Hot Springs joins Brookings as socialist community

South Dakota came up this morning in a discussion of inland tax havens for dark money during a segment of the Diane Rehm Show and on Dakota Midday, voters were reminded that Mike Rounds left office with a glaring structural deficit.

Residents of Hot Springs voted in favor for the city to purchase the Black Hills oldest tourist attraction, Evans Plunge. By a count of 380 to 369, a 'yes' vote allows the city to borrow up to $1.9 million to purchase and renovate the property.--Joe McHale, KOTA

Okay: it's the home of far too many old, fat, white people already; so, why would any business locate in The Peoples' Republic of Brookings anyway? Councilor Jael Thorpe wonders whether the town even has a future.

“I like the direction you’re heading,” Thorpe told Jay Bender and Dwaine Chapel, “but when does the subsidy stop?” Bender, who heads the Growth Partnership, parent organization for the Research Park at SDSU, gave an equally straightforward answer: “We’re projecting seven to 10 years, at which time there should be enough rental income to reduce our requests. The short and the long answer, Jael, is that at this moment we need your help.”--Ken Curley, Brookings Register.

Let's see: the town owns the liquor store, the water, the phone company, the power company, the golf course....