South Dakotans React To Summer Tax Proposal

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Many South Dakota taxpayers like the idea that out-of-staters would help pay an extra penny during the busy summer tourist season. But other people think we're taxed enough already.

To many South Dakota shoppers, an extra penny in sales tax over the summertime is a small price to pay to help fund education.

"A penny isn't very much money. A lot of people throw money away for a lot worse reasons, so I think that'd be just fine," Lindsay Hup-Wilsey of Sioux Falls said.

"I'm very big on volunteering and donating money, so that doesn't bother me at all, " Amy Aulner of Sioux Falls said.

The proposal is popular among supporters since the tax hike would be in effect for only three months out of the year.

"Anytime you start a new tax that's supposed to be temporary, you really doubt whether it's going to be temporary," Dennis Graber of Sioux Falls said.

But some South Dakotans think summer is a bad time of year to boost the sales tax.

"Because everybody's out trying to have fun! They shouldn't be paying taxes," Maribeth Lebahn of Dell Rapids said.

Opponents doubt the tax plan has much financial merit, even though they'd share the added cost with summer tourists.

"If they bring out-of-state people, they can pay more taxes, but I don't think we should have to in South Dakota," Lebahn said.

Supporters say the plan has a high-degree of fairness since students with summer jobs will be contributing money to education while the tax hike is in effect.