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Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax

Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sales Tax increase; Pretty Ridiculous

l3wis 0Comments

I found this letter to the Editor of the Argus Leader right on;

Representatives of developers, construction companies and other groups such as the Chamber of Commerce took more than two hours to argue the need for such development in promoting the growth of the city.

This was ridiculous. Nobody was opposing the development of these arterial roads or seeking to stall the city’s growth.

I found if complete BS that the mayor let the proponents (developers) speak first. I also found it ironic that not a single individual citizen (not representing a group or business) came forth for this tax increase, and equally ironic that not a single individual came forth (representing a business) to oppose this tax increase. This really was about special interests vs. citizens. And 4 councilors (who are knee deep in special interests) and the mayor voted against the citizens.

The opposition to the tax increase might well have orchestrated another two hours of testimony from representatives of agencies and organizations that know only too well the struggles of a sizeable segment of the city’s population:

Yes, but by the time we got to take the podium it was 10:30 at night (3 1/2 hours after the meeting started, and we got to listen to councilor Knudson whine about being tired (maybe she was tired of reading closed captioning for that long).

I will be interviewed late this afternoon for Jon Micheals Sunday talk show that airs on KELO radio talking about the petition drive.

Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax Media Munson SF City Council Taxes Term Limits

Argus columnist KINDA endorses a sales tax decrease?

l3wis 0Comments

Matt Okerlund wrote a great column on Sunday about term limits, but he started his column off with I believe to be a veiled endorsement of our goal to get sales tax decreased;

Earlier this month when told a group of residents launched a petition drive to counter his and the City Council’s decision to increase the city sales tax from 1.92 percent to 2 percent on Jan. 1 to raise more money for road construction, Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson sounded dumbfounded.

“I’m trying to build a city, and build a city for the future, so that our kids and grandchildren don’t have to go to Minneapolis or Omaha or Kansas City for opportunities. They can stay here,” huffed Munson at the news that Citizens for a Responsible Sales Tax hoped to gather enough signatures to ask voters to cut the city sales tax to 1.9 percent - the pending .08 percent increase plus a bit more – because it is convinced a looming U.S. recession and banks from Iceland to Islamabad making like the Hindenburg is a strange time for city government to be hitting up taxpayers for more money.

“What do they want to take away?” grumbled Munson. He noted the city budget next year includes $615,800 for upgrades to McKennan Park. “Do we want to just drop those programs we want to do for McKennan Park? It’s a possibility.”

If that was a veiled threat, it lacked the veil.

He finishes the column up beautifully

In nine days the other people who inhabit this state will once again tell me just how wrong I am. When that happens, I’ll mutter. I’ll curse. I’ll look to the heavens and shake my head. I might even wonder – if for only a fleeting moment – if somehow, by some fluke of nature, by some crazy twist of fate, I have it backward.

Maybe the misguided one isn’t them.

Maybe it’s me.

And maybe someone should remind the mayor of this city and four-fifths of the Legislature how a democracy works. It seems they have forgotten.

I have long felt that half of our city council and mayor have no clue how a democracy works. The proof is in the pudding. They have been wrong about the Rec Center and Drake Springs Pool, and once again he is wrong about raising taxes on food and utilities to build roads for new development (that may never happen) during a National economic crisis.

Please sign our petition.

Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax

Petition drive going good

l3wis 0Comments

I was in front of the County Administration office after work yesterday garnering petition signatures for the Sales Tax Decrease initiative and was surprised by how many people I could get to sign it. We got at least 90% of registered Sioux Falls voters that we approached to sign it. Only two people were vocal about not signing the petition. One of them called it ‘Stupid’. Which is always a ‘Stupid’ argument. We have only been doing the petition drive for 2 weeks and we already have good numbers. I have a feeling we will have no problem making the Spring School Board election with the initiative. And, BTW, if you are against the initiative and you see me, tell me why – don’t just say it is STUPID. Lower taxes on food and utilities is NEVER stupid.

Citizens for Reponsible Sales Tax

Info Meeting – Sat. Oct 11, 10:30 AM – Caille Library (49th Street)

l3wis 1Comments

The Sales Tax decrease WILL NOT

–          WILL NOT Affect the 2009 Budget (It would not take effect until January 1, 2010. In the spring of 2010 the city will have 3-4 new councilors and a new mayor that most likely will want to go over the budget with a fine tooth comb and make adjustments. There couldn’t be a better time to implement this decrease.

–          WILL NOT Affect the operations budget (Police, Fire, government services, etc.)

–          WILL NOT Take money away from Lewis & Clark (this is actually being paid for thru your water bill)

–         WILL NOT  Take money away from new road construction (Developer fees can pay to build new roads)

–          WILL NOT Take money from road maintenance and infrastructure projects

–          WILL NOT Hurt growth and development

The Sales Tax decrease WILL

–          WILL Reduce the tax on food and utilities

–          WILL Put approximately $5 Million back into taxpayers hands to spend on what they want (this will actually help the local economy because the money will be spent on good and services and promote local business which actually helps growth).

–          WILL Force the city to make cuts from the Capital Improvements Budget (which currently includes giveaways to downtown businesses, unneeded upgrades to entertainment facilities and other WANTS)

–          WILL Be responsible to taxpayers

 

We will also have petitions available to anyone that wants to help.

 

 

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