2014 SD Senate debate: on Tax Reform


Gordon Howie: Rein in bloated government instead of raising taxes

Today all four candidates running for South Dakota's seat in the US Senate, Republican Mike Rounds, Democrat Rick Weiland and Independents Larry Pressler and Gordon Howie, debated at Dakotafest in Mitchell. And while they hit on a number of topics, all of them boiled down to you and your money.

On potential tax increases, Independent Gordon Howie said, "We've had enough. It's not a problem that we are taxed too little. The problem is we have a bloated government and we need to rein it in."

On overcoming the current do-nothing Congress, Republican Mike Rounds said, "They don't want folks to come on in and promise everything and then turn around and borrow it from the next generation."

Independent Gordon Howie says Congress must get the federal budget in line. "We can cut our spending, we can reduce our debt and we can stop government growth."

Source: KSFY/ABC News on 2014 South Dakota Senate debate Aug 27, 2014

Larry Pressler: Raise taxes on estates worth more than $10 million

Pressler has declared his support for the president's health care law and frequently invites the president to visit the state to lecture on the law. He had previously endorsed Obama for president and talked up his support for gay marriage. He recently highlighted his support for raising taxes on estates worth more than $10 million and offering a five-year path to citizenship for immigrants who enter the country illegally. "This is my last campaign and I'm saying exactly what I believe," Pressler said.
Source: Rollcall e-zine on 2014 South Dakota Senate race Jul 24, 2014

Larry Pressler: Rich people willing to pay more taxes to help our country

He thinks a solution to the deficit would be pretty easy to reach if both sides cared more about policy than politics: raise some taxes, close some loopholes, slightly raise the Social Security eligibility age, lower the cost-of-living adjustment and cut defense spending.

"I don't meet any rich people who aren't willing to pay slightly more taxes, if it would help our country," he said, criticizing past GOP presidents for running up deficits and Grover Norquist for pushing the no-new-taxes pledge.

Source: Politico.com on 2014 South Dakota Senate race Nov 14, 2013

  • The above quotations are from 2014 South Dakota Senate debates.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Mike Rounds on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for more quotes by Rick Weiland on Tax Reform.
Candidates and political leaders on Tax Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018