Please tell me what you think about this and what you think the future direction of SD should be.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Please tell me what you think about this and what you think the future direction of SD should be.
A Way to Go 
Stan, The amount of good that you do as you are, is better for you, and for all those that know you and what you stand for. South Dakota is a better place because of your efforts and the love you have for our State. I think that you should not run for governor, but continue to do what you do best. Keep doing what you do best, keep fighting for us all.
Scott C. Olsen
Stan – you are fabulous, and are keeping the moderate voice alive. I don’t know that being Governor would allow you to do what you are doing at the grassroots level. The legislature is still “the legislature”, and as long as they continue to have their collective heads in the sand, there isn’t much a Governor can do. I will support whatever you decide to do!! You are the only Republican I can support.
Thanks for all you do!!!
Sue Callahan
I think we need long-term thinking rather than the political norm of thinking quick-fixes for current hot issues. We need to plan out infrastructure like bridges and schools. We need to work out how to make South Dakota an attractive and liveable state for everyone. And we should prioritize what to work on in order to reach those goals. I was ashamed to hear what bizarre priorities some legislators had at one of the crackerbarrels I attended. Personal priorities of particular people should be placed where they belong, the circular file.
Well, Stan, you would probably make a good governor and campaigning around the state might be both an education for you and the rest of us. But, I would like to see you get you and your money behind turning South Dakota legislature into a unicameral or perhaps better having one house based on proportional representation. Using slates so that if Party A gets 60% of votes and party B gets 40%, than Party A gets 60% of legislators and party B gets 49%. This would eliminate the effects of gerrymandering in that one house and also aid minority voices to be heard. Think about it.
The South Dakota legislature and executive departments are locked into good old boy backwardness. Creative or original ideas never see the light of day here.
I just noticed in a newspaper that you think agriculture should be paying more into education. Have you considered how many students come from rural areas versus from city houses? In the Winner, SD district, something like 20% of the students are from rural area and 80% from cit;y or Native villages. On the other hand something like 80 percent of the tax revenue to the school already comes from the rural area. Already some rural areas are bringing their ag land into smaller town schools.
Douglas
If the mill levy were set by the number of children then a poor neighborhood with dozens of children should be dozens of mills higher’
The basis of our system is that wealth supports education, and wealth is best represented by property. (a hundred year old theory – but that is when “property tax was set” My point is that wealth in a ranch is no different than wealth in a home.
One of my precincts has mostly retired citizens who have already educated two generations, and I think it wrong for a $240,000 home to pay twice as many dollars in property tax for schools, than $240,000 worth of ranch land.
Sen Stan A
Well, if the mil levy were higher in neighborhoods with a lot of children, perhaps the residents might think twice before adding another unsupported resident. That said, the property tax has become a poor way to fund education and that is demonstrated by both your perspective and mine on this issue. Also, residents of towns view tax revenue from agriculture as manna from heaven and are less than careful in how they use money and what they decide to build since 3/4 of the funding comes from people getting no direct benefits.
I am aware that we all benefit from education, but we need a tax commission to look at all taxes and at least try to determine where the costs..necessary and unnecessary arise and make some attempt to at least partically shift tax costs to those most benefiting or most generating government expense. Then lock or synchronize taxes together so that sales, income, and property tax rates must be adjusted together.
As you may have guessed rural residents are not thrilled to see something in the neighborhood of 1/3 of their income going to local taxes.
The future direction of SoDak…
I’m sure this is an idea that has been thought of before and probably proposed and discussed before my time, maybe even on this blog, but I felt like throwing it out there.
Trade sales tax for an income tax.
My primary thought on the matter is that it will change the incentive for city and state government in the kind of economic development they try to bring in. I’m a younger guy with a college degree. Almost everyone else I know with a degree has moved out of state to pursue a career – better paying employment in a field they are trained in that isn’t available around here. I think that South Dakota does not provide a whole lot of opportunities for young professionals to succeed in the area. Sure there are some, but not a whole lot. Young people leave SD in droves.
With a sales tax, the incentive is for government is to bring in companies that conduct a lot of sales. Rapid City has seen a lot of growth lately partucularly in restaurants and retail…just look at the whole Rushmore Crossing area. These aren’t necessarily bad things, but the employment that is brought in isn’t the best. minimum wage – $10 an hour retail and food service jobs.
If the city and state received their funding from an income tax, the incentive would be to bring in high paying jobs instead of high volume retailers. South Dakotans making more income feels like it would be more beneficial to residents of the state than big box retailers making more income while South Dakotans work the lower paying jobs those businesses provide.
Just a random thought with no supportive evidence…
Lovely blog yoou have here