State Funding

Rounds South Dakotans State Funding State Legislature

State doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out

l3wis November 8, 2009 3Comments

ikeacovinatoilet

Revenue to the state treasury is falling and more people are enrolling in Medicaid, triggering significant demands on the entitlement program. Although the state has federal stimulus money to shore up finances in the 2011 budget, which starts July 1, 2010, the federal money won’t be enough to backfill the budget unless there is a major turnaround in the economy.

Well, that’s what you get when you don’t attract young workers to our state to help pay for the program, that, and we think taxing food is a good way to fund government.

The five major revenue sources to the state are down in the first three months of the current fiscal year that started July 1. Combined, they represent 90 percent of the state’s general fund revenues. The most important – sales tax – was down $33 million or 5.2 percent.

It’s time the state implemented an income tax, got rid of retail taxes and reduced property taxes. We’ll see what solutions are offered;

Bernie Hunhoff, the Democratic minority leader in the House, said his party will have ideas about what to do.Â “Democrats are here to work with the governor and with the Republicans to get South Dakota out of this,” Hunhoff said. “It’s not one party’s problem; it’s South Dakota’s problem.”Â The slowdown in state revenues reflects the pain felt on family farms and main street, Hunhoff said. The situation could call for across-the-board cuts.Â “Unless we really see an immediate rebound in revenues, the hole is getting so deep that everybody is going to have to share in the pain and sacrifice,” he said.

That’s why an income tax makes sense, it makes everyone share that sacrifice fairly. Abdallah wants to touch the sacred cow, better be careful, or King Rounds will cut your fingers off.

Republican Sen. Gene Abdallah said he wants a thorough accounting of how much money is in each of the state’s reserve funds, including some of the more obscure funds, before he’ll be ready to consider more cuts.

I agree it is time to dip into the reserves, that’s what they are there for, a rainy day.

State Funding State Legislature

Tonights South Dakota Focus

l3wis October 22, 2009 3Comments

This looks like and interesting program tonight

Join us for our Oct. 22nd South Dakota Focus as we zero in on stimulus dollars. So Far South Dakota has spent $219-million dollars out of the $632-million given to the state. We will talk about where the money was spent and what is left. Also to be discussed Â the state of the nations economic crisis and if Â the recession is weakening. You can call in with your own questions and comments. It’s a stimulus update program on our Oct. 22nd South Dakota Focus at 8:00pm CT / 7pm Mt. You can also watch online atÂ http://www.facebook.com/l/beb28;www.sdpb.org . Email us your questions toÂ sdfocus@sdpb.org or call in live during the broadcast 1.http://www.facebook.com/l/beb28;877.825.5788

On the program:

Commissioner Jason Dilges – SD Bureau of Finance and Management
Sen. Jean Hunhoff ( R ) Yankton
Rep. Larry Tidemann ( R ) Brookings
Via phone: Dave Munson – Mayor of Sioux Falls
Via Phone: Jerry Krambeck – Mayor of Spearfish

For more information:
Bureau of Finance and Management
http://www.facebook.com/l/beb28;www.state.sd.us/bfm/

Jason Dilges, Commissioner
Bureau of Finance and Management
500 East Capital Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605)773-3411 Fax: (605) 773-4711
bfminfo@state.sd.us

South Dakota Recovery Website
http://www.facebook.com/l/beb28;recovery.sd.gov/

South Dakotans State Funding State Legislature

The SD Legislature actually has a fair taxable idea, let’s see if the rest of the yahoos support it

l3wis October 14, 2009 4Comments

From StormLand TV News:

A South Dakota legislative committee has recommended a substantial boost in taxes used to build and maintain state and local roads, but some lawmakers say the full Legislature will never pass such a large tax increase.

The panel voted 11-6 to pass a bill that would raise road taxes in two stages, with half the increase imposed next year and the other half in 2012.

The state gas tax would rise from 22 cents to 32 cents a gallon and the excise tax on vehicle sales would increase from 3 percent to 4 percent by 2012 to give the state an extra $75 million a year.

Annual vehicle registration fees would rise to give counties, cities and townships an additional $31 million.

While new taxes are never good, I still think that a gas tax and vehicle registration fees are the fairest way to pay for roads. Of course, I’m sure some legislators would prefer to pay for new roads by taxing food more.

Rounds State Funding State Legislature Taxes

Rumblings of the 2010 legislative session in Pierre

l3wis September 18, 2009 10Comments

I talked to a Republican businessman last night about what might be happening in Pierre next year, and two things stuck out;

– A law may be passed to allow 19 yr. olds to drink in beer joints

– Rounds would probably veto any legislation that would allow cities to increase the sales tax

He told me that many legislators are for lowering the drinking age (Dems and Repubs). Eleven other states have done it. But it has to be specific. 19-20 yr. olds would only be allowed to drink beer AND they could not purchase beer off-sale. I guess it is a loophole with Federal highway funding.

And as I mentioned before, the state will probably not give cities the power to raise retail taxes, unless they come to some agreement like letting the state to raise taxes at an equal amount, which we could see our taxes as high as 8%. We’ll see what happens. My prediction is that there would be a citizen uprising and the increase proposal won’t even make it out of committee. Which leaves us at square one, once again with the Event Center.

I still think the council and mayor should just raise the bed and booze tax and start building the damn thing already.

Gas Tax State Funding State Legislature

A gas tax makes sense if it is spent wisely

l3wis March 10, 2009 8Comments

Though I am not big on raising taxes, gas taxes are the best way to pay for roads. Typically larger vehicles use more gas and cause more wear and tear to the roads, it is a tax that makes sense;

Some lawmakers think raising the tax on gas by three cents a gallon could be the solution for saving South Dakota’s roads.

There is also an effort to raise licensing fees, which I support, I think they are pretty low in South Dakota. What I don’t support is the inequality in that proposal;

The bill will also raise licensing fees for vehicles by ten dollars, and registration fees for recreational vehicles and trailers by five dollars.

If anything I think it should be $20 for recreational vehicles instead of $5. Why charge more on necessary vehicles then on luxury vehicles? Once again catering to the rich instead of the working class.

One thing we have to watch closely though is making sure this money goes towards roads and roads only. The state has a habit of saying one thing when it comes to tax dollars and doing another (Video Lottery and education funding for example). Sioux Falls pulls this crap to. The 2nd penny is supposed to be used for roads but instead the city throws it into the CIP, spending it on everything from rock and wood thingies at McKennan Park to historically correct windows on the Pavilion. IfÂ the stateÂ would spend the gas and licensing fee taxes the way it is intended we would be driving on streets and highways of gold.

State doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out

Tonights South Dakota Focus

The SD Legislature actually has a fair taxable idea, let’s see if the rest of the yahoos support it

Rumblings of the 2010 legislative session in Pierre

A gas tax makes sense if it is spent wisely

You Missed

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

Trust

I have been telling council this stuff for over a decade

First Ave Doc, many memories