Thou Shalt Not Steal
Not in South Dakota?
South Dakota has harsh laws against stealing. In fact, directly taking money from someone could land you in jail for as much as 25 years. However, taking money from a taxpayer through a middleman (city, county, and state government) and giving it to someone else as an “economic development” handout is “different”. In fact, if you refuse to allow the government to “steal” your money and give it to someone else, you will go to jail.
Wrap your head around that one! 🤯
It would literally be like the guy that takes money from the safe in your house saying, “Hey, don’t worry about me taking your money. It’s a good thing. By having your money I am going to have more funds to create jobs. That way you will have more employment opportunities. And also, while I am at it I am going to bring in foreign workers to fill the jobs I create, pay them a wage that will not support them and their families, and force you to pay a significant part of their living expenses. Also, I’m going to be paying these foreign workers a lower wage than I would if the jobs were only open to U.S. citizens, so you will see lower wages too.”
That sounds like “THEFT” TIMES 3. 🤯
What can we do about the problem?
The first step is to realize economic development is basically “stealing” in a fancy wrapper. Taking payroll taxes and allowing the government to hand the money they “stole” out to “special companies” in the form of grants, low interest loans, and tax abatements is basically “theft”.
Then we need to change the laws that make economic development “theft” legal.
Eliminate the Future Fund tax and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).
Prohibit governments (city, county, and state) from “stealing” taxpayer money and handing it out to companies (or giving it to organizations that hand it out to companies). This would include TIFs and other “economic development” mechanisms.
There have been efforts to eliminate the Future Fund, but companies and individuals that benefit from this “stealing” don’t want it to stop.
If you want to see a change, please contact your Representatives and Senator and ask them to get rid of the Future Fund “stealing”.
Arch.Beal@sdlegislature.gov,
Greg.Blanc@sdlegislature.gov,
John.Carley@sdlegislature.gov,
Casey.Crabtree@sdlegislature.gov,
Sydney.Davis@sdlegislature.gov,
Randy.Deibert@sdlegislature.gov,
Helene.Duhamel@sdlegislature.gov,
RedDawn.Foster@sdlegislature.gov,
Tamara.Grove@sdlegislature.gov,
Joy.Hohn@sdlegislature.gov,
Taffy.Howard@sdlegislature.gov,
Amber.Hulse@sdlegislature.gov,
Kevin.Jensen@sdlegislature.gov,
Chris.Karr@sdlegislature.gov,
Steve.Kolbeck@sdlegislature.gov,
Mark.Lapka@sdlegislature.gov,
Liz.Larson@sdlegislature.gov,
Sam.Marty@sdlegislature.gov,
Jim.Mehlhaff@sdlegislature.gov,
Paul.Miskimins@sdlegislature.gov,
Lauren.Nelson@sdlegislature.gov,
Ernie.Otten@sdlegislature.gov,
Carl.Perry@sdlegislature.gov,
Sue.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov,
Tom.Pischke@sdlegislature.gov,
Tim.Reed@sdlegislature.gov,
Michael.Rohl@sdlegislature.gov,
Stephanie.Sauder@sdlegislature.gov,
Kyle.Schoenfish@sdlegislature.gov,
Jamie.Smith@sdlegislature.gov,
Glen.Vilhauer@sdlegislature.gov,
Curt.Voight@sdlegislature.gov,
Mykala.Voita@sdlegislature.gov,
Brandon.Wipf@sdlegislature.gov,
Larry.Zikmund@sdlegislature.gov,
Amber.Arlint@sdlegislature.gov,
Jessica.Bahmuller@sdlegislature.gov,
Tim.Czmowski@sdlegislature.gov
Roger.DeGroot@sdlegislature.gov,
Mike.Derby@sdlegislature.gov,
Steve.Duffy@sdlegislature.gov,
Eric.Emery@sdlegislature.gov,
Mary.Fitzgerald@sdlegislature.gov,
Nick.Fosness@sdlegislature.gov,
Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov,
Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov,
Lana.Greenfield@sdlegislature.gov,
Jim.Halverson@sdlegislature.gov,
Erin.Healy@sdlegislature.gov,
Mellissa.Heermann@sdlegislature.gov,
Les.Heinemann@sdlegislature.gov,
John.Hughes@sdlegislature.gov,
Greg.Jamison@sdlegislature.gov,
Terri.Jorgenson@sdlegislature.gov,
Chris.Kassin@sdlegislature.gov,
David.Kull@sdlegislature.gov,
Jack.Kolbeck@sdlegislature.gov
Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov,
Curt.Massie@sdlegislature.gov,
Liz.May@sdlegislature.gov,
Scott.Moore@sdlegislature.gov,
Will.Mortensen@sdlegislature.gov
Erik.Muckey@sdlegislature.gov,
Brian.Mulder@sdlegislature.gov,
Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov,
Al.Novstrup@sdlegislature.gov,
Scott.Odenbach@sdlegislature.gov,
Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov,
Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov,
Taylor.Rehfeldt@sdlegislature.gov,
Rebecca.Reimer@sdlegislature.gov,
Tim.Reisch@sdlegislature.gov,
Matt.Roby@sdlegislature.gov,
Kent.Roe@sdlegislature.gov,
Tesa.Schwans@sdlegislature.gov,
William.Shorma@sdlegislature.gov,
John.Shubeck@sdlegislature.gov,
John.Sjaarda@sdlegislature.gov,
Bethany.Soye@sdlegislature.gov,
Mike.Stevens@sdlegislature.gov,
Nicole.Uhre-Balk@sdlegislature.gov,
Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov,
Tim.Walburg@sdlegislature.gov,
Keri.Weems@sdlegislature.gov,
Mike.Weisgram@sdlegislature.gov,
Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov
Why don't you Californians writing for South Dakota Corporate Voice from California worry about Gavin Newsome and his 33 billion dollars of stolen money on a train to nowhere approved in 2008, started in 2015 that has only one bridge built with no tracks, no train, nothing. Then there is the homeless rip off Newsome campaigned to fix. Now with 24 billion stolen over just the last five years the homeless problem in your state is worse.
Oh yeah, it is called attempted distraction. You have no business commenting on affairs in SoDak.
Amanda thank you for providing the links. They are buried down so far, I thought I would move the conversation here so everyone can see it. — Could you please explain how we benefit when these companies bring in foreign workers and pay them 16-20 per hour (this puts downward pressure on our wages) and allow them to go on taxpayer funded social programs? In simple terms companies in South Dakota have to pay a weird Future Fund payroll tax (total of around $20 million per year) that the governor doles out at his discretion. Business taxes are always passed on to consumers. That means companies increase my prices on everything from groceries to gas. Then this Future Fund money goes to a few “special companies” (including foreign companies like Schwans) that compete with my friends and neighbors. And on top of that most of these companies bring in foreign workers and their families and pay the workers less than they need to survive and then I have to pay for their (and their family) food, medical care, and housing (SNAP, Medicaid, low income housing, etc) and have to pay more in taxes for the schools because their kids dont speak English and aren’t at grade level. And then the company pockets the profit and sends it China, France, Korea, or California. How is that good for anyone here except those few special folks that get the handouts?