10% BUDGET CUTS

[usdlaw]

Not that I want to turn this board into someone's political rants, but I did see an article where Aberdeen Central is talking about how the 10% budget cuts would affect sports at the school. See the "second level cuts" portion.

www.aberdeennews.com/news/aan-aberdeen-education-officials-detail-proposed-cuts-20110217,0,621544,full.story

The Argus Voices section had an interesting tidbit about email exchanges between a USD professor and some lawmakers. Not sure if you guys saw that.

I worry with these proposed cuts the basketball arena won't get approved, even though the plan is to raise private dollars. I'm sure SDSU people are in the same boat with the football field discussions.

Try and keep this civil. I didn't put this on here to start a war. I just thought it was interesting that Aberdeen was discussing how this may affect athletics.

Also keep in mind, I believe I heard the average high school budget is about 2-6% athletics. So for those who think doing away with athletics would solve the problem they are wrong.

[usdlaw]

President Abbott talked quite abit about the budget at the last Lunch with the U. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[wrj]

I had a nice chat with the mayor of one of our fine west river communities a while back. (I will protect his confidentiality by not naming him). The mayor told me that in a personal conversation with the governor that the governor openly admitted that he fully expects this year's budget cuts to make South Dakotans angry enough that they will readily accept new taxes a year from now. However, he doesn't want to appear to be revoking the conservative promise of cutting, or at least not raising, tases. In other words, he thinks it is better to damage or destroy programs for the sake of politics rather than try to get some additional revenues through this year.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

Well the governor has to cut because no one wants new taxes, they just want taxes cut. There will be less video lottery revenue, less cigarette tax revenue, 20 mill from the estate tax gone, but people in this state don't want to make up for that. They still want lower taxes. Well you can't pay for schools, roads and other things without taxes. It's funny because I heard someone complaining about income tax. Seriously, how do they think teachers get paid?

[usdlaw]

Mar 1, 2011 14:47:48 GMT -6 #1CoyoteFan (Admin) said:

Well the governor has to cut because no one wants new taxes, they just want taxes cut. There will be less video lottery revenue, less cigarette tax revenue, 20 mill from the estate tax gone, but people in this state don't want to make up for that. They still want lower taxes. Well you can't pay for schools, roads and other things without taxes. It's funny because I heard someone complaining about income tax. Seriously, how do they think teachers get paid?

SD has not had an estate tax for quite some time, probably at least ten years now. I'm thinking somewhere around 1998 they got rid of it, but I didn't go look up the date. The Federal estate tax has been adjusted each year since 2001, a current hot button item in DC. Some major changes to it again. I understand your comment about revenue sources, just pointing out estate tax has not existed in SD for quite some time.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

I must be thinking of that death tax, or whatever Noem was running on and such. I read somewhere there was a reported $20 mill from the estate tax that is now gone. I am guessing that person got its facts wrong on it.