DEFICITS DEFICITS EVERYWHERE !!!

By Ed Randazzo

I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the South Dakota Tea Party Alliance on Saturday. The attendees, some 50 strong, heard from Rapid City Alderman Sam Kooiker who has recently announced his candidacy for mayor of Rapid City and Alderman Jordan Mason.

We are all aware of the enormous federal deficit and the struggle being played out in Washington. We are also aware of the $127 million structural deficit in the State of South Dakota and the work accomplished recently in Pierre to deal with it. One of the things I learned from our Rapid City Aldermen is that there is a significant budget deficit right here in Rapid City!!!

How much of a deficit? It seems we don’t know. Both Alderman Kooiker and Mason have requested detailed information regarding the city’s deficit but have been ignored.

We also learned that the city is not routinely audited. What, you say?

Let’s all ask the Mayor to furnish this data to our aldermen and to us so that we might see what’s happening right here in Rapid City.

Thank you South Dakota Tea Party Alliance for inviting Aldermen Kooiker and Mason to share information with us and thank you Sam and Jordan for your service.