Fight Crime: Pass State Income Tax

Here's another reason to create a South Dakota state income tax: without one, we draw the criminal element. Keith Dean Johnson and his wife Shirley Mae Johnson are charged with evading Minnesota state income taxes on over a million dollars in income from 2001 to 2006. They claimed Brandon, SD, as their residence, even though records show they've lived in Shoreview, MN, since 1992 [staff reports, "Police: Couple Said S.D. Was home to Avoid Paying Taxes," that smutty Sioux Falls paper, 2007.11.24].

As far as we know, the Johnsons may never even have set foot in our fair state. Nonetheless, the 2008 Legislature should pass a state income tax to stop tax-dodging felons from sullying our state's good name... not to mention to replace the regressive and unfair sales tax, property tax, and video lottery.

Fight crime and reform the tax system -- it's a two-for-one deal!