Transparency in Municipal Governments
Earl Capps has a great article about transparency in county, city, and the state governments in South Carolina.
Check it out here.
DeMint: Obama’s Spending Increased Interest Rates
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement Friday responding to President Obama’s prediction that higher debt levels would lead to higher interest rates for American families and businesses.
“I’m glad the President is finally admitting that his reckless spending is going to have real economic consequences for American families and businesses. I’m glad he is finally acknowledging that his policies are going to lead to higher interest rates. Unfortunately, these admissions are three months late and a trillion dollars short.”
Originally published May 15, 2009; Jim DeMint
Nikki Haley Announces Candidacy for Governor
Friends,
Today I announced my intention to seek the Republican nomination for Governor of South Carolina.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your encouragement in helping me arrive at my decision. The road ahead will be long and challenging–but also very exciting. And we’re going to need your help…
originally published by Nikki Haley; May 14, 2009
Few Confirmed by SC Senate as Commissioner
Kershaw County, SC – Sheri Few was confirmed April 1, 2009 by the SC Senate to serve as Governor Mark Sanford’s appointee to the SC Commission on Women.
Sheri Few, daughter of retired Air Force fighter pilot and General Officer Keith Lukens, graduated from Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge, England and attended the University of Maryland’s European Extension. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of SC Parents Involved in Education. Mrs. Few is Vice President of the Kershaw County Republican Women, Lifetime Member of the SC General Assembly’s Women’s Caucus, Graduate of South Carolina Winning Women, and Former Commissioner to Governors Campbell and Beasley. Mrs. Few lives in Lugoff with her husband Marty and her youngest son, Bobby. Her two older boys attend Clemson University and North Greenville University.
Established in 1971, the South Carolina Commission on Women’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for all South Carolinians by promoting equal opportunities for South Carolina women, and by advising the Governor of the needs of SC women. The SCCW is responsible for identifying problems, defining issues, and recommending policies and procedures; and committed to improving the status of all women by ensuring the opportunity to develop their full potential.
SCCW promotes coalition building among similarly oriented groups, and provides referral services to constituents. The Commission and the Governor also strive to recognize outstanding women who have made noteworthy achievements in South Carolina.
Mrs. Few is “honored to have the opportunity to serve the women of South Carolina through improving opportunities for their involvement in policies that affect their lives and the lives of their families.”
Constitutional Amendments Won’t Improve Schools
If you listen to the propaganda, you would think the words “minimally adequate education” appear in the S.C. Constitution. In reality, the language comes from a court ruling on the 1999 appeal of the landmark case Abbeville School District v. State of South Carolina. The state Supreme Court held that the constitution’s education clause establishing the public school system meant that the education must be “minimally adequate.”
In response to a lower court’s refusal to fully embrace the notion that the State is failing to provide this “minimally adequate” education, the activists who brought the suit are moving to amend the constitution, to require the State to provide a “high-quality education.”
I don’t believe there is anyone who would say they don’t want South Carolina children to have access to high quality education- it’s a no-brainer. So why do we need to add it to the constitution? The answer- such a clause would establish strong legal footing for endless lawsuits against the State.
Former Governor Dick Riley, SC Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, and director of the Corridor of Shame documentary Bud Ferillo spearhead the movement to amend South Carolina’s constitution. An interesting connection can also be drawn to President Obama. During his recent State of the Union address, the President recognized a student from Dillon County, who wrote to Congress describing her school. President Obama learned of the Dillon school via Ferillo’s Corridor of Shame and used the school in speeches throughout his presidential campaign.
Unfortunately, many citizens of Dillon are displeased that “Ferillo and company” have taken advantage of their community for political and financial gain. One Dillon District Two employee says the reports of the school are exaggerated and misrepresented, placing a horrible stigma on their students and community. Also of concern is the neglect to mention the bond referendum recently passed to build a new school. It appears that the President, Riley, Rex, and Ferillo have been exploiting Dillon in order to manipulate voters, the courts, the General Assembly, and Congress.
So the bureaucrats, who benefit the most from increased education funding (it’s certainly not the teachers or the children) want to sue “the State”. Who, exactly, is “the State”? Aren’t government schools operated by people employed by the State? So, is the State suing the State? State Government is the people of South Carolina. We are a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”. We fund the government and we elect our government representatives. Will suing the people of South Carolina produce better educational outcomes? How much does suing the people of South Carolina cost the people of South Carolina? Wouldn’t this money be better spent fixing the schools exploited in the Corridor of Shame documentary? Do the math- it adds up to education bureaucrats manipulating and abusing South Carolina students and teachers to squeeze more money from the taxpayer.
House bill 3552 and its counterpart in the Senate 0379, currently in committee, seek to reduce school costs by buying economical bus fuel, reducing salaries of retired teachers, and allowing for furloughs of teachers. Many state employees have already been subject to unpaid furloughs as a cost-saving measure. According to The State, nearly 60 employees of the State Department of Education make $80,000 plus annually- double the average teacher’s salary. If we are truly committed to focusing on high quality education it seems more sensible to look at the jobs and duties of these bureaucrats before cutting teacher salaries through furloughs. During economic hard times, who are the first employees to be thrown under the bus? Teachers!
There is a sensible solution to the inequity of school district funding. Legislation is being considered that doesn’t require litigation, increasing taxes, or sacrificing teacher salaries. House Bill 3181 and the Senate Bill 0395 propose a per pupil funding formula that will require equitable distribution of State education dollars with more fiscal flexibility to districts. Support of this legislation will set the course for high quality education.
Don’t be fooled by the semantics of those activists who want to convince us that adding words to the State Constitution is in the best interest of teachers and children. It is a ploy to position for a lawsuit that will waste more taxpayer dollars that belong in the classroom.
Originally published in The State.