Buried in Taxes and Fees
Why are people paying for things they don't want?
A few weeks ago the South Dakota legislature authorized a group of state bureaucrats to spend $7.29 billion. This is about $8000/person for one year ($7,290,000,000/924,700 people in the state). About 42% ($3.1 billion) comes from the Federal Government (taxpayers around the nation, most of which have no interest in what happens in South Dakota). It is interesting to note that only one senator and 11 representatives voted against the spend.
There is also spending in counties and cities around the state. Minnehaha County, for example, gets about $79 million in revenue (from taxes) which works out to about $336 per citizen each year ($79 million / 235,000 people). The City of Sioux Falls also collects taxes, fees, and tax increment financing dollars. Without the intergovernmental transfers the total is about $708 million which works out to about $3220 per citizen ($708 million/220,000 people).
That means on average each citizen in Sioux Falls is paying $11,556 each year for government services (a family of four is paying almost $50,000 a year). While it varies from community to community the average amount of tax and fees is well above $8000 everywhere in the state. No wonder people are struggling to get by.
Most people don’t mind paying from roads, bridges, water, and sewage systems, but beyond that there is significant disagreement on how money should be spent. Is it time for a complete reset?
Thank you for the dollar amounts that I will pass on. In an economy where purchasing a home is a two income plus if you can swing it, this amount of taxes is beyond the straw that breaks the camels back. The federal money came from each of us in Sd besides state taxes. The total upset is what you pointed out are the unnecessary projects and excessive spending without consent of those who are paying for these projects. New all in one building county offices in Sioux Falls and rapid city costing in billions? But the citizens are just leasing this new giant office never owning. Being built by out of state? Very sneaky bad contract that needs to be terminated and those who pushed this fired.
Thank you for showing the dollars. Also, once again, your writing brought up another thought: we got “federal $$”, which is basically from taxpayers is other states. When hearing the debates on the Floors, it’s presented as “this is Federal dollars, so it’s not costing (us) SD.” But yet, which Americans are we taking from for ourselves? Isn’t that just as wrong? And also, what are WE paying for in other states with our tax $$? Are we paying for their overpriced prisons or Soviet looking office buildings?