Failure to Perform & In Praise of DOGE

Failure to Perform & In Praise of DOGE

By guest contributor Ron Moeller, Lead, SD

“Failure To Perform”

Governor Rhoden’s property tax “relief” measure is a wonderful example of career politicians (although they like to call themselves statesmen; what a joke!) kicking the can down the road. Coupled with another legislative summer task force to repeat last summer’s study, South Dakotans are assured of continued higher property taxes and unrestrained state, county and local government spending.

At a recent District 31 Crackerbarrel, State Senator Deibert tried to make sense of how property taxes are assessed and how the revenue is spent. In conclusion, he simply stated that “it’s complicated.” But spending cuts were never mentioned. In fact, when questions were raised about proposed cuts to various government programs, two of the three legislators deflected. Only State Representative Odenbach discussed out-of-control spending; asking his oft repeated question: ‘You describe yourself as a conservative, but what have you conserved?’

The Republican supermajority in our legislature didn’t give us the tax relief and spending curbs we expected. And Governor Rhoden lost a great opportunity to establish his identity as a leader, willing to unite a divided legislature and fight the hard fight for real property tax relief. Instead, he punted.

Since our elected representatives didn’t do it, it’s up to the people to take matters into their own hands. I look forward to adding my signature to a petition to place on the November 2026 ballot our version California’s 1978 Proposition 13, “The People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation.

“In Praise of DOGE”

Recent articles and letters to the editor in this paper have been extremely critical of President Trump’s DOGE initiative. The criticisms appear to be severe emotional outbursts devoid of facts. The recent protest regarding cuts to VA personnel never addressed who these personnel were. What is being cut are extraneous bureaucrats and administrators that do nothing to add to a veteran’s healthcare; not doctors and medical professionals.

DOGE and other diligent researchers have been releasing the facts and dollar figures of the fraud, waste, and abuse they’ve discovered. Our national debt is $37 TRILLION! Thats unsustainable! History is filled with examples of nations and empires that spend themselves into insolvency and subsequent collapse due to debt and runaway spending.

DOGE’s goal is to reduce our annual spending from $7 trillion to $6 trillion. A commendable and very achievable goal. Congress, led by Senate Majority Leader Thune, needs to do its part by listening to the DOGE recommendations and cutting those items from the budget.

Blind opposition to the DOGE initiative is akin to supporting fraud and waste. I understand too many Americans are used to an obese federal government and are susceptible to social media manipulation and their only reaction is misdirected rage.

This rage should be directed at the politicians, NGOs, non-profits, grifters and fraudsters that have perpetrated this vast theft of our hard-earned taxpayer funds.