Is Amendment C a 'middle finger' to South Dakotans or just 'common sense': Your letters
In the U.S., minority rules
Our constitution laid the groundwork for our governments’ structure. It was set up to be amended as needed. The current Supreme Court was set to nine justices (after several changes) in 1869. The U.S. population was nearly 39 million. Currently, it’s more than 334,500.000, an 858% increase.
In 1869, there were 243 members in the U.S. House and 74 U.S. senators. Today, there are 435 members in the House and 100 senators. Using the population increase, shouldn’t we have 2,085 House members, each representing 160,400 voters? Wouldn’t this truly make representation local?
Here in South Dakota, we’d have five or six representatives in the House, not one. Using the same math, we should have 77 justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. That would increase our judicial districts accordingly, allowing for more cases to be heard, reducing the current backlog.
Should we also increase the number of senators? In 1869, there were 37 states and 74 senators (averaging 527,000 constituents per senator). Today, we are at 50 states and 100 senators (averaging 3,345,000 constituents per senator). These are averages – the actual numbers vary greatly according to the state’s population. Here in South Dakota, our senators represent, on average, 450,000 citizens each, less than the average in 1869.
Our country has changed dramatically during the past 150-plus years. In this same time, our “leaders” in Washington have found ways to keep the good old boys in charge. They use the filibuster and other archaic rules to keep the game rigged in favor of rich, white men. Both sides talk a mean game, but the game is rigged and will remain so until we vote in those who will make the playing field equal for all.
Our government, meant to run on majority rule, is rigged to enable minority rule.
Rick Young, Aberdeen
Support Gage for Brown County Commission
We have known Mike Gage most of his life. When he was growing up, we had him at our dinner table several times. After the dinner prayer, he would look up and ask, “What is this?"
You might have noticed that he has asked that same question while serving as commissioner at the Brown County Commission meetings. He has already voted against what he saw as unneeded spending.
Mike Gage knows the value of hard work and, like most of us, he has had both difficult and good times in his life. His experience has taken him from the coal fields of Wyoming to the battlefields of Iraq. He is the fourth-generation of Gages to ranch and farm the land that has been in his family since Brown County was founded. Many of his family members have served on the Brown County Commission and other boards. Mike is now in pursuit of continuing his family’s legacy of service by running for a spot on the Brown County Commission.
Mike Gage, his wife and both of his parents have proven their patriotism by raising their right hands to serve in our nation’s military. Mike’s service to country shows what kind of servant leadership you can expect from him. Mike is a family man, veteran and rancher/farmer that knows South Dakota and Brown County values.
Many people thank veterans for their service through their words. We’re asking you to take that a step further and please thank Mike Gage for his service by voting for him in our upcoming Brown County Commission election. We need his voice with his values and new ideas, and we need someone who will ask the tough questions.
Earl and Shirley Schultz, Aberdeen
Amendment C a 'middle finger' to South Dakotans
Proponents of Amendment C want you to believe it is about tax protection. It is not. South Dakota lawmakers put Amendment C on the June 2022 primary ballot, which has a lower voter turnout, rather than the November 2022 general election ballot, which has a higher voter turnout.
If Amendment C is passed in the June primary election, it would be in effect before the November general election. That is intended to prevent some initiated measures on the November ballot that were presented to South Dakota voters by South Dakota citizens through due process from becoming law.
Amendment C would keep more power in the hands of state lawmakers to have more control over measures and laws that are brought forth by South Dakota citizens.
Because Amendment C will be voted on in the primary election, it is disenfranchising a majority of voters.
Because Amendment C will be voted on in the primary election, South Dakota lawmakers must be thinking they will have a better chance of sneaking it past the citizens.
For the South Dakota lawmakers to bring forth an amendment of such importance and one that would add a section to the state constitution on a primary election ballot is a middle finger to the citizens of South Dakota.
Vote no on Amendment C on June 7, 2022.
Dean Hade, Rapid City
Vote yes on 'common sense' Amendment C
I would like to encourage every taxpayer to vote yes on Amendment C!
What it does is requires 60% of the vote instead of only 50.1% to create a new tax, increase taxes or include unfunded spending mandates of $10 million or more. With the increased cost of almost everything, the last thing we need is higher taxes. Higher taxes hurt working families, seniors on fixed incomes and small businesses. It should be harder to increase our taxes than a 50.1% majority.
We currently don’t have a state income tax in South Dakota, and if the Legislature would enact such a thing, it would need 67% approval,. But on the ballot, it would only need 50.1%. This doesn’t make sense.
It’s not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s a common-sense issue. Don’t let big money come in and present mistruths because they want to bring big government into our state. South Dakotans know best on how to spend their own money. That’s why I’m voting yes on Amendment C in June.
Debbie Schnell, Sturgis
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Letters about Amendment C, Brown County Commission, politics
