While many states have made their lists of “ready-to-go” projects available for public review, others have resisted.
Only a fraction of the projects will receive money and watchdog groups say some state officials fear angering constituents if a project appears on a wish list and gets scratched.
So we might be $85 million short in tax revenue this year, and you have no clue where we could spend the money? As Archie Bunker would say, “GEEEEEEEEEEZ”
There will be plenty of ‘wood’ to go around once the feds start cutting checks to South Dakota;
State officials are lining up millions of dollars in ready-to-go projects in preparation for the expected surge of federal spending included in the $790-billion economic plan now sitting at the edge of congressional approval.
How much you wanna bet who will be budging in that line to try to get to the front? Let me give you a clue; “Ah yeah, Tim, remember that TV ad I did for you, praising you for all the things (you promised) you would do for our tiny little town? Member? Member? Well, I was wondering, if Eugene and I could stop by and like, ah, get repayment? Oh, you should of seen the Hell I had to go thru with the SD GOP caucus, Christ, because of my blantant brown nosing of you.”
“Congress has made it very clear that if you don’t spend the money in the time frame given, it could go back,” Bergquist said. “We want to make sure we’re spending all of ours but are also ready to take advantage of any extra we might get.”
Ah, you don’t know much about Northside Dave, do you? That money is already f’ing spent. It’s a Sioux Falls tradition.
Gov. Mike Rounds was evaluating the compromise package Thursday and is scheduled to discuss it during a news conference in the Capitol on Friday.
Poor King Mike, he has to accept a crisp check from a Black Democratic President. I know it’s gonna be tough Mike, since you are so used to taking money from your rich, well connected, Republican Lawyers and business owners. Don’t worry Mike, there is one thing I have learned about Republicans, they take money from anyone as long as it makes them a dime.
Sometimes I have toon ideas that go nowhere. This was one of them. But for some reason I like it in a Sipress sorta way.
The monument to hypocrisy?
Sioux Falls banking mogul T. Denny Sanford has given Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard and state Sen. Dave Knudson $20,000 each in their young campaigns for the Republican nomination for governor.
And that could be just the start of campaign gift-giving for the billionaire donor, who dropped $200,000 into his own political action committee just days before a state law made such large contributions illegal.
No wonder Dennis and Dave never try to make waves in Pierre, they can’t upset their sugar daddy Denny too much.
It’s Alive! More stupid legislation.
My favorite (and only qualified journalist in Sioux Falls) Ellis wrote an article today about a new brainchild(?) legislators Heidepreim and Abdallah are cooking up. They want to change the state constitution so we can become (more dependent) on gambling.
Faced with the threat of a large-scale casino resort opening just across the Iowa border, two Sioux Falls lawmakers are proposing a simple but controversial solution: Clear the way for a casino of our own.
A Las Vegas-style gaming casino in or near Sioux Falls would stymie a similar development in nearby Larchwood, Iowa, that officials long have feared will take money out of South Dakota’s pockets.
But the proposal first must overcome a series of obstacles, including a change to the South Dakota Constitution.
Though I do understand their revenue concerns, changing the state constitution to allow more harmful social ills is the wrong move.
Sioux Falls lawyer Brian J. Bauer said he suggested an effort be made to change the state Constitution, an idea that Heidepriem agreed with. Bauer said he doesn’t want to see the Sioux Falls economy hurt by a resort in Iowa.
Study, after study has proven gambling costs taxpayers more than we gain from it, in criminal and social costs. But hey, look who is proposing the change – lawyers – go figure, the very people who suck from the criminal sow’s tit. I’m sure video lottery laoyyists had a hand in this to. This isn’t about keeping the state’s $111 million dollar cut, it’s about keeping their cut, even though, they would like you to think differently though;
He proposes that revenues from the facility be put in a “lockbox” to be used specifically for education.
LMFAO! Lockbox, smockbox. They use this bullshit argument everytime and it is starting to get old. can’t they get more creative and say the money will be used to buy Hoverounds for all Senior citizens that can’t afford them or FREE icecream for kids under six on Sundays?! Cut the crap!
If approved, it could open the door for a significant expansion of gaming in South Dakota.
Bauer realizes the proposal is likely to draw fire.
“Bottom line is, it’s coming to this region anyway,” he said. “You might as well have it on the South Dakota side rather than the Iowa side of the border.”
Enough already. Instead of expanding gaming, start taxing people based on their income, that’s a no-brainer of a plan I would be willing to put a bet on.
l3wis