There’s Not Much to Celebrate During Tax Season
By Sen. John Thune

Oh, the IRS. Everyone’s least favorite federal government agency, bulging at the seams with D.C. bureaucrats. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good people working in federal government agencies throughout Washington, but the IRS is laden with tax collectors whose sole mission is to collect your hard-earned money to line the federal coffers, which doesn’t make anyone other than the tax collectors very happy.

For most Americans, though, it’s not necessarily paying their share that frustrates them, it’s that their share seems to grow each year and with diminishing returns. They feel like their money is being squandered and not spent as efficiently or effectively as possible. So, with tax season upon us, I thought it was a good opportunity to take a step back and try to put into perspective the burden the IRS places on American taxpayers each year and examine what we can or should do about it.

Six billion. That’s how many hours taxpayers spend each year trying to comply with Internal Revenue Code requirements, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate. Six billion, with a “b.” After some helpful math, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) determined that comes out to nearly 700,000 years or the equivalent of more than 150 million 40-hour workweeks. This is collective time spent each and every year for tax compliance.

Imagine the productivity that’s lost for American small business owners who constantly try to navigate the complexities of the tax code to ensure his or her business stays compliant. Or how about all of the headaches caused and time and money spent by families filling out tax returns every spring? According to the NTUF, compliance with the federal income tax cost the U.S. economy more than $200 billion in productivity just last year alone.

One of the first things we can do is probably the most obvious. The federal government could tighten its belt and spend less money, just like every family across the country must do from time to time. And it’s not only spending less that’s so important, but it’s spending more effectively that could make the most difference. Why in the world should the government be spending $1 million for monkeys running in hamster balls on a treadmill or $780,000 so the government can study college students and pizza addiction?

Another thing we could do is hold the tax collectors more accountable, which I’ve made a strong effort to do. In my opinion, it’s impossible to have too much accountability, especially when it comes to the IRS. So, last year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and I introduced important legislation, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights Enhancement Act, that would create greater accountability for IRS bureaucrats and more protections for American taxpayers.

A number of provisions of our bill have already been enacted into law, such as requiring termination of any IRS employee taking official action for political purposes, prohibiting IRS employees from using personal email to conduct official business, and requiring the IRS to provide additional information to taxpayers whose rights have been violated by IRS employees. The other provisions of our bill, which I expect the Senate Finance Committee will soon consider, takes important steps toward restoring the IRS to an agency the American people expect and deserve. On top of that, in the coming years, Congress must work toward comprehensive tax reform, which would alleviate a large portion of the heavy tax burden.

While there’s not much to celebrate during tax season, there’s always a silver lining: you have 12 months until tax season arrives again. Until then, my promise to you is that I will continue to treat every dollar in Washington with the respect a hard-earned dollar deserves and guard it as if it was one of my own (and if you asked my wife Kimberley, you’d know how safe it is!).

NOTE: Click here for more information on Sen. Thune’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights Enhancement Act.

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Managing the Missouri
By Senator Mike Rounds

As the snow melts away and spring sets in throughout South Dakota, the Missouri River is beginning to swell. For some, this brings back memories of the catastrophic 2011 flood which forced more than 4,000 families out of their homes, resulted in five deaths and caused more than $2 billion in damage to infrastructure, businesses and fertile ag land. Entire communities were devastated by the flood and largely left to fend for themselves.

Recovery took months, and citizens are still paying for damages caused by the flood. While numerous studies and reports have analyzed the flood and looked for ways to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future, I question whether we are truly better prepared to deal with such an event today.

As Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Oversight, part of my job includes conducting oversight of agencies within the EPW Committee’s jurisdiction, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for managing the Missouri River. I recently held a hearing in North Sioux City entitled, Five Years from the Flood: Oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Management of the Missouri River and Suggestions for Improvement.

During the hearing, we heard from various stakeholders, including a state official, conservationist, tribal representative, district official and an Army Corps representative, to learn about the improvements and changes that have been made regarding the Army Corps’ management of the river. Unfortunately, what we found is that despite numerous studies that recommended changes in how the Corps’ manages the river, they have done little to address these changes.

Part of Congress’ job is to give federal agencies direction that helps them make better decisions for the American people. In 2014, just before I took office, Congress passed a water resources reform bill, which directed the Army Corps to conduct studies and make improvements to its soil moisture and snowpack monitoring system. Yet, as we learned at the hearing, little has been done in the two years since the bill was signed into law. The Army Corps has signaled it does not have proper funding to take such action, but to receive funding it must make an appropriations request to Congress, which it has not done. For two years, the Corps has failed to act on putting together a plan to better monitor the Missouri River. This is unacceptable.

