Yes on 10 Condemns Taxpayer-Funded Promotion of New Taxes

From today's mailbag:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mon., Sept. 15, 2008
CONTACT: Jim Anderson 605-271-8290

Measure 10 backer blasts city for spending
tax dollars to lobby for sales tax increase

SIOUX FALLS -- A local leader of a statewide ballot campaign to prohibit the use of tax dollars for lobbying or political campaigns Monday criticized the Sioux Falls mayor and some members of city council for using city funds to create and maintain a website lobbying for and promoting an increase in the city's sales tax.

The website -- www.keepsiouxfallsmoving.org -- offers a one-sided argument in favor of increasing the sales tax. It was designed and constructed last month and has been maintained and hosted ever since, all at taxpayers' expense.

Jim Anderson of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County coordinator for the ballot committee supporting Initiated Measure 10, testified Monday night during the Sioux Falls City Council's consideration of the tax increase.

"Whether you approve the tax increase or not," Anderson told the council, "it is wrong to use city tax dollars to lobby for and promote it, and force taxpayers who may disagree to pay for promoting one side or the other."

"This is a clear example of why South Dakotans need to vote yes on Measure 10, to prohibit politicians from spending our tax dollars for lobbying or political campaigns," Anderson said.

Anderson’s comments echoed criticism of the website last month by Sioux Falls City Councilman Kermit Staggers.

In an Aug. 12th interview with KELO-TV, Staggers criticized the city's use of tax dollars for lobbying in favor of the proposed tax increase.

"I think the important thing is is to avoid using taxpayer money to promote the raising of taxes, this is not appropriate," said Staggers.

South Dakotans for Open and Clean Government, the campaign committee backing Initiated Measure 10, has featured KELO's interview of Staggers on its campaign website -- www.CleanUpSD.com -- saying the city's use of tax dollars for lobbying is exactly what Measure 10 is intended to prevent.

"The taxpayers of South Dakota overwhelmingly support a yes vote on Measure 10," Anderson said, "but we expect politicians, tax-funded lobbyists, and government contractors who financially benefit from the current system to spend half a million dollars -- including our tax dollars -- to try to frighten people into opposing it."

The Secretary of State's office describes Measure 10 as follows, in a statement that will appear on November's statewide general election ballot:

“An initiative to prohibit tax revenues from being used for lobbying or campaigning, to prohibit governmental bodies from lobbying, to prohibit government contractors from making campaign contributions, to prohibit government contracts when the contractor employs a legislator or legislative staff member, and to require contracts with government contractors to be published.”

According to the Attorney General's explanation of the proposal, "Measure 10 would prohibit state and local governments, their officers, employees, independent contractors, consultants and candidates, from using government revenues or resources for campaigning or lobbying."

Citizens interested in additional information should contact the YES on 10 campaign at www.CleanUpSD.com or by calling 605-271-8290.