Congressman and Gubernatorial candidate Dusty Johnson had a lot to say about Governor Rhoden’s State of the State address today in what might be some of his most critical commentary of the Rhoden Administration to date in the gubernatorial primary.
According to Hub City Radio in Aberdeen who interviewed Dusty Johnson on his take on the state of the state address, Congressman Johnson offered the following commentary:
I did pay attention to the State of the State Address. There really weren’t any big ideas there. I think there were some good meat and potatoes, but it really dovetails into what has been my big concern over the course of the last year for state government and that is that there’s just no big vision. There’s just no strategy. There’s no plan. And the next 20 years in this state can be the best 20 years we’ve ever had. But it’s not going to happen by accident.
And in more taped comments, Dusty was also critical of the Governor’s property tax proposal, noting that it’s not property tax relief, but a transfer of wealth from rural counties to South Dakota’s larger cities:
Well, I think my biggest problem with the proposal is just a huge transfer of wealth outside of our rural economies and into Sioux Falls and Rapid. And that is not what our state needs right now. Now, you’re going to ask me, well, why is that? Well, let’s just take a look at Hot Springs and Rapid City, for example. Hot Springs people spend a lot of their money in Rapid City. Well, Rapid City people don’t spend any of their money in Hot Springs. And so what you see is that the taxable value in, the taxable sales in Pennington County are three times what they are in Fall River County, where Hot Springs is. Well, listen, we have a big property tax problem in Fall River County as well. But the governor’s plan would mean that a huge chunk of the money that people from Hot Springs are spending on that new sales tax he wants to impose would go to not reduce their own property taxes, but the property taxes of the big city people.
Go listen to the entire interview here, as the temperature of the Governor’s race gets turned up between the contest’s front runners.
I am convinced that Tony is a mole for Dusty and setting Larry up for failure. I would guess Tony and Ian wrote that speech and Tony came up with the ideas. Either that or my expectations for Tony were much higher.
Considering Tony’s father-in-law, the former governor endorsed Dusty, I can see that.
I used to think that as well. But then I realized that Tony needed a job and saw this as an opportunity to get that job and self-promote at the same time. Loyalty be damned. No doubt he wrote the speech and came up with most of the ideas.
no- tony is just self serving. unfortunately, he just cares about the ladder. to each their own, but loyalty is not one of his values
Rhoden does not have all the cards.
The property tax pickle will not get solved this session. I agree with Dusty regarding Rhoden’s plan but Dusty’s really isn’t any better. Shifting, increasing or creating taxes in the name of relief is not going to cut it.
Doing a SD DOGE is not going to accomplish anything. SD runs a pretty tight ship, it wouldn’t amount to much. The majority of our budget is mandated by the constitution or the voters (ie Medicare Expansion)
Cutting property taxes completely is utterly absurd. Anyone supporting this idea is a fool.
The answer is growth! Expand industries recruit new industries! More processing for what we raise! Feed more animals for crying out loud!
This will create jobs, raise wages, build taxable infrastructure. Yes some folks may have to smell something or be inconvenienced for the greater good or, heaven for bid, someone that looks different will move into your community but this is the best path to meaningful tax relief.
Sadly, our state’s leaders and loudest voices are stuck on isolationism and selfishness.
Like it or not, the Open for Opportunity tour is, has and will bring new growth to the state. Agree with this assessment.
So far, I think Dusty;s solution is a DC idea compared to anything I have seen so far
HAHAHA wrong. All those extra taxes on basic needs the Muellers want is a DC solution.
Dusty going down hard Nice guy but he went from a rational US Rep to a MAGA diehard . Can’t trust him
Um, really? You think the guy talking thoughtfully about how we need to address student achievement and education funding is a MAGA diehard? Like, really?
Dusty is by far the most thoughtful candidate in the race.
He’s not wrong.
There may be a point to be made about the current GOP vision, but hey, right message wrong messenger. After another day of the US Republican Party being the worst form of political life on the planet, I’m just not in the mood to hear Charles Ponzi telling me that Bernie Madoff has no larger vision. Thanks anyway.
Need some kneepads there Pat?
Unfortunately, there was no vision, no excitement, no rallying of the troops. I was waiting for that big “ah ha” or “alright, alright, alright” moment but it never came. It is going to be extremely hard to get any traction for the few initiatives the Governor will be pitching. His steadfast legislative supporters are getting harder to identify while seemingly dwindling every day. Session will truly define whether Rhoden has what it takes to actually win the office on 2nd floor.
