Ah, Sibby.
Steve Sibson awakens from a five-week blog silence to blast the Sioux Falls events center vote. The events center is bad, says Sibby, because it's socialism. And capitalism. And debt. And democracy (which is tyranny). And mob rule.
So we don't have enough money to pay K-12 teachers and take care of the disabled, elderly, and poor on Medicaid, but we can build a $115 million facility for having fun and games. And all in the name of economic development. Anybody consider the economic impact of increasing the sales tax 25% so that $175 million fewer services and products are purchased in South Dakota? I am sure the Educrats and the Medical Corporate Establishment will be able to fund an even larger proaganda program in 2012 to try and get the voters to pass their sales tax increase.
This may sound like the crony capitalism that the GOP is known for, but Mayor Mike Huether is not only a former banker, he is also a Democrat. It takes a blend of capitalism with socialism, plus the help of mob rule through a democracy, to use a regressive sales tax to take from the poor and give to the wealthy business elites. Instead, why didn't the proponents set up a corporation and have these wealthy business leader buy stock and fund the Event Center privately? Could it be that that would not be economically feasible? [emphasis mine; Steve Sibson, "Mayor Mike Huether, Democrat banker blends socialism, capitalism, and democracy to take from the poor and give to the rich with a $115 million Event Center," Sibby Online, 2011.11.09]
Throw out capitalism, socialism, and democracy, and I'm hard pressed to figure out what kind of social system Sibby wants. Feudalism under philosopher kings? (No, that's too much like Obama, right, Steve?)
But as happens with unnerving frequency, I find gems in my crazy neighbor's thinking that resonate with my own observations. We claim that we are a poor state. We buy the argument that we just don't have the money to avoid slashing funding for education and social services. Yet we can always find the wealth to cover the big projects that we (or at least the crony capitalists and well-paid marketers among us) really want.
Surprisingly, Sibby's commentary harkens to a comment here from Charlie Johnson on education and priorities in Madison's vote to build a new gym:
Will there be the energy and work necessary by local supporters of education to advance changes in school funding by legislature and the governor? Is our school board and teaching staff ready to handle an additional short fall in funding in 2012? Do we know which staff members or programs that may further need to be eliminated? Will we have staff to fill all the classrooms when MHS "reopens" in 2014? Is campaigning for "brick and mortar" more sexy that tackling the real issues of how we adequately fund education? Do we have local educators, staff, political leaders who will challenge and stand up to the powerful special interests who continue to uphold the status quo in education "non" funding. My comment: That dog fight will require much more than has been experienced already in a renovation campaign [Charlie Johnson, comment, under "Election Recap: Progress in Principles, Not Material Things," Madville Times, 2011.11.10].
Sioux Falls voters, Madison voters, fellow South Dakotans, let's put Steve's and Charlie's questions together: Do we have our fiscal priorities in whack? How do the principles that motivated our votes this week translate into action in our upcoming Legislative session and the 2012 election? If we have the money for an events center here, a new gym there, then what else can we (and should we) achieve with our money?
Cory,
We have the same problem within education. Recently Mitchell built a new football stadium and a new elementary school, but the teachers took a pay cut. Now what has the biggest impact on the quality of education, brick & mortor, fun and games, or quality teachers?
"Throw out capitalism, socialism, and democracy, and I’m hard pressed to figure out what kind of social system Sibby wants."
Cory, I don't care what you want to name the system, but it would be one that returns to the idea that in times of trouble we rely on family and neighbor instead of government. That we end the advantage Big Business has over small business because of the public/private partnerships that are created with Big Government, all in the name of economic development. In reality, the socialist/capitalist system is leading us down the Road to Serfdom.
Sad for the country, but Sibby seems to make a bit more sense every year. We are in a mess. I don't however think Steve has the answer for getting out of it.
Stay tuned.
It's difficult to foretell what budget challenges the governor and legislature will face because our leaders in Washington cannot and will not make ANY fiscal decisions until the last minute.
We don't know if state employees will again be asked to go without a raise or if funding for education be cut because the state's share of public health care has dramatically jumped.
Point the finger of blame not locally but at the fiscally incompetent in Washington that worry that the country's success will let the other party claim victory.
Education is funded for by the State Legislators that refused to properly fund either last session forcing neighbors to attack one another in opt out battles across the state...
The Sioux Falls event center was put to the voters directly.
One is handled by a monopoly of self serving fools that refuse to listen to the other side and rule over our state coffers like middle eastern despots.
The other was put to the democratic vote of the public and a majority of the voting public said "we are willing to fund this".
I personally believe had you put last years strangling, abusive almost illegal State budget to the popular vote of the people it would have failed.
Oh CH...don't know if you knew this or not. Down here on the River donations rolled out to save all Junior High sports...but not to pay for librarians or resource teachers. The machine rolls as it always has (see Penn State). Sports pay for debate, theater, band, glee club, etc in MOST towns. That is the sad but true fact.
The sun is rising over the autumn leaves and insanity still rules. I must be in South Dakota.
Shane
Wiken,
A long time ago, Sibby and I discussed the possibility of an enlightened anarchy. At the time, I don't think he thought much of the idea (that was during his Republican incarnation.)
Seems he may be changing his mind.
His challenge, of course is to get society in general to wake up.
What are the chances of that, Sib?
Meanwhile, the old Republican notion of a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" still seems like a pretty good idea.
Maybe we could just get back to that (as per Gerlach above).
http://www.bopsecrets.org/CF/garysnyder.htm
"His challenge, of course is to get society in general to wake up. "
Bill, that won't happen. Shane's comment is an example of how most people wrongly think freedom means demacracy. The Event Center will be funded by the 42% (including the poor in north Sioux Falls) who voted against it. Mob rule through a democracy is just as much of a tyranny as an oligarchy (Pierre and DC) or a dictatorship.
Second point that most Democrats don't understand is that government regulation gives advantage to the wealthy ruling elite by cutting the little guy out of the market place.
And then we have the media, whose propaganda keeps the truth from the people (of course they get much of their advertising revenue from the wealthy ruling elite). So much for “of the people, by the people, and for the peopleâ€. Instead most are quickly traveling down the Road to Serfdom and into the arms of the Beast. Anybody here taking the wake up call?
Sibby, I think that's what the OWS demonstrations are all about. Tea Party to, to some degree, except for the ones Big Corporate bought off.
We talk about "too big to fail." What about "too big to fix."
Good discussion Sib.