PERSPECTIVE
July 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Is the lady pictured above young or old?
This morning on Twitter, I asked a question relating to Sports and Politics. Particularly in reference to an article in The State that mentioned apparent “gridlock” over several sports resolutions….specifically one recognizing my alum’s 2010 National Championship in Baseball .
The majority of responses I received share the opinion that these resolutions should have no place in politics – Washington or Columbia.
As the article mentions, these USUALLY pass unanimously and with no debate. Shortly after it passes it’s a matter of usually one or two members bragging from the podim about “their team” for a few minutes – sometimes taking jabs at members of opposing teams defeated along the way to a championship. Then there’s the presentation of a framed resolution recognizing the prestigous accomplishment along with the obligatory photo-ops and usually a tour around the building/grounds.
Obviously to young student-athletes, this can be a “big deal”.
In the SC House of Representatives, we even have a rule that limits the speeches to 3 minutes. Of course, while the speech my be 3 minutes…the parade of champions to the floor and pictures usually take longer. We generally allow no more than 2 teams a week and usually on Thursday mornings.
So….should Washington, or more closer to home, your state leaders use floor time to recognize championship teams or is your perspective one that says there are more important things to do?
We’ve caught grief in the past for other recognitions : guests in the balconies, family members in attendance, student shadows for the day, doctor of the day, etc.
Those take place throughout the day…many times a day. I’ll admit, being local, I have quite a few school groups and constituents stop by. Is taking a few minutes during session too much or is it acceptable to just let this practice go and realize it’s not really a “big deal”?
Are those recognitions throughout the day any worse or better than recognizing championship teams? Or should we stop with the entire practice from the floor and spend more time on other matters?
Email me, click contact above, or post your comments here. I’d like to know your perspective.
Newswatch: “Ebony and Ivory”
July 26, 2010 | 2 Comments
Brief recap of 2010 Legislative Session, budget, Gubernatorial race.
“Kinda Comprehensive” Tax Reform
July 22, 2010 | 2 Comments
After yesterday’s Tax Realignment Commission (TRAC) vote on a first proposal to change our tax code , there seems to be many “worried dads” running around today.
As I told Robert Kittle this afternoon, let’s be patient. This reminds me of those children’s t-shirts that read “Be patient! God’s not finished with me yet”.
Earlier this week, I shared at the St. Andrews Rotary Club that the General Assembly empowered the TRAC to consider Act 388 in their discussions. I was wrong. While the House listened to the voters across the state and wanted to have a comprehensive discussion which included Act. 388; the Senate did not. (Something I found out AFTER my visit with the club and after reading reports that Act.388 was off the table)
How can you call it “comprehensive tax reform” if you’re not reviewing Act 388? Isn’t that like a woman being “kinda pregnant”? She either is or isn’t. Comprehensive either is comprehensive or it isn’t. You can’t go halfway.
My biggest fear is that before we even allow the TRAC to finish their job (the one we asked them to do for us), we may see politics interjected. Perhaps tainting their final proposal before it even gets into our hands to consider next session.
This next budget year isn’t going to be easy for our state; neither will the votes on whatever final proposal the TRAC sends us in November. But let’s all take a deep breath and be patient until the finished product arrives. There’ll be plenty of time to worry after that.
From WSPA.com…
COLUMBIA, S.C. — An initial recommendation to change South Carolina’s sales tax system is being met with hostility by a lot of taxpayers, since the plan would add a 2.5 percent sales tax to groceries, electricity, water bills and prescription drugs.
The Taxation Realignment Commission gave preliminary approval to the plan Wednesday, but TRAC must still give its final approval, send the recommendations to state lawmakers and then they must vote on them.
Besides the 2.5 percent sales tax on those essentials, the plan would start charging sales tax on hearing aids and prosthetic limbs, newspapers and other items that are now exempt. The plan would also phase out the current $300 sales tax cap on cars and trucks, but would not alter it for boats and airplanes.
To offset the new taxes, the state sales tax rate would drop from 6 percent to 4.96 percent.
Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Denmark, says he understands taxpayers’ genuine concern about the plan. But he says people need to remember the millions of dollars in budget cuts lawmakers had to make this year, along with a shortfall of more than $1 billion looming next year when federal stimulus money is gone.
“There comes a point when you can’t cut any more. You’re not cutting meat, you’re cutting the bone and we have to seriously look at what the TRAC commission recommended,” he says.
He thinks people who are understandably complaining about the possibility of paying sales taxes on groceries, medicine, water and electricity will feel differently if the state were to have to cut education even more, leaving their child’s class with 60 students instead of 25.
