2008
Rapid City Journal keeps the pressure on Rounds and Pierre
Just another bogus SD politician
I’m glad to see the RCJ is continuing on this story right before the legislative session. Hopefully some of the legislators will have the gonads to change the law and go a step further and censure or impeach our governor for his ‘bogus’ practices.
Sometimes governments will put contracts for these services out for a bid, but they’re not bound to go with the lowest bidder.
Often they’re not bid, and they’re called “no-bid” or “sole-source” contracts.
While the arguments against bidding in these two cases make sense, Stewart said, the problem is “it’s exploited like crazy.”
It’s exploited because without a bidding process, government officials can award contracts to anyone -Â whether they’re the most qualified firm, or a friend, or a big political donor, he said.
It’s exploited? Get out!
“Public procurement, the whole cornerstone of the profession is competition,” Gallt said.
“It keeps prices down, it opens up the marketplace to new and innovative companies. It’s a win-win for everyone. It’s prudent, acting in the public interest, to get the lowest possible price.”
Since when are politicians in SD interested in helping out the little guy? Is there something I’m missing here?
To limit corruption, states that ban “pay to play” practices also are opening up their records to the public.
The public expects it, Stewart said, in an age when so much information is available online.
And he said it’s not something that should be expensive or burdensome to states.
“They’re already writing things on electronic documents,” he said.
“Converting it and slapping it up on the Internet is not that big of a deal.”
That is if you don’t use the same programming brain surgeons behind the vehicle registration software.
Solution for road money; TAX POOR MORE!
This is one way to get the money we need.
Once again legislators are punishing the poor and thrifty by suggesting we raise registration fees JUST on the people who can afford it the least; people who drive older cars.
People who own older cars could end up paying more to license them if a group of state lawmakers has its way.
A bill that will be introduced in the next legislative session would require owners of older cars to pay the same fees applied to newer cars. Currently, the owners of any noncommercial vehicle more than five years old pay 70 percent of the original licensing fee.
Depending on a car’s weight, it would cost owners $9 to $19.50 a year in additional licensing fees.
Representative Shantel ‘Al Bundy’ Krebs is leading the fight. Yeah, because shoe sales(wo)men have the best ideas.
Licensing fees for trucks and cars are based on their weight. The heavier the vehicle, the more it costs to license, because heavier vehicles exact a greater toll of wear and tear on highways and roads.
Eliminating the discounts for older vehicles would generate an extra $12 million a year that counties could use to build and maintain roads, said Rep. Shantel Krebs, R-Sioux Falls. Krebs is one of the lawmakers supporting the measure.
Eliminating the discount for older cars makes sense, Krebs said.
Maybe in your bad math, help the priviledged more, mentality.
First off the fee is unfair as it currently stands. If you own a vehicle that is 2,000 pounds and 4 years old your fee is $30 but if you own a vehicle that is 10,000 pounds your fee is $65. Shouldn’t it be $150 if we are truly taxing by weight?
BUT LET’s TRAVEL TO COMMON SENSE LAND FOR JUST A MOMENT(I know this will be hard for my Big Government Republican readers, but please bare with me.)
I think the best solution is to hope for Federal dollars from Obama’s stimulus package. The second solution would be making cuts, cuts, cuts to Rounds Kingdom in Pierre.
But if we still need the money I suggest we fix the weight-to-fee issue as it currently stands. Tax accordingly to the weight (which we are not currently doing).
Charge a retail luxury tax on on personal vehicles over $60,000. If you can afford the vehicle you can afford the tax, and more then likely finance the taxes due in your payments.
If all else fails, we can have a rate increase, but it should be across the board keeping the discounts in place. People who drive older vehicles probably drive less. If they can’t afford a new vehicle, they probably have trouble putting gas in the vehicle they currently have.
Taxing the poor more is a stupid idea, in these economic times, but if we must truly raise fees, make it fair. Once again it proves our legislators are short on progressive ideas. Whadda yah expect?Thirty years of secretive, regressive Republican rule will do that to a state.
I guess we don’t have to worry about Hamas attacking us in SD.
SD could be getting a new logo
Another ignorant bigot writes a letter to the editor. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Zionists in the mideast cause just as many problems as the extremist muslims do. But I don’t think we need to worry about the Jews taking over SD anytime soon. Mike Rounds must of had a couple campaign contributors who were Jewish he had to appease.
I read that Gov. Mike Rounds lighted Menorah candles on the Capitol step during Hanukkah. The Menorah has been the symbol of the Jewish religion for 3,000 years. South Dakota is a Christian state.
But then at the end of the letter she contradicts herself.
Gov. Rounds has violated the separation of church and state and turned his back on the Christian traditions of South Dakota.
So which is it? Do you believe SD is a Christian Theocracy or a Secular state? You can’t have both.
This is especially repugnant to me in light of the fact that Jews reject the divinity of Christ.
Wasn’t Jesus a Jew?