Checks and Balances
December 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Proposed reforms in recent years seem to primarily deal with the shifting of power to and from the Legislative or Executive branches of state government.
While those battles may subside over the next few months (one can hope, right?) , I have always felt the focus should be on real reform regarding the way we do business in Columbia. Reform that actually shifts the ultimate power back to the PEOPLE instead of continuing these “insider battles” for power between two of our three branches of government.
Battles that sometime remind me of what some folks call the political “Golden Rule”: Those that hold the gold, rule.
Is that what we want in SC? Is that what is best for the more than four million residents of our state?
Should a small handful of politicians hold ultimate control and the people of our state have none – other than a vote every two or four years at the ballot box?
I have been reviewing recent pre-filed legislation as well as legislation that has been stuck in committees during the past year. I’ve also continued talking with “real people” in our community and around our state and it seems that most people think like I do. Power in the hands of a few may not be the best at any level – local, state, country.
Do the people have any say after elections are over?
Here are just two bills I plan to co-sponsor when we return. Bills that curtail the absolute power of the few, and ultimately return more power to the people (as I believe our fore-fathers intended).
House Resolution 4108 (Ballot Initiative) – Gunn (D – Richland)
The bill is currently stuck in committee and it’s one that I hope will be debated when we return this year. I will join Representative Gunn in a bi-partisan attempt to have this heard. How many times do you sit at home asking “what are they thinking” (in Columbia or Washington)? One recent example is the cigarette tax here in our state. Overwhelmingly the majority of our friends and neighbors agree we should pass an increase to this tax. Why haven’t the politicians in Columbia done this for years? What is keeping this issue from passing? With any issue that has so much public demand, there needs to be a way for the people to take back control and circumvent any political pressures that force gridlock instead of action. This bill is a start.
House Bill 4251 (30 day consideration with 65 sponsors) – Bill Wylie (R – Greenville)
Pre-filed earlier this month, this bill would require that legislation sponsored by at least half of the members of the House of Representatives be heard within 30 days of being assigned to a committee. I have seen bills buried that had this level of support. If representatives of half our state’s population support the bill, surely it deserves to be considered in committee in a timely manner.
Neither of those two bills is the cure-all for what ails state government but they do start the process of allowing those “outside the chamber” to have more influence. People, not politics, should drive debate and policies in our state.
Along those lines, there is unfinished business for additional reform measures from last year.
House Resolution 3833 (Recall from office) Boyd Brown (D- Fairfield)
For the record, HR3833 was filed in April last year prior to much of the national attention our state received. I would propose we take this a step further and allow the people of our state to remove ANY elected official (not just statewide officials) and also include judges as well. Along with the ability to remove judges by public recall, I support House Bill 4119 which would change the way judges are appointed in our state. This bill does not give power back to the people but I do believe it helps create more of a check-and-balance in state government. Again, allowing public removal of “bad judges” would help should the need arise during the course of a term. Presently, we must wait until a judge is up for re-election before (in essence) removing a judge.
House Bill 3166 (Campaign Disclosure Reform)
One of my primary bills last year is still in Judiciary Subcommittee and must be passed when we return. Simply put, it requires many more officials and candidates to file campaign reports online – where the public can easily see the reports. It also provides a window of sunshine during the current “blackout period” immediately before an election. People should know who contributes to candidates at all levels of office, not just the statewide officials, Representatives and Senators.
House Bill 3213 (Term Limits) has never been heard. I knew filing this would not be popular inside Columbia but we should at least have the debate. Does “institutional knowledge” outweigh any of the possible perils with life-long politicians holding office? Yes, the people still have a voice every election cycle; but, as we all know, some politicians are re-elected because they serve their constituents well; other politicians are re-elected because there is little or no competition or the public’s perceived invincibility of incumbency is too large to overcome. Is this keeping good people from serving?
A signature piece of reform is House Bill 3047 (Spending Accountability Act) Nikki Haley (R-Lexington). The bill is in committee and has been discussed but it has yet to become law. Representative Haley did successfully work to change House rules in January; but a law is needed in the House and Senate to restore more public confidence in our state’s political system. The people should be allowed to know our votes on all matters. After all, our votes are for the people we represent and the seat we hold belongs to them.
During my few years in office, I have worked towards changing the “status quo” in state government and am proud to continue that push next year.
Will you help? Let me know your thoughts on these or other items important to you in state government.
We will obviously work on reforming the Employment Security Commission and our state’s tax structure; but I feel strongly that reforming the way we do business in Columbia is important to keeping the focus on people, not politics.
The Survivor Challenge?
December 22, 2009 | 1 Comment
Since I’m elected to serve locally here in SC, I generally make it a practice to limit my discussions on Nathan’sNews to state matters and not national level politics. With the recent events in Washington surrounding the “Health Care Reform” though, I felt the need to write tonight.
First, let me ask this: Who in the country can be against “Health Care Reform”? With almost every bill ever passed (or debated) the title usually is vague enough to make it “feel good” to the general public. But like almost every bill ever passed (or debated), it’s the details that really matter. Not the catchy title.
