2 Broadcaster Press March 12, 2019 www.broadcasteronline.com Dave Says The Skunk Skin Play It Smart Dear Dave, Recently, the garage where I worked for a long time went out of business. I have a lot of my own tools, and I was thinking about taking out a loan of around $20,000 to buy a few extra tools I need to open my own garage. It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own shop, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. What do you think? Rick Dear Rick, I love it when a person has the talent and drive to open their own business, but right now you’re unemployed and looking at going into debt. That’s a bad idea. You’ll never hear me recommend going into debt to start a business. Did you know most new businesses fail within the first five years due to debt payments? I literally started my company on a card table in my own living room years ago, so I know for a fact you can launch a business without going into debt. You said you have your own tools, plus you have lots of experience. My advice is to find a place that needs a good mechanic. Then, use the income from a new job to save up for the additional tools you need, and other startup costs associated with opening your own shop. If you play this smart and start slow, you could have a thriving business on your hands in a few years and no debt to eat up the money you make! —Dave Dave Ramsey Get Off The Account Today! By Daris Howard What does a person do with the skin of a skunk? Well, Rick decided that it might make a piece to use for a practical joke. He placed it on his doorstep, and he loved to watch people do a double take when they came to his door. Some people would see it from a distance and not even come to his door. Rick saw that as a definite plus. Rick thought fewer interruptions in life was always good. Another advantage was it kept door-to-door salesmen Dear Melody, Yes, you can. Call the credit card company right now, away. But it also kept away people that his family did want to visit, so he decided to hide it somewhat under a bench and tell them to take your name off the account immethat was there. That meant most people were almost on diately. Find out if there’s a balance on the card. If there top of it before they saw it. Some people would stumble is, and it was charged up while your name was on the account, you’ll still be liable for that amount. They won’t and fall backward, almost tumbling off of the steps before release you from responsibility for those purchases, but they realized it was not alive. But it made it so people at least got close enough to know it would not get them. you can get off the hook for any future charges. Rick had a lot of fun watching out his window and seeThen, send them a certified letter—return receipt ing how people reacted, but he had to admit that he had requested—stating that you are no longer liable for additional charges on the card going forward. It wouldn’t be almost taken a backward tumble once or twice himself. He was the one that put it there, but there were times when a bad idea to call them again in a few days to make sure he had come to his own door while deep in thought, only they got the letter, too. You’re learning a hard lesson here, Melody. You should to be startled into the present by the black and white fur never open any kind of joint account with someone when sticking out from under the bench. There was another advantage that Rick had found. you’re not married. And stop using credit cards! Even though the skunk skin had long ago lost any scent it —Dave may have carried to human senses, it tended to deter wild * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and animals from coming near. Rick found that he could put business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored his cats’ food bowl on the doorstep near the skunk skin, seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeoand wild animals didn’t come around as much to eat the ver. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million cat food. listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital Of course, at first, even his cats tended to shy away. platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on But after some time, his own cats got used to it. He could the web at daveramsey.com. put out some food, and his cats would come running. He was spending about half as much on cat food as before, and his cats were still fatter. Word got around the community about the skunk skin, and soon everyone knew about it, People talked about it and joked about it. Still, even knowing it was there and that it was not alive, people approached Rick’s door cautiously. “Why do you keep that old thing around?” Rick’s wife asked him one day. “Give me one good reason not to,” Rick said. ing new legislation on the Construction of the His wife’s reasons were nonfunctional—things like the 33rd day of the legislative Keystone XL pipeline is skin was old and ugly. session is problematic, currently on hold. “Do you want me to bring it into the house to wash it Skarin says. The last day A ruling by U.S. Disand spruce it up?” Rick asked for a bill or joint resolutrict Court Judge Brian His wife said it would be the last conscious thing he tion to pass both houses Morris in November 2018 ever did if she found that in her bathroom. And so they is Thursday, March 7. If found that the Trump compromised with Rick keeping it on the porch and never the rules are suspended administration failed bringing it into the house. to allow for Noem’s bills to conduct required Rick had had the skunk skin for over a year, and peoto proceed without a environmental review ple in the community had quit talking about it. It was old committee hearing in orstudies prior to granting news now. It didn’t even catch Rick’s attention anymore, der to meet that deadline, TransCanada approval to even when he was deep in thought. He didn’t even notice the public may not have a construct the Keystone it was there. chance for input. XL pipeline. Judge Morris But then one day, the word around the community was “The legislative problocked TransCanada that the skunk skin was gone. No one knew for sure that it cess needs to be followed from constructing the was, and no one knew why. But someone had heard someand respected,” Skarin pipeline and, in a subsething had happened. At church the next day, curious comsays. “Public input is a quent ruling, also prohib- munity members watched for Rick to come so they could vital part of our democited the company from find out the details. But Rick didn’t come to church. Howracy. The voice of the engaging in any activities ever, his wife and children did, so people gathered around people must be able to that would advance the to hear the tale. “Well, Rick came home yesterday,” his wife said, “and be heard in a meaningconstruction until the ful way, and taking that appropriate environment he walked up on the porch as usual. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him until, suddenly, the skunk skin opportunity away from reviews could be comturned its back end toward him and put its tail in the air.” South Dakotans is a plete. That was when Rick realized there was one animal that subversion of our entire a skunk skin didn’t scare away from eating out of the cat democratic process.” dish—another skunk. No one except Rick’s family saw him for a week or two. BroadcasterOnline.com His wife said, “It was because he was feeling scent-si-tive about the odor-deal he had been through.” “Get Connected!” Dear Dave, I opened a credit card account with a boyfriend several months ago in both of our names. We’re no longer dating, and I was wondering if I can get my name off the account. Melody Noem’s Keystone XL Pipeline Legislation May Be A Threat To Free Speech, Right To Protest Two last-minute bills regarding the Keystone XL pipeline introduced March 4 by Gov. Kristi Noem may be a threat to freedom of speech and the right to protest. Noem says the legislative package, the text of which hasn’t been posted online yet, is intended to “ensure the Keystone XL pipeline and other future pipeline projects are built in a safe and efficient manner while protecting our state and counties from extraordinary law enforcement costs in the event of riots.” The ACLU of South Dakota is concerned about this package of legislation. It is clear that Noem is taking aim at protests that could occur around the pipeline. “The right to join with fellow citizens in protest or peaceful assembly is critical to a functioning democracy and at the core of the First Amendment,” said Libby Skarin, policy director for the ACLU of South Dakota. “Unfortunately, government officials sometimes violate this right through means intended to thwart free public expression sometimes by casting or framing protected speech as riotous. Based on Gov. Noem’s statement, it’s clear that she’s taking aim at the protests that could occur around the Keystone XL pipeline. At best, these bills are entirely unnecessary. At worst, they are meant to chill speech.” Additionally, introduc- Vermillion Area Farmers Market Only 2 left! WINTER MARKETS Clay County 4H/Extension Building • 515 High St. March 16 and April 13 • 10:00am-1:00pm SATURDAY, MARCH 16 7:30 P.M. Local produce, meats, breads and baked goods, honey, popcorn, pickles/salsa/jellies, herbs, candles and soaps, ceramics, crafts and more We accept debit cards and SNAP benefits. Quality products, affordable prices! Call today, start tomorrow! 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