In the five years since the flood, South Dakotans living and working along the Missouri River have largely recovered from the months-long disaster that flooded the region and threatened the livelihood of communities along the river. The 2011 flood was an unprecedented event – it was a perfect storm of record snow melt, torrential rainfall in the spring and already-saturated soil. While some flooding and damage was likely inevitable, the Army Corps failed to mitigate its effects or provide citizens with proper notice, which led to preventable and unnecessary destruction. As revealed at the field hearing, there is room for improvement within the Army Corps to make certain they manage the Missouri River in an appropriate and responsible manner.

I will continue to monitor the Corps’ actions and hold them accountable, and will work to make sure they take steps to protect the river’s many users. This begins with proper tools to monitor the water levels, soil moisture and snow pack. It also includes a well-founded understanding of the needs of all stakeholders: state and local governments, landowners, ag producers and recreational users, all of whom rely upon proper management of the river.

Five years after the 2011 flood, South Dakotans deserve certainty that the federal government has taken steps to prevent a similar disaster from happening in the future. That responsibility lies with the Army Corps.

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The Families Who Serve
By Rep. Kristi Noem

This February in the Harrisburg High School gym, a young girl stepped up to the microphone, took a deep breath, and shared with each of us her heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem.  As each of us looked to the Stars and Stripes with hand over heart, the air in the room became noticeably heavier.  We were hearing our anthem not because it was almost time for tip-off, but because 39 soldiers from the South Dakota National Guard’s 196^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade were about to deploy to Kuwait.

I have the utmost respect and gratitude for those who volunteer to serve in our military.  It is because of them that we can live the lives that we do.  But I’m also careful to remember that service is not something only those in uniform do.  Their families serve alongside them.

April has been set aside as the Month of the Military Child.  In South Dakota, there are more than 7,100 military children whose parents serve in the National Guard, the Reserves, or active duty.  Regardless of whether their parent is at home, at drill, or deployed, the grit and resilience of these young people help enable their parents to serve.

South Dakota has always done a good job of keeping family at the center of everything we do and our military organizations are no different.  In three of the last four years, South Dakota National Guard units have been nationally recognized with the Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award. These repeated awards speak to the integrity and value-system of the South Dakota National Guard, our service members, and their leadership.

While the military’s support for families of service members is mission critical, we, as civilians, share in that responsibility.  I was blown away by the attendance at the 196^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade deployment ceremony in Harrisburg.  The event was initially to be held in a much smaller room, but the community came out in overwhelming support.  It was truly incredible to see around 400 South Dakotans stand up in support of our men and women in uniform, letting the soldiers know they had a community back home to support their families in the months to come.

Our support for service members and military families must go far beyond the moment of deployment.  Having a parent away at drill is tough.  Just knowing they could be deployed is tough.  Readjusting to life after a parent returns home from a war zone is really, really tough.  Throughout April, I encourage you to consider how we can be more supportive of military kids at every stage of service. Just as that young girl sang last February in the Harrisburg High School gym, we are able to live in the land of the free, because we are home to the brave service members in uniform and the families who stand behind them.

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How Habitat Pays
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

The Besler family has been in the ranching business for five generations. On their ranch near Bison, the Beslers run red Angus cows on native pasture land that has plenty of good natural shelter. “It’s just good ranch country,” says Brad Besler.

The father, son and grandfather who currently run the operation have been working with Game, Fish and Parks and other entities to improve their lands. They have built dams, installed cross fences, converted cropland back to grassland and implemented rotational livestock grazing practices. As a result, according to Brad, the Beslers have seen the quantity and quality of their habitat improve. This, he says, is benefiting their cattle and the wildlife.

I believe many South Dakotans are like the Beslers. As a people tied to the land, we’re conservationists at heart. With more than 115,000 South Dakotans working in agriculture, many of us grew up on farms or ranches or have family or friends with ag operations. Because agriculture is a part of our heritage, an understanding of the value of conservation has been passed on from generation to generation.

South Dakotans want to be good stewards of their land but sometimes aren’t aware of their options. We want to use best practices, but sometimes we’re not sure what is best. That’s why the state departments of Agriculture and Game, Fish and Parks recently launched the Habitat Pays initiative.

Through this program, we are helping landowners navigate conservation opportunities. Habitat Pays showcases the tools available to help landowners determine how best to utilize their acres. The Habitat Pays website, habitat.sd.gov, serves as a one-stop-shop for finding state, federal and non-governmental programs that provide cost-share or technical assistance to producers.

Also under Habitat Pays, habitat advisors are available to meet with landowners. Habitat advisors learn about a landowner’s operation and conservation goals, and then offer advice on the potential benefits of utilizing different programs or practices. Habitat advisors recognize that every operation is different, so there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to agriculture and conservation. On the website you can hear stories from farmers and ranchers like the Beslers, who have worked with a habitat advisor and adopted conservation practices themselves.