Like most of the elected officials in Washington, I haven’t read the bill. Of course, like you, I don’t get a vote so I’m relying on members in Washington to do “what’s best” for our country and our citizens. We can debate all night “what’s best” but I can tell you that if more than half our country is apparently against it, there’s got to be a problem. Either the bill just isn’t “good for our country” or officials haven’t been able to give a good explanation of WHY we need this legislation and why we should support the passage of such a historic piece of legislation.
As we all have heard growing up – “nothing good happens after midnight;” and with a vote taken at 1:00 a.m. Monday morning , it gives additional meaning to that phrase.
Again, I don’t want to debate the BILL itself; there really are no fence-sitters at this point. You either think it’s the best thing since sliced bread or you are more outraged than ever about what and how Washington is going about their business.
I want to talk about the PROCESS of how a bill becomes law. I’m guessing most of you have heard the saying that “making laws is similar to making sausage. You really don’t want to see what’s going on; you just want to see the final product.” I’m actually glad though the American people are getting a chance to see what’s going on with the stakes so high.
For those in complete shock and dismay about the Senator from Nebraska who “sold out” to become the vital 60th vote the Democrats need to keep Republicans from “derailing” passage, don’t be shocked. This isn’t the first time it’s ever happened in politics. It’s EXACTLY this kind of “horse trading” that goes on almost daily in city halls across America,our state capitals and obviously Washington, D.C.
For those shocked by that comment, this next one could shock you even more. Oftentimes, the merits of the bill do not determine how an elected official votes. While there are several folks who are altruistic with every single vote they make, there are several folks who believe you either “vote early” (to remove some of the pressure from those for/against the bill) or you “hold out” to see “how important” that vote can be. In other words, what is someone willing to give to get that vote?
Voting early usually does remove some pressure. You’re on-record by stating how you plan to vote and the public/other officials know you’re not going to change your mind. Calls/emails/visits/letters really won’t make much difference and folks will tend to “let it go” but could remember come election time. Voting late means your vote is suddenly “in play” should the final outcome have such a slim margin that every single vote for a successful outcome is important to each side.
That is EXACTLY what’s happened recently in the stories you hear from Washington with some major legislation impacting our country. Well, I shouldn’t say EXACTLY because I don’t know those officials personally and don’t know if they were really waiting to weigh all options or not. I can say this though, it certainly APPEARS that they held out to make their vote be “in play” and “get something” for their vote (themselves or their constituents).
Louisiana? Nebraska? Those Senators played the game like it was some sort of reality show. Some Survivor challenge. Outwit, Outlast, Outplay. That’s the motto on the show and that’s what those officials and others are doing more times than we care to know.
While these officials may come out ahead in the short-term (pork for their constituents/plum committee assignments,etc), will these politicians be voted out when the next election comes around? Can they survive such blatant quid-pro-quo voting?
Meet past Ballentine Scholarship Winners: Where are they now?
December 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment
When I first campaigned to represent our community in the State House, I commented that public service should not be for private gain. While most folks would not begrudge members of the House for receiving a $10,400 salary (and certainly would not consider that “private gain”), I did want to return my salary to worthy causes.
Fortunately, I have been able to continue this every year and will do so again in 2010.
Because I believe education is vital to our future (and because my mother and other family members have education backgrounds and served in classrooms throughout the state), I decided to designate a portion of these funds to be given as scholarships for high school seniors in our community who would be advancing their education in-state.
The five Ballentine Scholarships that are available every year are:
The Bernard Carroll (B.C.) Ballentine Scholarship (USC)
The John Dewey (J.D.) Winburn, Jr. Scholarship (Clemson)
The Margaret Jane Winburn Clarke Scholarship (Winthrop or Columbia College)
The Charles Douglas Ballentine Scholarship (Midlands Tec)
The Theodore Nanney Scholarship (Midlands Tec)
Since 2004, my Scholarship Committee has screened the applicants to determine which finalists would personally interview with me before final recipents were selected. Below are recent Facebook messages I’ve received from a few of these past recipients and I wanted to share them with you.
All recipients were either seniors at Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo or homeschooled. Look at what they are doing now!
Zach Brunson – a 2006 recipient (Homeschool Student)
“Hey Nathan, I just got your message and wanted to let you know that I graduated yesterday from USC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. I am also currently working at SLED as a Operations Desk Specialist. August 13th, 2009 I proposed to Julie Andrews and we are getting married on June 26th, 2010 in Irmo, at our church. As of now I have applied to become a Deputy at Richland Co. Sheriff’s Department and hope to get on with the county soon. I hope you and your family have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and thank you for all you’ve done for me and
everyone who has recieved the scholarship.”
Chelsey Moses – a 2006 recipient (Dutch Fork)
“Hi Mr. Ballentine! Well as you know I just got married. I am working in a hair salon Panache-A Salon in Irmo. We focus on giving back to the community and empowering women. Our salon works with Sistercare as a drop off site and educating them they can get help. I am looking at hopefully taking over the salon within the next 2 years and owning it myself. I am finishing my associate degree up part time starting this summer majoring in education. That’s about it! I just enjoy working out at Golds and spending time with my family. I also spend time with my little Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters and helping at church!”
