VIEWPOINT | Is it anti-economic development or a clear call for sound governance?
Guest column by Sen. Mykala Voita
Recent comments by Gov. Larry Rhoden asserting that South Dakota lawmakers finally restraining the use of government for corporate gain are somehow harming our state brought to mind the forward to an American history book called The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States, written by Benjamin Franklin Morris in 1864.
“Added to this was the influence of many people engaged in manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture who were primarily interested in material gain. Many who were engaged in commerce and manufacturing sought to use civil government as a means of enriching themselves at the expense of others: sought to engage in legalized theft,’ wrote Archie P. Jones, Ph. D. in the 2007 reprint edition produced by American Vision, Inc. This was true of both businessmen and their employees, for many employees, like their employers, voted primarily upon the basis of their own economic self-interest — at the expense of the economic interests of others.”
That excerpt was addressing the political climate in the early 1800s. If we don’t study history we are doomed to repeat it.
Let’s think very basic economics for a second. Let’s say you have a business that you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into, pursued the American dream, and gotten that business off the ground while complying with whatever regulations and taxes applied.
Now, along comes a company that has a plan to get a large grant to set up a business that is 200 times the size of the business that you’ve built from the ground up. Is that a level playing field? Is this a free market practice?
Let me make this situation even better. The money for the grant that this large competitor that is about to squeeze you out of the market came from your unemployment tax dollars that you paid into the state. That is the reality of the Future Fund in South Dakota. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development is also guilty of picking winners and losers and meddling in the free market.
Let’s briefly look at another situation. The carbon pipeline debacle. Is it enticing for investors because of free market practices? Nah. The 45Q carbon tax credits that would be paid out for this captured carbon is what makes it enticing. Something that is based on biased, bought-off, faulty science to take your taxpayer dollars and give them to companies that would not stand on their own.
We want businesses to come to South Dakota, but more importantly we want them to respect our citizens and our private property rights and have good-faith negotiations. If that seems “hostile” to them, then maybe we should question their motives.
Government is to protect the inalienable rights that all men have been endowed by their creator, not rob Peter to pay Paul so Paul can run Peter out of business.
Those of us in the Legislature who are demanding government operate within its limited structure of power are not anti-economic development. When did it become the government’s role to meddle in what should be private-sector responsibility? Our vision of small government and a return to constitutional principles and the free market would create organic growth. We want an end to the legalized theft, respect for the working class, and South Dakota to remember our motto — “Under God, The People Rule.”
Sixty-five out of 66 counties told Pierre they got it wrong in 2024 when they voted down Senate Bill 201. We must remember the government has no money. It’s all the people’s money, and the people are tired of tone-deaf politicians defending the ever-increasing spending at all levels of government. It is beyond time to work for a return to sound governance.
“Still one more thing fellow citizens — a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities”
-Thomas Jefferson - 1801
Mykala Voita is a Republican legislator from Bonesteel, representing District 21 in the South Dakota State Senate.
Every single Republican candidate for Governor of South Dakota has pledged their support to Donald Trump and his policies. And every single one talks about how they favor small and fiscally conservative government, but here’s the reality. The US Treasury posted a $284.4 billion deficit in October—this is the worst opening month to any fiscal year IN HISTORY exceeding October 2020’s previous record set during the pandemic. Government spending jumped 18% year over year to 688.7 billion, bringing the 6 month moving average to 590 billion. To put this in perspective, US government expenditures averaged 22.5 billion per day last month. I’m tired of Republicans claiming to care about government spending—I don’t believe what you say, because I see what you do. Spending increases while they cut taxes for corporations and the richest among us who don’t need tax cuts—in the meantime, average South Dakotans struggle to afford health insurance and food and housing and no, it’s not because they aren’t working or they’re lazy. I agree, it’s time for a different approach, I just don’t see it coming from Republican leadership.
Excellent points!