Recall yesterday’s Argus Leader article claiming that Senator Soholt was prevaricating on the Blue Ribbon Education plan?
Sen. Deb Soholt, R-Sioux Falls, told reporter Dana Ferguson last week that it was too “premature” to predict her support for a tax increase that would be pivotal to the recommended overhaul of South Dakota’s 20-year-old funding model.
and…
So, when we’re talking about those other school funding what-ifs, what if one of the key authors of Daugaard’s plan is already prevaricating like a politician?
It was noticeable enough that it was worth a mention here yesterday at Dakotawarcollege.com.
But a short time later, I had a note from someone up at the legislature saw that I’d noted the article, but cautioned me that I might want to dig a bit deeper, as they were hearing that what Soholt was quoted as saying was not as it was said, or at least intended. It was out of context, and as portrayed by the media, completely incorrect. So, I contacted the Senator to get the bottom of the issue.
Q: I’m hearing through the grapevine that today’s Argus article misquoted you on the ½ cent sales tax statement. Is that correct?
Sen Soholt: Yes – totally correct as one sentence of an entire conversation that supported solving
this problem. The first question I was asked was “will you support a tax increase” and I did say that it was premature (a bill has not even been filed) – BUT went on to say, because…we need to be very careful with taxpayer $ and make sure that we could not fund the extra $75 million that we need with existing funds. Also that we have a very serious problem in South Dakota that we need to solve and that it requires ongoing (not just one time) additional funding at that level to assure that we have great teachers in the classroom. Said more but the above is the summary of it.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force clearly identified the problem in South Dakota – that we are at a minimum, $8 – 10,000 out of market with respect to our neighbors in average teacher salary. I’ve spent countless hours this past year providing leadership to this issue and now committed to a real solution. In hundreds of conversations that have had with SD citizens, the theme is to get something done for education and support our teachers. If all other options have been exhausted to secure this funding from what we now have, then I would support a tax increase.
The time is now to be bold.
And I think there are a couple of points to be taken from this. Yes, when you ask legislators on whether they’re going to support a bill that hasn’t been created or filed yet, there’s a chance they might not be direct without knowing what’s in it. But, considering her position on the task force, the idea that Soholt would be undecided is something that a reporter should really question!
So, there you have it.
–going to support a bill that hasn’t been created or filed yet, there’s a chance they might not be direct without knowing what’s in it.
Much like a “journalist” blogging about imaginary efforts to throw elderly mammas from the train and steal food from the mouths of impoverished babes, all the while proclaiming just how compassionate they are?
— is something that a reporter should really question!
And bloggers!
Senator Soholt once again repeated the refrain, I mean marching orders, of the teachers’ union to “be bold”. This is further proof that despite being a Republican, she is no conservative. She is my state senator, but she does not seem to represent my values and I seriously doubt that I will vote for her again.