I’ve thought this for a while now but Governor Rhoden’s speech simply reinforces my beliefs. For a guy from tiny town South Dakota he largely overlooks us in the rural parts. I find it baffling. He touches a little bit of rural SD economic development through future fund by providing dollars to Watertown, Brookings and Aberdeen yet he also added dollars through this fund to Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls has the economic development, the businesses and population to be successful. Rural SD doesn’t enjoy the same luxuries of SF. Continuing to celebrate the expansion of DSU into Sioux Falls doesn’t bring jobs and visitors to Madison or the appropriation to Southeast Tech in Sioux Falls doesn’t help the rural technical colleges in Mitchell and Watertown, but further concentrates growth in areas with existing infrastructure, leaving rural communities behind.
Public safety and corrections reveals the same big city tilt. Governor Rhoden continues to station more troopers in the Sioux Falls area while rural South Dakota goes under patrolled, but also lost in this is the loss of rural residents of these troopers who, if stationed outside of Sioux Falls would live there, buy property, buy groceries, bring a family, etc.. I do believe if they are going to build new prisons, they should be built in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, however by doing so this creates jobs and upgrades in our states largest cities again, forgetting about rural South Dakota, as it diverts funds from roads infrastructure, emergency service infrastructure, etc.
Even rural friendly proposals such as the 189 million rural health transformation plan and farm Transition support are overshadowed by bigger urban priorities. Property tax relief options tied to sales tax shifts could disadvantage rural counties with fewer tourists, they simply widen inequities from rural South Dakota to our large urban cities. True balance requires more direct investments in rural vitality, not just passing on acknowledgments.
The prison should have been built in Mitchell, Pierre, aberdeen or Huron.
What’s interesting about this debate is that every time any development is proposed for a rural community, the people who live there go batshit crazy in opposition to it. Whether a pipeline or a CAFO, rural residents never run out of reasons they don’t want it. They don’t want power plants, dairies, egg factories, prisons, data centers, ethanol plants; you name it, they don’t want it. Data centers use too much electricity, Dairies use too much water, egg and meat producers hire illegal immigrants,. marijuana production is undesirable, feedlots stink, and pipelines leak. And everything brings unwanted traffic to an area, heavy trucks on roads not designed to carry the loads.
Every proposal results in an uproar, people screaming bloody murder about eminent domain on the steps of the courthouse etc
The cherry on the top is when these same people start wailing because their communities can’t keep their schools open.
Well said. Which is why in the face of such irrational opposition leaders do what’s right for the great good. Consequences and the next cycle be damned. They don’t hope to capture the vitriol of the mob for their future prospects. Surprised Tony and Larry didn’t join Ms Radke and AG Jackley Monday am. With Karla Lems and Dakota Rural action on the same side of so many issues now people need to look in the mirror when they vote this year.
BINGO!! You can clear your cards, we have a winner.
I got a full blackout bingo on my “Signs that Trump is The Antichrist” card three weeks ago and still haven’t cashed out. Is this a bingo hall or the Hotel California?
Yeah! Right on! With the massive deregulation going on in the EPA as far as troublesome emissions and chemical spills we can fast track development and make South Dakota great again! Don’t forget there is a need for need for temporary and especially permanent nuclear waste repository. nuclear fuel reprocessing and bring back Uranium mining to South Dakota! Build nuclear reactors and we would have some serious value added nuclear industry here.
Toxic chemicals need disposal so we could build an incinerator, dump site and recycling center.
With our railroad lines and expected high demand for various metals we could build Copper, Lead and Aluminum smelters which will operate even more efficiently and be more profitable without those pesky EPA and other anti-business regulations. We can get the much of our hydrocarbon needs from North Dakota!
Good paying jobs = economic development = bringing back manufacturing to America = Make South Dakota Great Again!
Don’t forget TIFs, Future Fund money and other incentives to sweeten the pot!
Yep
Dusty is not wrong. This is a half thought out property tax plan. Overall, Rhoden struggles with vision. For what it’s worth, I don’t think Dusty’s property tax plan is very good either – $400? Not enough. And no property tax for new homeowners? No… that’s part of owning property in this state and is not going to move the needle on home ownership or home supply for that matter. It just picks winners in the property tax debate.
Having said all that, Dusty is the only one that can articulate a vision that’s his. Rhoden can barely read Tony’s vision off the teleprompter.
Larry would just be Daugaard 2.0. No vision, short term penny pinching that leads to much much greater long-term costs and think doing just the same as before is good enough in a rapidly-changing world. Good guys, great ethics and genuine people, but, stuck in the mud.