Habitat conservation is important. By balancing agricultural production with targeted conservation goals, landowners can improve soil and water quality for a variety of species. These efforts enhance our wildlife population, preserve our outdoor traditions, and benefit farmers and ranchers. As Mike Jaspers, a row-crop producer near Bridgewater, puts it, “If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.”

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It’s a beautiful day. I have great seats. And hoping the Twins can make it 2 in a row.

Forget politics for the rest of the day.

State Representative Mark Mickelson joined Attorney General Marty Jackley this weekend in the “candidate club” as he publicly states in the media that he is actively in the hunt for the 2018 GOP nomination for Governor:

Journal: Why are you interested in running for governor now and what would be your agenda be if elected?

Mickelson: I’m certainly interested in that position. I do have another election in November. (I want to) move South Dakota forward, helping private enterprise and partnering with the private sector to make sure that we in the government are doing everything that we can do to create opportunities for our children to stay here.

Read the entire story here.

This comes on the heels of Marty Jackley recently noting he’s in the race.

2018 is becoming interesting already. (Potentially more interesting than the two top of the ticket races in 2016, which are practically over already, given the lackluster Dems in the race.)

As I was driving to Minneapolis yesterday to take in today’s Twins game, my e-mail started pinging with “did you see what was in the Aberdeen paper?!?”  I had it sent to me, and I was left wondering “why would anyone do this” as well.

  
If our little leftist friend Cory Heidelberger wanted to waste money, I’m sure he could have sent it to Jay Williams. It would have about the same effect in getting either one of them elected. None, whatsoever, but I’m sure Jay would have appreciated it since no one else will send him any.

So, why is something like this such a stupid idea for most candidates? Several reasons.

It is April. This election is in November.  Since Cory is a new resident carpet bagging in Aberdeen, he might feel he needs that much time to meet people. But trust me, no one cares yet.

Along those lines, he must have unlimited money to burn. (See “it is April” above).  Unless you have unlimited money like Cory does, save it until people care.

It also comes off as a vanity piece. Is his logo really a big “h”?  That’s just… awful. 

Was that a template from MSWord, or did someone splurge on Microsoft Publisher? I’d say it was done cheaply, but that does a disservice to the word “cheap.”  Using MS Publisher and xeroxing it might be ok for a club newsletter, but it screams unprofessional for a political candidate. For someone whose employment record is as spotty as Cory’s, i would not want to come off as unprofessional.

I could go on. But then I’d be guilty of rambling like the “Giant H” news. 

Suffice it to say “don’t do this.”

  
Paula Hawks’ campaign finance report is in, showing $87k raised, $41k spent, and $116k Cash on Hand. 

That’s respectable for a PUC race. Congress? Meh.  It shows she’s about $200,000 off pace from Kristi Noem for fundraising, and a million low for cash on hand.

Apparently all her banking connections from her time at Metabank were all for naught.

US Senator John Thune is in the process of posting his FEC report, and as I’m told by campaign staff, the report will continue to show Senator Thune is as strong as ever:

We have finished up our 1Q 2016 FEC report. Our total receipts for the quarter was $686,739. Our cash on hand on at the end of the quarter was $11,802,581.

We are pleased with the continued financial support for Senator Thune that is reflected in these figures and we intend to be well-prepared for the re-election campaign this fall.

Senator Thune continues to post strong fundraising numbers as he starts his campaign against Democrat’s “If no one else will do it” candidate.

And how is Jay doing, anyway?

Jay Williams FEC Q1 2016

Jay Williams just posted his FEC report showing the challenger as having raised $9,764, spent $3,581, and left with $5970 cash on hand. And ninety cents.

Who helped fund this effort? Dem Chair Ann Tornberg was in with $500. Rapid City Dem Jay Davis gave $500 (It must be a Jay thing). Williams’ wife Carol was in with $1023, another Williams was in with $2600, and there were a few more donations to help him “almost” reach 10k.

You know who I don’t see? Most of the Dem party faithful.

Looks like even they know not to make a bet on a lame horse.

is it about time for Paula Hawks to hang it up? Hawks’ FEC is not up yet, leaving questions as to whether she can compete at a statewide level, but Kristi Noem’s is in. And it has her campaign looking as good as ever.

Noem 2016 1q FEC

Showing $280,102 coming in as funds raised against $128,708 in expenses, Congresswoman Noem now has an incredible $1,648,516 Cash on hand to defend her Congressional seat against Paula Hawks, who has yet to seem engaged in this race.

Will Hawks offer a glimpse into her campaign gaining the support of Democrats? Or will she offer excuses as to her lackluster campaign.