They still keep pushing this retail tax increase to build the EC, but even if it passes the legislature, it won’t pass the smell test with voters;
The road to a new events center in Sioux Falls will need to go through Pierre before the city has money to build a facility, a task force studying the issue has decided.
Sioux Falls officials are working with their counterparts in other municipalities and officials with the South Dakota Municipal League on legislation to be introduced in next year’s session. The legislation would enable local governments to raise sales taxes by up to 1 percent to finance special projects. The proposal probably will include a sunset provision, meaning the tax would end once the project has been paid off.
Sure, but I have a funny feeling after the EC is paid off, the city will continue to find things to build and maintain with the tax. It’s kinda hard giving up $100 million a year when you are used to it. Don’t believe the bull, that tax will NEVER GO AWAY! That is why the BBB tax makes the most sense, we don’t have to get rid of it and we can pay for the facility over time.
BREAD FOR THE WORLD puts in their two cents (no pun intended);
Note the article in today’s Argus about the proposal for funding an event center. Unfortunately, the task force is asking the legislature to let cities raise sales tax, our most regressive tax. Hard to believe — especially in tough times.
The increase, $100 million a year in Sioux Falls, would not come only from those who can afford it. Much would come from those who don’t have money to spare. 36.8% of Sioux Falls children eat free or reduced lunch. [May’09]
When costs go up, families have less for the flexible parts of the budget, which food is. And food would cost more too, because sales tax in South Dakota applies to food.
There is an alternative: “bed, board & booze tax” (BBB), which would take a little longer to raise the funds, but would not affect life’s basic necessities.
It is simply unconscionable to raise the tax on necessities and ask hungry children to pay for an event center, no matter how nice an event center or other public amenity would be.
You can vote in TODAY’S ARGUS POLL at http://www.argusleader.com
The question: Should South Dakota allow cities such as Sioux Falls to charge a tax to help fund an events center? (AS OF 11:30 AM 62% WERE OPPOSED TO THE INCREASE)
More important, letters to the Argus Leader and papers all over the state are needed, so all state legislators can learn sales tax is the wrong idea for a way to fund new public projects. Short, simple, to-the-point letters don’t take long to write and are very helpful.
Supplementary info:
—> Ottertail just raised electric bills 11%. Xcel wants to raise theirs 10-12%. (These bill have sales tax.)
—> One percent more sales tax is a 16.7% increase in the sales tax. How much are paychecks going up?
—> Other states have been reducing or ending their food tax, not raising it! Only 14 states still tax groceries, half of which have a lower rate on food.
—> Other cities did not use any tax on food to build their event centers: Food was not taxed in Fargo, DesMoines, Sioux City or Omaha, when event centers were built there. (Food is still not taxed in those places.) When the civic center was built in Rapid City, the RC city sales tax was not on food.
—>Â Food stamps (now called SNAP) help immensely, and are not taxed. But many low-income people do not get them, and middle-income people often struggle to cover expenses too.
—> South Dakota’s food tax rebate program reaches only a tiny fraction of low-income South Dakotans and no middle-income households.
A tax that worsens the struggle for life’s necessities is not an appropriate source of funds for a place of entertainment.
Please help oppose this now, before it gets to the legislature, before momentum builds, in hopes they will take a different course, one more sensitive to the real life situations of South Dakotans.
L3wis and BFTW are correct, we should follow Omaha’s lead and finance it with the BBB tax. We should also follow their lead and build it where it will generate the most payback the fastest: Downtown!
Seriously, I know I’m a broken record on this, but the location needs to be a home run and the subsequent collateral development around it will generate far more $$$ for the city.
The Arena site will work fine for an expanded Convention Center, and Howard Wood is still perfectly useable, especially after the School Board renovates it.
Under their current plan, they might get a developer to build another 200 room hotel with a restaurant, but that will be about it. No one will build anything next to the new Howard Wood, since it is tucked in there next the airport, and you won’t see any other new stuff going in around the current Arena site. Both the Sheraton and the Ramada have already expanded. Plus with things like Good Sam, the Dairy, the Army/Navy office, the Juvie huskou, and all the other industrial stuff, you really don’t have much around it that’s either relocatable or fitting for an entertaimment district, which BTW is one of the top recommendations of the consult who we sem to think doesn’t know shit.
I seriously am praying that in the last, great “fuck you all” act of the Munson Administration is for him to take the Task Force plan, call a press conference, stand up and say “Sorry to have wasted all of our time with this piece of crap, but I seriously thought they would come to the best conclusion, which they have failed to do. Therfore I am instructing Jody Schwan to shred this document, then burn the shreddings and then cut a check for the Cherapa site, where the new Event Center will eventually be built as the Crown Jewel of the downtown district. I will not be taking questions and please elect a mayor who will see this through, thank you and good night!”
Well, Sy, that would require Dave growing a sack, I’m just saying. It has been no secret from watching him in action over the past 7 years and talking to city hall insiders that the department heads run the show and Dave is simply the yes man. The only original idea Dave has had is wrapping Christmas lights around trees at falls park and handing out free pork sandwiches on 4th of July.
Just checked the internet poll (4:35 PM) still at 62% opposed to retail tax funding of EC, 1754 voters. This actually surprises me, I thought it would be a horse race. Wonder if anyone on the task force is paying attention to the poll?
Just gotta love the bold hypocrisy of these faux fiscally (ir)responsible tax-n-spend not so conservatives.
I would have no objections to the BBB tax. I have felt for years that the tax on food and clothing should be abolished. An increase in the general sales tax could backfire—-there are people who shop in Sioux Falls that wouldn’t be able to buy as much if they have to pay more sales tax. As far as location goes, I don’t give a rip where it goes as long as Howard Wood isn’t incorporated into it in some form. Myself, I don’t think Munson has the guts to do anything other than exactly what he wants to do. I wonder if the new mayor will keep Miss Schwan as his chief of staff, if he does, her salary should be cut, for what she does.
“I wonder if the new mayor will keep Miss Schwan as his chief of staff”
BAHAHHAHAHA! Trust me, I’m sure she is at least smart enough to pack her boxes before the new mayor is sworn in. I wonder how long it will take to clean up her office? Someone told me they have been in it and it is decorated like the lobby of a brothel.