January 2009

Cutting less than 2% from the Sioux Falls city budget would be a ‘catastrophe’

l3wis January 1, 2009 0Comments

Yup, kiddies. $5 million taken from the coffers is ONLY 2%. The Mayor and some councilors would like you to think that cutting 2% from their budget will kill this city.

Not only is that extremely laughable – it is a ‘bunch of crap.’

Actually, letting taxpayers keep the money to spend locally would help the economy more – because it would go towards local business in the form of products and services.

Who employs the most people in Sioux Falls collectively? Local business. Not developers, not hospitals and not the city.

Residents could face a special election this year in which they will be asked to lower the city’s sales tax rate by one-tenth of 1 percent – roughly $5 million a year based on recent tax revenues. While supporters say it will put more money in the hands of residents, others fear it would be a catastrophe, setting back economic development and quality-of-life projects.

Not sure if some yahoo from the city came up with that term or if the reporter did (or the editor) but calling a 2% cut a ‘castrophe’ is irresponsible and a disservice. Whether you agree or disagree with this tax cut should not matter – you should always demand the truth.

Red shoe tax

l3wis January 1, 2009 0Comments

This may be the solution to fixing our roads

Most of the time I laugh at ignorant letters to the editor in the paper, but sometimes people come along with some ironic wit. Love it!

I’ve got a great amendment: Let’s tax luxury shoe sales to help pay for sidewalks. Hey, free parking downtown subsidized by the red shoe tax.

EggBert family/friend women’s New Year’s Thriving Sioux Falls Economy Food-Shopping Resolution – 2009

EggBert January 1, 2009 3Comments

EggBert family women’s New Year’s Thriving Sioux Falls Economy Food-Shopping Resolution – 2009

1. Aunt Bertha: “This year, I will frequent more outdoor fruit markets where young Hotty boys sell their home-grown hard melons and nice, firm well-hung bananas – Yum, Yum!”

2. Granny Gumption: “I plan on buyin’ more fruit from the back of a truck ‘cuz I spent most of ma younger years with ma legs up in the air bearin’ fruit in the back of a truck – YeeeeeeeeHaw!!!!” –

3. Sister/Nephew/Cousin Nathan Jane: “This coming year I will shop more often for repressed, adrogoneous lobsters who are captured & treated like criminals by being forced into dark, isolated containment until someone (family member or otherwise) tries to chop off their arms & heads because they are universally deemed no-good stinkin’, slimey & crispy freaks” –

4. Neighbor Creamy Nugent: “This cumin’ year, I ain’t plannin’ on changin’ a damn thing from my usual Meat & Boy’s Buffet – Mmmm, Mmmm…Yowwwwzer!” - 

5. Neice Nellie:  “In 2009, I will shop for more healthy,  pre-natal canned goods for me to eat like Pringles, pork & beans, and Soda Pop, ‘cuz Petey Schwetty, my boyfriend, likes to stick his weiner into me a lot and some day, a another tiny baby-like looking creature might come out of my baby-makin’ pee-hole area” –

Way to go ladies – you are the cream of the crap, (ooops, typo), I mean – crop!

Sincerely,

EggBert, The Great 2008 Turkey Turd Award Stud

P.S. Now, let the 2009 New Year’s Turkey Turd Award competition hunt begin…(and you other SD Coke blogger-types can suck on my Turkey Turdlets because I aim to win it again next year – because one can never have enough Turkey Turd Awards sitting in the Fridge)

New Year Shocker! The Argus Editorial Board supports fleecing the poor and thrifty more.

l3wis January 1, 2009 0Comments

It may be no surprise to people, but I have often said if you do the exact opposite of what the Argus Leader ED Board tells you, you will be fine. Once again they support changing something that is not broken.

Currently, fees are based on the weight and age of a vehicle. Owners of noncommercial vehicles that are more than 5 years old get a 30 percent discount. Owners of commercial vehicles in that age bracket get a 10 percent discount.

The age-based discount is puzzling, and many residents might have been unaware that it exists.

However, those who’ve benefitted from the discount probably have known about it, and some will be more than miffed if the discounts disappear.

But regardless of why the state created that age-based break, it makes sense to get rid of it.

Like I have said earlier this week, people who own older vehicles more then likely drive less, either because they don’t have a lot of money to begin with or they are thrifty. So the argument about ‘wear and tear’ is a weak one. The other problem I have with this is you are only raising fees on a certain sector. If we really need to raise fees (which I don’t think we need to) then raise them on everybody accordingly (that is only fair).

A vehicle’s weight is what creates wear and tear on roads and highways, regardless of how old the vehicle is. That state’s fees already are appropriately higher for heavier vehicles.

NO THEY ARE NOT. If you own a smaller vehicle you are almost paying twice as much in proportion to it’s weight then if you own a heavy one. Essentially now the state is punishing people who choose to own more economic vehicles and cutting a discount to people who own larger ones. Please fix that first.

Ditching the registration discounts will generate $12 million a year.

A much simpler approach to raising money would be to make cuts, and lots of them. You could probably cut a handful of no-bid state contracts and come up with the $12 million. A couple of people have pointed out we spend $11 million a year just on maintaining recreational snowmobile trails. How has that ever helped me or other hardworking South Dakotans?

We need common sense and fiscal responsibility in Pierre, not more taxes and fees.

It always amazes me when the SD MSM becomes a cheerleader for higher taxes for the poor (while they enjoy collecting NO taxes on Advertising – something that needs to be fixed). Then they sit around in Editorial Board meetings and wonder why no one reads their paper any more.

Get a clue.