“When we run out of school bus gas and now they have to drive their kids to school, when… we have to start reducing the rolls of those persons on Medicare, then these people will understand that what we’re dealing with is real life,” he says.
Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Irmo, says it’s way too early for people to get too upset about what might happen with the TRAC recommendations. “What I tell them is have a little bit of patience,” he says.
He says lawmakers created TRAC to take the politics out of decisions on tax policy, so lawmakers need to let TRAC members finish their work before getting involved.
As for the chances of the TRAC recommendations passing, he says, “I’ll tell you that we’ve got to pass something. I mean, we’ve got a billion-dollar shortfall staring at us. Now the good news is, as a conservative, the proposal that we tasked them with is to make that revenue-neutral.”
But while he thinks lawmakers will have to pass something, Rep. Sellers says, “It’ll probably pass somewhere around Neveruary.” He doesn’t think Republicans in the House will be willing to pass tax increases, even if they’re offset by a decrease in the sales tax rate.
2010 Major Issues: SC General Assembly
July 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Did you know you can go to the SC State House website for more information than you probably knew was out there?
Most people know to go there to find out who their representative is and how to reach him/her but you can also research bills and, like us elected officials, receive a weekly update of legislation .
If you’re interested, here’s the 2010 “Major Issues” latest recap .
I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are on the year and how you’d grade your Representative, Senator or the General Assembly as a whole. Email me or comment here with feedback or advice for next session.
If you’re really interested in the money in politics, you can visit the SC Ethics Commission website . Not only can you see the impact of my Campaign Disclosure Reform Bill , prominently listed on the main page; but also information on lobbying in SC as well as the individual campaign disclosures for all elected officials and candiates.
From the vault: Pub Politics April 2010
July 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Can’t believe my “Social Media Consultant” didn’t post this earlier. This was one of their earlier episodes. I believe I was the 2nd elected official to visit the set.
“The Fifty Six”
July 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
(I took this photo in summer of 2007) The Assembly Room in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create, is still intact.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Four represented the Palmetto State.
Thomas Lynch, Jr., had his health broken from privation and exposures while serving as a company commander in the military. His doctors ordered him to seek a cure in the West Indies and on the voyage he and his young bride were drowned at sea.
Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., were taken by the British in the siege of Charleston. They were carried as prisoners of war to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were singled out for indignities. They were exchanged at the end of the war, the British in the meantime having completely devastated their large land holdings and estates.
While I will never sign my name to such an historic document as that, I do consider it an extreme privilege to serve the people of Richland and Lexington Counties in Columbia. Every time I walk from my office in the Blatt Building up those steps into the Chamber it hits me the huge honor and responsibility I’ve been given by the people of Irmo, Chapin, Dutch Fork, White Rock, Harbison and Columbia.
While I cast important votes, none will ever match the votes taken to declare Indpendence and the signatures written on that declaration. While I make small sacrifices, they pale in comparision to what these brave men lost. Many lost everything in service of the country.
To read more, visit “The Americans Who Risked Everything” . For additional information, click here .
National Champions Day
July 1, 2010 | 1 Comment
(I had to see it with my own eyes this morning! Took several pictures. Above is one).
As an alumus of USC (December 1992), I couldn’t be more proud of what this year’s baseball team has accomplished. I have only been to two games this year (both victories) but was impressed with their fightin’ spirit and never-say-die attitude during both those games. A “score fest” versus Alabama earlier this year and the clinching game in the opening round Regional at Carolina Stadium (a.k.a “The Ray”).
Obviously, that fightin’ spirit was alive and well the past few weeks as they clawed beat Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina before starting off their Omaha play with an opening loss to Oklahoma. This team faced 4 elimination games and won all four (top seed Arizona State, Oklahoma – who beat them days earlier, and two against in-state rival Clemson) before they set the stage for the final series v. UCLA. We all know the final outcome and have seen a city and state (well, maybe half the state) come together and embrace some positive national attention .
It took me 39 years to finally see it but the day finally came! I even kept the kids up to watch the historic moment! I know others have been waiting longer and the emotions showed at the welcome home celebration yesterday at Colonial Life Arena.
Of course, let’s not forget Bayler Teal and his family . It’s times like these that give even more meaning when men and women stand together and sing:
We hail thee, Carolina, and sing thy high praise
With loyal devotion, remembering the days
When proudly we sought thee, thy children to be:
Here’s a health, Carolina, forever to thee!
Thanks guys, Coach Tanner and the other coaches for giving our state something to smile about and change the tone about how the nation views South Carolina!