Opinion

The Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Office announced that it is making it easier for whistleblowers to report tax noncompliance to the IRS with the launch of the new digital Form 211, Application for Award for Original Information.

hoden Growing up on our family ranch near Union Center, the holiday season was always a time of simple joys. The ornaments might not have been the fanciest, but they were ours – and they reflected the true meaning of Christmas.

Here is the other side of the news, and please fact-check. All the changes in the B blankety Bill are to reduce income taxes on billionaires. ICE has detained Tribal members in SD, not recognizing their tribal papers. Who are the immigrants here? Costco is joining other companies suing the Trump administration over price increases caused by his tariffs. Farmers are to receive $12 B in compensation for the effect of tariffs, coincidentally the same amount they received in his first term. Farmers will recognize that his palatial ballroom is 90,000 square feet (2 acres) after he tore down The West Wing without any Congressional approval. From his first term, we learned “Don’t listen to what he says, pay attention to what he does”.

DITOR Dear editor, Government is Doing Bad #6 Can you believe that “Sage” Eric Putnam in his November 26 letter to the editor perfectly illustrated the main point of my November 26 letter that the mixing of religion and politics derails democratic politics! Testifying to the power of religion to act as an insurmountable barrier to political negotiation and cooperation between groups – necessary cornerstones of successful democratic politics in America – he states: “This old boy, for one, would rather be financially bankrupt than morally bankrupt, which he would be if he would sign on to such a Faustian deal”, meaning work with Democrats. Blocking flexible political maneuvering, speaking the language of religion has had the effect of cutting off South Dakotan small livestock producers from reaping the wide-ranging benefits of representational democracy.

An old pastor of mine used to give the advice, “Don’t wait for doors to open; check the doors, and see if they’re unlocked.” More often than not, South Dakota takes this advice. We don’t settle for the way things are – we always strive to do better and pursue opportunity.

Snowfall in the winter of 1880-81 was unusually heavy in the Missouri River valley and the month of March in 1881 remained extraordinarily cold until the last week. Melting snow in the Dakotas, upstream from Sioux City, poured a large amount of water into the Missouri River.

South Dakota has real cause for concern. On December 2, Governor Rhoden put forth his budget proposal for 2026. The news is bleak. Our state sales tax collections went backward for only the 3rd time in the last 30 years, and education, nursing homes, and state employees will see 0% increases. After years of growth and advancement, it seems that South Dakota is stuck in the mud.

The majority of folks living in South Dakota today do not remember when the Missouri River was a free-flowing river which flooded every spring. This flooding was usually caused by ice jams, which occurred when massive chunks of dislodged, free-flowing ice refroze or got caught further downstream. These ice jams could be started at bridge pilings, shallow areas, river bends, narrow areas, or a myriad of other naturally occurring obstacles such as rocks or tree trunks.

The South Dakota Freedom Caucus commends Governor Larry Rhoden for not recommending the usual, de facto increases in government salaries at a time when the taxpayers are struggling. However, parts of the Governor’s address the Caucus called “deeply misleading” and “fiscally irresponsible” in regard to its characterization of the state’s financial position.

Ultimately, education is about our future. We want our kids and our grandkids to have the very best opportunity to learn and grow so that they can become well-informed and productive members of our society and get into the career of their dreams.