Tag: South Carolina

Tim Scott Deal Cut Early?

Several inside sources have told us that a deal was cut between Sen. Jim DeMint and Gov. Nikki Haley to name Rep. Tim Scott as DeMint’s Senate replacement weeks before DeMint announced his resignation.

This tracks with events since DeMint’s announcement. Scott’s was the first name heard as a possible replacement. Scott is, reportedly, the choice of Republican leaders at the state and national level because of his conservative credentials and the fact that he could give an immediate, high-profile minority visage to a party that desperately needs one.

Several candidates, eager to replace Scott in the 1st Congressional District, are already sounding out supporters in preparation for a special election.

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Bureaucracy vs. The Taxpayer

It’s great to talk about holding the line on taxes, cutting government spending and protecting taxpayer dollars but the real roadblock to fiscally responsible government is the giant bureaucracy built up over the last several decades.

A great example is the current response from government workers being asked to pay a minimal increase in their taxpayer funded healthcare costs.

Make us pay $7.24 per month more in premiums for our health insurance? “No way,” state workers said and immediately sued state government.

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Economic Development Incentives and You

One of the biggest ripoffs of American taxpayers comes in the form of economic development incentives given to businesses under the guise of job creation.

This is something we hear about every week, but the cost to the individual taxpayer is never considered.

It has gotten to the point that companies and the governments they negotiate with consider job creation something that should be subsidized by taxpayers.

Businesses understand any expense they can transfer to taxpayers will make the bottom line look better. Government interference in the marketplace is to be avoided at all costs except when business can shift expenses to government.

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Nikki Haley and Economic Development

A recent announcement by the Schaeffler Group that they would be expanding their operations in Cheraw gave Gov. Nikki Haley the opportunity to claim economic development progress as she prepares for her 2014 run for re-election.

Schaeffler is a bearing manufacturer headquartered in Germany with two significant plants already operating in Cheraw with locations in Ft. Mill and Spartanburg as well. The total number of Schaeffler employees in South Carolina already numbers 2,300.

Haley and her propaganda chief Rob Godfrey would have us believe that the announced increase of 190 jobs in Cheraw was the direct result of the governor’s trip to the Paris Air Show in 2011.

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Ethics Reform Task Force Initiative

S. C. Attorney General Alan Wilson is reportedly moving ahead with ethics reform planning with a proposed public corruption task force for South Carolina.

Wilson met Wednesday with members of the House Republican Caucus Ethics Study Committee to outline his plans for a new Public Integrity Unit.

Wilson wants the General Assembly to pass new enabling legislation that would outline the duties, responsibilities and authority of the proposed unit.

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South Carolina Trails in Secession Protest

Seven states have already garnered the required 25,000 signatures on their secession protest petitions and South Carolina is not numbered among them.

Texas is in the lead with over 100,000 signatures with Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee reported to have over 30,000 signatures each.

Once a petition reaches 25,000 signatures, the White House will make a statement on the issue at some time.

It is distressing that South Carolina trails so miserably in this effort. Where is the fervor the state demonstrated in December 1860? Where are James Chestnut, James Hammond and William Gist when you need them?

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Secession Again?

An unpopular (in some regions) candidate wins a close election in a sharply divided country to serve as president over the next four years. Sounds like a good reason for secession.

1860?

No, 2012, but, once again the secession beat is being heard in South Carolina and thoughts of James L. Petigru come to mind.

Elements in the state are trying to revisit history as new petitions to secede from the Union emerged on the White House website over the weekend following the presidential election.

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SC data breach ‘about the worst you can get’

Hackers could have in their possession taxpayer information from the S.C. Department of Revenue that would allow crooks to take over bank accounts, file for bogus tax refunds or get fraudulent loans, national data security experts said Monday.

“This is about the worst you can get,” said Avivah Litan, an ID theft analyst with the information technology research group Gartner. Added Rick Holland, an analyst with Forrester Research, “If I were a resident of South Carolina, I would be pretty concerned.”

S.C. leaders are trying to resolve a cyber attack affecting four times as many people as all previous S.C. data breaches in the past seven years.

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Loftis’ Palmetto Payback Tour Coming Monday

The Palmetto Payback tour of South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis is coming to Horry and Georgetown counties Monday.

The Palmetto Payback Program may be holding unclaimed property which belongs to you. Millions of dollars are transferred to the Program annually by companies who cannot locate the owners. Examples of the type of property covered by the Program include bank accounts, stock certificates, checks, insurance policies and utility deposits. The Palmetto Payback Program does not include tangible property like land or vehicles.

“The property transferred to the Program for safekeeping is held indefinitely for the benefit of the rightful owners,” Loftis said. “If we are holding property for you, you always have the right to claim your property any time at no cost. Until claimed, the funds are used for the good of all South Carolina citizens.”

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Andy Savage Attorney, Renaissance Man

Andy Savage Attorney, Renaissance Man

Attorney, television host, veteran, and family man are some of the words that describe the varied life and career of Andy Savage. He is a consummate legal professional while fitting the role of a modern Renaissance man.

Born and raised in Kingston, N.Y., Savage graduated from New York City’s Fordham University in 1972 before heading south to stay. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1975.

“I always wanted to be a lawyer,” said Savage. “I had uncles who were lawyers and kind of grew up with the idea.”

Savage served as a prosecutor in the S.C. Fifth Judicial Circuit before becoming Chief Trial Counsel for the S.C. Attorney General’s Office Criminal Division from 1979-81.

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