Jessica Corley – a 2006 recipient (Dutch Fork)
Rep. Ballentine,
I am currently a senior, special education major at Clemson. I will be student
teaching this last spring semester and will graduate in May. Upon completing my
undergraduate degree, I am hoping to attend graduate school at Clemson. I am
currently applying for a graduate assistantship to study early intervention for
a year. After finishing school, I plan to become a special education teacher
somewhere in the lovely state of South Carolina!
I want to thank you for helping support me in pursuing my dream of
becoming a teacher. I know many of the recipients personally and can say that
you should be confident in knowing you are helping several individuals who will
go on to do great things. I’m truly thankful for people like yourself who care
enough about our community to invest in our futures. I wish you and your family
a Merry Christmas and wish you all the best! God bless!
Kristin Lekoske – a 2007 recipent (Dutch Fork)
Hi!
I just finished up the fall semester of my junior year at Clemson. This past semester, I started doing research in a lab at Clemson studying the proteins involved in homologous recombination. I still have a 4.0 GPA. My sister is a freshmen at Clemson this year majoring in graphic communications. I’ve enjoyed having her at Clemson with me.
Over the semester break I’m working in the cancer genetics lab at USC that I’ve worked at the last two summers. This upcoming spring break I’m going on a missions trip to Eluethera with Clemson Wesley, the United Methodist campus
ministry I’ve been involved with.
Plans for next summer are still up in the air. I might do a month-long study abroad program in Brussels, Belgium but I haven’t decided yet.
I hope you are doing well and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
Chris Campbell – a 2008 recipient (Irmo)
Hello Mr. Ballentine…
Since winning the scholarship, I became the Innagural when of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce’s S Hunter Howard Scholarship,I have garnered about a 3.4 GPA total at USC, I am a Marketing Major with a minor in Chinese, and a desire to practice International Corporate Law. I
interned the past summer at Colonial Life Ins. Co.
I am a member of the Varsity Gamecock Track and Field Team
I was installed as USC Supreme Court Judge (Making final rulings as it pretains to cases passed on to us from Judicial), I was named a member of Youth Corp’s Board of Directors, and a 2nd Year Senior Counselor at Palmetto Boy’s State. I’ve continued my work with the Ronald McDonald House and their Teen Advisory Board.
I played in the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena California in preperation for the Rose Bowl, our float one ‘Best in Show’
…Thank you once again for your generous donation.**
Michael Hicks – a 2008 recipient (Dutch Fork)
“Hey Mr. Ballentine, i want to say thanks again for representing you and your family when you gave me the scholarship. I am currently in the Air Force, i am leaving for basic jan 19 of next year. I wish to become an offcer in the Air Force one day, that i can have the opportunity to fly into the deep blue sky. I am currenty taking a year off in my studies to focus on the Air Force but as soon i get settled in the Air Force i plan on getting my education. Thanks again for Representing this State. Michael”
Zac Baker – a 2009 recipient (Dutch Fork)
I’m definitely ashamed to say that its been awhile since we last talked, but I feel like I stay updated with your tweets that go to my phone. haha
This semester has definitely been amazing. I have had the opportunity to do things that I have never had the chance to do before. For example, I’m a DJ on the college radio station, 90.5 WUSC FM and HD1 Columbia. I also have a work study with the webmaster in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
By virtue of the work that I produced for this job, I was referred to produce some videos for EdVenture Children’s Museum- one honoring Samuel and Inez Tenenbaum with EdVenture’s “Great Friend to Kids” award and the other video highlighting EdVenture’s Future Leaders middle school program.
I live and am involved in Preston Residential college on Greene street conveniently located in the center of campus. I am planning on applying to be an R.A. next year to offset tuition costs. I’m also involved in two campus ministries right now. One serves as my home church and one is where I go to
small group.
And the best part, amidst all of the fun and activities that I’ve been able to experience, I managed to get all A’s this semester and have a 4.0. I definitely attribute this to the great education I received in the Lexington Richland District 5 and Dutch Fork’s stellar AP program.
I’m at home for Christmas and can’t wait to go back to school on the 11th. I hope you have a fantastic holiday with your family.
Thanks again for all your help,
Graham Temples – a 2009 recipient (Dutch Fork)
“Thank you again. I am still at Clemson and just finished my first semester with a 4.0. I play club Frisbee and have started talking bagpipe lessons again. Hopefully, I will be able to join Upstate United Pipe band in January. I still plan to pursue cancer research through my Biological Sciences/Bioengineering joint major/masters program. Over the summer I was in a summer research program through the Calhoun Honors College entitled EUREKA! I studied the evolution of pore solution within cementious pastes under Dr. Prasad Rangaraju. I hope to continue doing well in school, thank you for the support.”
Merry Christmas
December 17, 2009 | 2 Comments
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!