly to earth.
The GOP and Dems have created a mess in our country. It’s time to elect Independents to represent us. They aren’t bound by the inefficient partisan agendas and personal religious agendas like malingerers we now have in office.
Right on, Inde!!! The mainstream (pronounced RINO) GOP’ers and the Democrats have certainly made a mess. And then there’s the do-nothing-and-it-will-all-turn-out-alright independents who stand for nothing. It’s up to the dreaded patriots to haul this country back from the brink of the abyss.
Now you just have to figure out a way around that darn Constitution and the religion thing…..
The “religion thing” is your problem, not mine. The Constitution is clear that the state should stay out of the affairs of chuches. The state has no place in churches. No state religion but no state interference, regulation or control.
You’ve got that backwards.
Yeah sure, oh great one.
At Stan’s big house on the hill regular meetings take place where all that happens in Pierre is decided. Mr. Napoli knows this from his time in the legislatures.
The Legislature is and has been full of people that say one thing during an election and do another when they get to Pierre. This years session is full of rinos and Mainstreamers that dont have any problem taxing Grandpa and Grandma right out of their homes. The most sales tax people pay is on food. So come on you mainstreamers ram it to the little guy again. And how about the ” Well the extra penny is just TEMPORARY”. Would any of you consider that a bald faced lie? These Ultra liberal Repiblicans want to put this penny in the budget as ongoing revenue, SO it has to be there forever. Because if it goes away it will be a revenue loss. MORE DEFICIT. By the way, If you take a moment to call your Legislators you will find out the e mails seem to be running 100 to 1 against the Govs budget. and in favor of the sales tax increase. Wonder where that is all coming from?