South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

State Funding

Road Funding State Funding State Legislature

Get ready to drive on more crappy roads

l3wis 7Comments

I’m still wondering where legislators think the money is going to come from to repair roads? Obamacare? Gotta love the excuses to;

Opponents said even a modest increase in the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel could cause people to buy fuel across the border in other states, particularly Wyoming, which has a much lower tax.

Yeah, I’m going to drive to Wyoming to fill up my car . . .

Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, who is running for governor, said the bill should be defeated because South Dakotans do not want to be hit with a large tax increase. He said a better option would be to reduce government red tape to encourage more industrial development, which in turn would lead to increased state sales tax receipts.

Huh. Gordon, please stop talking and go teabag someone on your own time, stop wasting South Dakotan’s time with your ridiculous comments. While I think industrial development is a good idea, what does it have to do with roads and sales tax receipts? We shouldn’t be fixing roads from taxing food and utilities. When are you dillweeds gonna figure that out?

The Legislature has always resisted using general tax revenue for roads, and has instead used fuel taxes, vehicle excise taxes and registration fees to pay for highways. The South Dakota Constitution requires that gas tax revenue be used for roads and bridges.

Gee, what a concept!

Gas Tax Gordon Howie State Funding State Legislature

SD’s chief teabagger, Howie, comes to the realization that ‘taxpayers’ are the actual people who pay ‘taxes’

l3wis 7Comments

Untitled-17

I still laugh in amazement that this dill weed is running for governor;

By 2012, the state would gain an extra $54 million a year in revenue from the gas tax and excise tax on vehicle sales, while local governments would get an additional $30 million a year from the boost in registration fees.

The main opposition to the measure at Wednesday’s hearing came from Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, a committee member who is running for governor.

“This $84 million will come straight out of the pockets of the taxpayers of this state,” Howie said.

Get outta here! You mean taxpayers pay taxes! Where did you hear such nonsense Gordo? At a tea party?

Sen. Mike Vehle, chairman of the committee, said the measure is needed to prevent South Dakota’s roads from deteriorating. He said the taxes and fees are really user fees imposed on those who use the roads.

“If you don’t want to use the roads, you don’t have to pay the fee,” Vehle said.

Exactly. While I think this is a horrible time to raise taxes I do think the gas tax, excise tax and registration fee increases are the best ways to pay for roads. Tax the people who are using the roads. Maybe Howie has a better idea? Maybe we should increase taxes on food, cut education spending in half and use that money on roads?

State Funding State Legislature

The SD GOP, what a funny bunch

l3wis 4Comments

Inaugural-Horse-Manure-Recycled

Gotta love Lucas and his COMPLETE HORSE PUCKY TALKING POINTS;

The talk from Democrats about wanting to instill “responsible spending” in Pierre has not gone over well with many Republicans. Lucas Lentsch, the GOP’s executive director, has denounced it as a “phony” plan indistinguishable from Heidepriem’s stump speech for governor.

“It’s one thing to talk about being fiscally conservative and it’s another to have a track record of that,” Lentsch said.

Republicans in the Legislature are doing the “heavy lifting” right now by looking for cuts while Democrats, the minority party, are “throwing stones in the road.”

Lentsch said Democrats last year complained the state wasn’t spending enough. Before the budget crash last year, Democrats wanted to divert more interest earnings from state trust funds to K-12 education.

Lucas, your statement makes you look like a horse’s ass! Seriously, dude! Who has ran this state and Pierre for the last 8 years? Your party! You realize you are a Republican, right? The only track record you have had is running this state into the ground. Come to grips amigo! Keep blaming Obama for your problems, eventually people will wake up, scoop up your crap and throw it back in your face.

Road Funding State Funding State Legislature

I would go a step further

l3wis 7Comments

bluesmartcarJPG

Drive me, no new tax fees

I think our legislators are on the right track when it comes to road funding, but I would do some tweaking on the proposal;

The bill would boost money for maintenance and construction projects on state and county roads throughout South Dakota. The state’s tax on gasoline would jump 5 cents a gallon by May 1 and another 5 cents in 2012. Vehicle registration fees also would rise over two years, as would the state’s excise tax on new vehicles.

I agree vehicle registration fees should go up, but I also think the whole system needs an overhaul. You should pay a higher rate based on the weight of your vehicle and it’s fuel efficency. If you drive a light vehicle that gets over 35 miles a gallon, your fees should be reduced. We should be rewarding people who choose to have less impact on our roads. I also think the excise tax on vehicles should be the same as food. I have never understood why we pay a higher rate on goods that are essential to life then we do on automobiles. The whole argument from the car dealership lobby will be that it will hurt sales. Bologna. You can finance your excise tax into your loan and spread that expense out over the life of your loan. It won’t hurt sales. While I think a gas tax is a fair way to fund roads, I would probably hold off on that for at least a year and see if the other two proposals work first. I like gas taxes because, like I mentioned with my registration fee idea, it has less impact on people who choose to drive more fuel efficient vehicles.

Rounds State Funding State Legislature

Chickens comin’ home to roost?

l3wis 0Comments

chickens-roosting

I found these fun facts from the Heidi Scott campaign interesting;

“Today the Governor announced a record state budget deficit.  He blamed the national economic recession of the past year.  Yet, this budget marks the seventh of eight budgets he has submitted that spent more than the state collects in revenues.  In these eight years, state government has grown at a staggering pace, spending is out of control and governmental accountability is at an all time low,” Heidepriem said.

“Yet to solve this out of control problem, the Governor proposes to balance the budget by raiding relief funds, wasting stimulus dollars, raising taxes and balancing the budget on the backs of our children by making cuts in education. Where is the responsibility?  Where is the accountability?  This is wrong and South Dakotans should be outraged,” Heidepriem said.

“The Governor should do the responsible thing and slash his massive budgets of all fat, reign in all spending, cut unneeded state employees, cap spending, and open all of our state’s 1800 contracts to open bidding. To paper over these structural problems by first using relief funds or one time money is irresponsible and does nothing to solve the culture of bloat and waste in Pierre. South Dakota deserves better and South Dakotans should demand better,” Heidepriem said.

Yet we continue to elect these ‘supposed’ Conservative Republicans. They ARE NOT fiscal conservatives. They ARE NOT moral or ethical conservatives. They really are not conservatives in the true sense of the word. They are big government, greedy, Republicans, a trend that started with Reagan and perfected by GW Dush.

And Bob Mercer sums up Rounds’ administration (H/T -DWC)

Rounds is term-limited and the 2010 legislative session will be his eighth and presumably last, a situation that will only further embolden legislators and further undermine his relevancy.

Seven years of little innovation, no new efficiencies or savings of any significance, an emphasis on protecting his hometown’s economy, and showing minimal backbone on spending — he complained but still signed the budgets into law when the Legislature spent more than legally required on public schools, for example– are coming home to roost.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

You Missed

1st Amendment Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls Trump

UPDATE: Let Sioux Falls Vote! Sign Data Center petition!

1st Amendment Elections Marty Jackley Mike Huether Rich Merkouris SF City Council Sioux Falls Uncategorized

Trust

1st Amendment Open Government Open Meetings SF City Council Sioux Falls

I have been telling council this stuff for over a decade

1st Amendment Music

First Ave Doc, many memories