No New Taxes. Maybe new taxes later. No new taxes. What was the question?
From the Rapid City Journal, a brand new set of flip flops from the Democratic candidate for Governor:
In response to an audience question, Knuppe, Heidepriem and Munsterman pledged not to raise taxes if elected governor. Knudson, a Sioux Falls lawyer and Republican leader in the state Senate, wouldn’t take the pledge.
and….
Knuppe, a Buffalo Gap rancher, and Munsterman, a chiropractor and former Brookings mayor, took the no-tax pledge without qualification. So did Heidepriem, a Sioux Falls lawyer and Senate Democratic leader, although he said after the forum he thought it was in reference to his first year as governor, not an indefinite pledge.
After further consideration, he made it absolute.
“No, I’m not going to sign any bill that raises taxes,” he said.
So is he telling us in this article that up until now, all his no new taxes talk has been “in reference to his first year as governor, not an indefinite pledge?”
When Scott Heidepreim makes promises this election season, do we need to start checking to see if his fingers are crossed behind his back from here on out?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
The states are in a catch 22. As the economy sours, more people turn to the state for assistance. If the money isn’t there, the state can turn them away or raise the money in some fashion, which can include tax increases, or begging the feds for help. either way is quite unpopular, and people would get upset be taxes are being raised to support programs designed to help them.
The Government, at all levels, companies, and families all need to learn to live within their means. It is not going to be easy, and in some cases we will need to give up some things, or programs. It is the start of the only way out of this mess that we are in.
Or,Mike, we can believe as does O and the libs, that we can simply print more money and spend our way of this mess!?! Far be it from them to actually live on a budget!
Anyone who pledges to do or not do anything is an idiot. How in the world can you know what the future holds? All you can do is put forth your ideology and plan and Pledge to adhere to that mantra (i.e. conservative values). If you don’t and have to reverse on what you previously promised (i.e. look how much heat Bush I took from his “read my lips, no new taxes” statement), you look, well, like an idiot.
Print more money !?! Isn’t that sort of what got us here, Spending money we didn’t have?
Yes, Mike, part of it is the spending by all politicians to buy political favor and get re-elected etc. Part of it is the community organizing Acorn who threatened banks to loan money to people who had no way of repaying it. And O is the one who turned up the printing presses to simply print more dollars while at the same time putting spending on steroids. There’s enough blame to go around. Now we all need to put politics back in the hands of the people, most of whom know how to live on a budget much better than those in DC or SD state gov’t.
If we are really going to change anything we have to start at the lower levels. the city and county levels. We need people with integrity, and who understand the proper role of government in positions of authority.
Duh, I cannot agree with you more. I would not make a pledge to not to raise taxes either. I also tend to believe that for certain things, the people who use something should pay the lion’s share. For example fuel taxes that go straight to road work make sense to me. If I use the state park system, I should pay more for that (user tax).
I, like Duggersd, would not make such a pledge.
I have no what the future holds. Will there be an situation where taxes need to be raised? Will there be a time that we can lower taxes? Can we bring video lottery to an end?
My answer is simple “I don’t know.”
We have to pick the candidate who we feel is best to deal with upcoming budget shortfalls that we know about, and do the best job running the state.
How many people think Rounds will throw Daugaard uner the bus by attempting or talking about raising taxes?
I wouldn’t be surprised. Munsterman really would benefit from that move.
I believe the topic was Scotty taking the pledge, and then untaking it. It doesn’t matter which side he picked (pledge no new taxes, or refuse pledge) because he picked BOTH sides.
Like not selling your house, and selling it.
Yeah, I checked the topic. Who cares? The whole no new taxes pledges are complete b.s. If you want to appeal to the simpletons you’ll raise your hand. If you say no or give a more nuanced response, the simpletons won’t understand. so “Yo,” you’re a simpleton.
Once again Scott H tries to have it all ways. I really thought he was better prepared than this. I learned as a kid that if I told the truth, then I wouldn’t have to remember who I told what. In this case, Scott continues to have difficulty with the truth. I have to believe it will get tough to remember who he promised what to as well.
The public and the Democrats are about to find out something Republicans have known since Volesky and Heidepriem were Republican Congressional candidates (1986), Scott is not ready for prime time and never will be.
Hiede said: “No, I’m not going to sign any bill that raises taxes”. Does that mean he would still sign a bill that would create NEW taxes (i.e. income taxes). I wouldn’t put it past him…
These sorts of pledges are simplistic, but the simpletons seem to be swayed by them. What would happen if the federal government became fiscally responsible and started withdrawing the federal teat from South Dakota? You would actually start having to pay your own way. Are you saying you would whine and cry and shout and scream about that?