Your letters to the editor for July 6, 2025:
Dusty should not be SD’s governor
Dusty Johnson came to my high school graduation party. The man who came to Discovery Park in May 2019 is nobody like the man I’ve seen today in Congress.
To give just one example of many from over the last seven years:
Dusty Johnson once texted me a photo that contained a photo of him with my nonbinary then-partner. He called them “a keeper.”
Dusty then went on to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act, voting against our right to “keep” each other.
Dusty should not be South Dakota’s governor.
(Link: “Dear Addison” – Dusty Johnson: https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/weekly-column/dear-addison)
− Addison Miller, Sioux Falls
Schools are ready to work with lawmakers
As a lifelong South Dakotan, a public school graduate, a parent with kids in public schools, a taxpayer, and an elected member of the Sioux Falls School Board, I care deeply about both the future of our students and the financial stability of our state.
To be clear, the views I share here are my own as a voter, parent, and community member. They do not reflect the official position of the entire school board.
At last week’s Property Tax Task Force meeting, I listened as our superintendent, Dr. Nold, expressed a clear willingness to work alongside this task force. We want to help lawmakers find fair, responsible solutions to concerns about property taxes. But I also have a responsibility to speak the truth about what public schools actually do — and I won’t stay silent when harmful rhetoric or half-truths threaten that future.
During public comment, one individual suggested schools should “stick to education” — meaning reading, writing, and arithmetic — and that everything else, from sports to clubs, should be the family’s burden, not the community’s.
Let me be clear: That thinking isn’t just outdated — it’s dangerous. Public schools do far more than deliver facts. We prepare students for life. That means reading, writing, and math — but also science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs that prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. It means afterschool programs that keep kids safe and engaged when families are still at work. It means school breakfast and lunch programs that ensure no child tries to learn on an empty stomach. It means reliable busing so kids can even get to school in the first place. It means mental health supports that help students manage real-world challenges. And yes, it means extracurriculars — sports, music, and clubs — that build leadership, connection, and resilience.
These aren’t extras. They are scientifically proven to help students succeed and strengthen families and communities.
There’s another misconception I want to address: Some point out that schools account for 56% of statewide property taxes, as though that’s a sign of excess. It’s not. That number is a symptom of a system where state aid hasn’t kept pace with student needs or community growth. As a result, districts like Sioux Falls — with growing enrollment and increasing diversity — are often forced to rely on opt-outs just to maintain basic services for our students.
Sioux Falls has been ranked as one of the most fiscally responsible cities in the nation. Even as property values have risen, our school district has kept its portion of property taxes stable. We are doing our part. But proposals like Senate Bill 216, which caps local revenue growth at 3%, will tie the hands of growing counties like ours. They will force impossible choices between roads, safety, and schools — all while our population keeps rising.
I’m ready to work with lawmakers. But I will not quietly accept policies or rhetoric that dismantle the opportunities our kids — and our communities — deserve.
I’m a voter, a parent, a public servant, and a proud product of South Dakota’s public schools. I believe in responsible government. But gutting public education or limiting local solutions to score political points isn’t responsible — it’s reckless.
− Dawn Marie Johnson, Sioux Falls
Trump is not worthy of being enshrined
I understand that there is a movement afoot to push for what is known as the “National Garden of American Heroes,” and that Governor Rhoden is working closely with Donald Trump on the project.
I believe there are many reasons that Donald Trump should not be honored as an American hero.
Anyone who refers to fallen soldiers as “suckers” and “losers” should not have his likeness portrayed on God’s mountain, but rather, should be listed among the disgraceful.
I don’t believe that anyone who has been convicted of 35 criminal acts should be a candidate for heroism.
Donald Trump shows no respect for our courts, our laws, or our constitution, and defies any order by law that is not to his liking. He also boldly lies about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and took part in the un-American Jan. 6th insurrection at our nation’s capitol.
It’s really sad, and childish that Donald Trump feels that he has to use such vulgar, trashy, indecent language to sometimes get his message across. Such a terrible example for our young minds. Is this what we want our young people to believe is normal rhetoric? Is this a person we want to idolize?
It’s hard to believe that those promoting Donald Trump as a person worthy of being enshrined have the best interest of our nation in mind.
Donald Trump has vowed to “get even” with those (even some elected Republicans) who do not go along with his policies. Do we have a president or a dictator? It appears to be the latter.
Donald Trump has made our nation much less stable and much less respected by other nations, and I can think of nothing heroic about Mr. Trump.
— Victor Sanderson, Flandreau, South Dakota
How to submit a letter to the editor:
Letters need to be roughly 300 to 500 words, and will need to include first and last name, address, city and title. Addresses won’t be publicized, of course, but it’s a way for us to make sure those who submit a letter are who they say they are.
Letters will run on Sundays in print and online as we receive them. There may be moments, however, when we don’t have any as we work to solicit interest and actively rebuild this part of our coverage for readers.
You can submit those to News Director Shelly Conlon by emailing sconlon@argusleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Thoughts on Trump’s ‘Garden of American Heroes’: Your letters