SDTPA – South Dakota Tea Party Alliance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: SHAD OLSON, (605) 391-8899
President, South Dakota Tea Party Alliance

August 19, 2010

As South Dakota Democratic candidates have called for the acceptance of $47.2 million in federal aid and the Republican administration of Governor Mike Rounds has decided to take the money, the South Dakota Tea Party Alliance (SDTPA) questions the wisdom of taking part in yet another multi-billion dollar federal spending package.

After having spent trillions to bail out the lending industry, the financial industry, the auto industry and others, Congress has just passed a $26 billion aid package to cash-strapped states who are the victims of unfunded federal mandates, irresponsible spending, or both.  SDTPA fears this is another taxpayer-funded step along the road to full dependence on the federal government, addicting our people to federal bailouts and producing a loss of sovereignty.

Promoters of the aid package claim it will “pay for itself” by increasing taxes on business, but tax-and-spenders never realize that business taxes either don’t get paid through fresh loopholes, or get passed on to the American people.

South Dakota is set to receive $23.6 million in education aid and $20.9 million for the government health car e Medicaid program.

The Rapid City Tea Party group believes the people of South Dakota have to ask ourselves about the wisdom of accepting money which we will become dependent on this year, when that money will not be available next year.

“I’m afraid this is just kicking the can of a bigger problem down the road a year,” said Bob Ellis, one of the founders of the SDTPA.  ”We can’t indefinitely avoid dealing with the problem that government at all levels is trying to spend more money than it has.”

According to fellow SDTPA founder Dawn Pence, “The state has supposedly received assurances that the federal government won’t mandate an increase in property taxes as a condition of accepting the money, but what happens next year when we have to deal with the shortfall at the end of this federal largess?”

Though the education aid package was intended for the retention and rehiring of teachers, the New York Times reports some school districts such as the Los Angeles Unified School District don’t even plan on spending the money this year. Rather, they expect their financial situation to be even worse next year and have decided to hang on to the money for future use.

Is this really the best way to spend the hard-earned dollars of the American taxpayer?

SDTPA believes government at all levels should be looking for ways to cut overhead, reduce administrative costs, and streamline for efficiency.  This is the best way to free up tax dollars–while they are still in the hands of the Americans who earned them–and infuse them into the economy where they can generate more tax revenue.

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