A typical anonymous commenter on Dakota War College wheezes that teachers have no business spending money on political campaigns when they could make better use of that money helping kids.
Really? Let's take a look at expenditures by another noble profession, health care providers, on South Dakota Legislative races:
| SD Dental Association | $8,649 |
| SD Chiropractic PAC | $15,900 |
| SD Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists | $7,050 |
| SD Medical Group Management Association PAC | $600 |
| SD Assoc. of Healthcare Organizations PAC | $28,633 |
| SD Healthcare Assoc. PAC | $10,900 |
| Total | $71,732 |
I didn't do an exact count, but a majority of that money is going to Republicans. Would Dakota War College care to impugn South Dakota's health care professionals for spending their money on political campaigns instead of giving folks discounts on hip replacements and spinal adjustments?
Of course, the big health care money is in the campaign for Initiated Measure 15. The Healthy Communities Ballot Question Committee reports $888,439 in expenditures so far to promote the extra-penny sales tax that would boost funding for Medicaid and K-12 education.
So if you really want, when you drop in for your check-up this week, you could ask your doctor and nurse how they spend your money after you step out of the examination room. Or you could just accept that every citizen in every profession has a right to spend money on the political causes of his or her choosing.
You may have the right to donate money to the political campaign of your choice, but it also comes with the risk that any support you give to the "wrong" candidate will hold you up to judgment here or another political blog.
The Plutocracy of South Dakota doesn't like it when regular people have a voice in an election.
So why would the Corporate Medical Establishment spend so much to get on $90 million a year? Because the federal governemtn will borrow twice that much and match it. So it ends up being $270 million. Now note that the IM15 ads primarily use education as the reason to vote for the biggest lie in South dakota politics this year. Sad that kids are being used to pass legislation that will add millions for to the federal debt that is being put on their heads. And their deceived parents will happily do it for them. Sad, very sad. And the sales tax will hit the working class, not the welfare poor. The welfare poor will get the same healthcare. The corporate medical providers will be getting most of the extra money. Daugaard created the crisis that is fueling this insanity as he sits back and says , I was against it, so if the people pass it...don't blame me. Is that leadership? Or is that a false conservative?
DD would be the happiest governor in state history if the sales tax increased 25 percent. There are no guarantees he wouldn't raid it for pet projects because he's off the political hook for raising taxes. "The people voted for the tax hike, so I'm behind the people," he'd say. For sure, he ain't going to send the money back!
Of course, the people voted two times to protect women from government-enforced pregnancies, but somehow DD doesn't recognize South Dakota as a pro-choice state.
Dougal, yes the voters are being fooled many times.
He doesn't have to raid it Dougal. Raid the current Ed and med funds and let the new tax go where they say it will go.
Les, and the net impact on students is zero as far as education goes. The money will be used for added "control", not anything that benefits students.