I’ve got tons of photos and e-mails pouring in from Tea Party people across the country. I joked to a Christian Science Monitor reporter covering the events that fiscal responsibility is the new counterculture. More coverage/photos/livestreaming at TCOT Report.
There is, as the old ’60s song goes, something happening here. And what it is, is very clear: A grass-roots revolt against the culture of entitlement. The spendzillas in Washington do not speak for us.
But apparently, in SCHotlie's Truth, Version 2.0, it wasn't a question of which blogs were posting as much as they liked.(R)eworking this portion of links that represent our conservative base...
The Beaufort Area Republican Club presents
Capps is a longtime GOP activist and blogger known for his Reaganism, his rum and his rock and roll. Those wishing to bring back the 1980s seem willing to flock to Capps in his bid.
A confidential inside source told VUI that Earl Capps has already created the "Capps Plan," to counter his opponents. In the Capps plan, Earl Capps promises his first act as Chairman will be to expel from the SC GOP Lindsey Graham, Bobby Harrell and Mark Sanford. Then, Capps will ban Howard Rich or anyone who gets money from Rich from the headquarters. There is even a list of consultants out there, that the source would not reveal, that Capps is planning to make pee in a cup before they can make public statements about the Republican Party.
As Chairman, Capps supposedly promises to bring a Ted Nugent approach to conservatism. "Their will be some serious no nonsense political ass kicking, good ole rock and roll, middle aged women screaming and some passing out, and beer flowing," The source said.
Last week, the State Fire Marshal’s office submitted new regs with added fees & when Philip Lowe & I asked them to reconsider that, they immediately withdrew the fee increases. Very graciously, I might add!
Unfortunately, DHEC has several reg bills coming before committees that have fee/fine increases in them. Even with opposition voiced by businesses it affects, the agency has decided to move forward on the increases.
This just another way to tax the business sector of our state. You can call it what you want, but right now the business community simply cannot afford ANY raise in fees/taxes/etc.
One of the reasons we're impressed with Erickson is because she doesn't just gripe about problems - she takes action. She's sponsored legislation (House Bill 3576) which would require that:
... no state agency, department, or entity by regulation or otherwise may administratively increase or implement a fee for performing a service or function, or a civil penalty or fine for failure to comply with a requirement or provision of law under its jurisdiction without the specific approval of the increased or new fee, fine, or penalty by the General Assembly by concurrent resolution.
Saturday, we got several calls and emails letting us know that the Blogland was de-listed from SCHotline's blogroll. We checked it out and found out that our readers were right - as they usually are.
When I accept requests on a social networking site, often from people I don't know, they tell me,
- Congratulations. You have three new friends.
Really? Will they check on me when I'm going through challenges, celebrate my wins with me and share their deepest secrets?
Social networking "friends" cheapen the word, and sugest that all there is to friendship is to agree to be in each other's network.
Long-time readers may recall postings that have made it clear that due to conflicts of interest, discussion of highway policy will not be permitted on this blog*. Anything you read on this blog - from politics to heavy metal to religion, as well as anything else - will reflect the free and unbiased thoughts of yours truly.
Former ports chief Bernard Groseclose will receive $132,000 in severance pay and up to $4,000 for health insurance under the terms of a separation agreement he signed Friday.
He will also get a free trip overseas to attend a business conference.
Groseclose’s employment agreement, signed Dec. 30, 1998, calls for him to receive a severance payment of half of his annual base pay upon his resignation. He was making about $264,000.
Groseclose will receive the first $66,000 of his severance pay on Wednesday, the day he officially resigns, as spelled out in the separation agreement. The remaining $66,000 will be paid to him in installments of $13,200 on the first day of each month between April and August.
In 2006 we lost the House and Senate and we sat by in 2008 and watched again as the largest well funded political juggernaut of the 21st century swept away decades of GOP grass roots development. Are we prepared now to meet that challenge or will we fall back on the business as usual strategies which may have worked 20 years ago but failed utterly in the last two elections?
I'd like to think we have learned our lesson and I am encouraged by new GOP Chairman Michael Steele's efforts to invite new ideas for reaching voters and widening their participation; especially through the use of the same new media that Obama and friends used so effectively.
The Reagan revolution was fueled by new technology in direct mail fundraising. Patrick Ruffini, a leader in GOP new media, points out that in many ways, state and local campaign consultants are still doing business with that 20 year old method because they have built lucrative businesses based on commissions from offering those campaign methods.
Patrick goes on to suggest that a 21st Century plan with the simple goal of assembling 5,000 online activisits per targeted congressional district would create a foundation for eventual GOP takeover of the U.S. House. A similar plan could be used for targeted senate races.
We would like to address several rumors about the Blogland and the ongoing race for state Chair, and head off any potential nasty fallout from what has been an unfortunate misunderstanding.
Recently, I decided that a good companion for my return to cycling was to pick up a Microsoft Zune player. Specifically the 120 gig model. I put my hundreds of CDs on there, comprising about 300 hours of music programming, and have a lot of room on there.
After attending a labor law seminar at the Clarion in downtown Columbia this morning, yours truly stopped by the State House with Ken Privette, my company's HR director, to give him a little meet-and-greet tour of the State House.
We want to thank a few people for their hospitality during our visit and for helping Ken learn a little bit about how things (sometimes) work at the State House:
The rift has gotten increasingly personal and more complex. Much of the current tension has centered around appointments to area boards and commissions. Sanford’s office asked the current legislators to revisit appointments made in August by the previous incarnation of the legislative delegation.
Littlejohn and his allies plan to address those appointments tonight. Millwood’s group — the smaller of the two, but legislatively more powerful based on “weighted” votes that take into account the number of people each official represents — has already sent a list of 16 appointees to Columbia.
Friday, Sanford seated eight of those and spokesman Joel Sawyer said the other eight are pending.
- Spartanburg Herald-Journal
The bill will level the playing field for Solicitors in jury selection, but I don't anticipate the Defense Bar will be too happy about it.
Circuit Judge Roger Young complimented McCoy's conduct in the courtroom but repeated his reservations that it was terribly wrong for McCoy — who never finished North Charleston High School but has a GED — to fire his attorney and run his murder defense solo.
"The mistakes I saw were mainly a matter of tactics and experience," Young told him.
On the police and evidence collection errors that McCoy, 29, focused on, Young told him "You were never able to turn that into any theory that helped you out."
Young gave McCoy 50 years without the possibility of parole, saying that no matter his courtroom skills he is still responsible for a senseless act of murder.
"The facts were not in your favor on this," Young said.
Judge Young has an outstanding reputation as a Family Court Judge. They noted he is known for his common sense and his good temperament which would serve him well on the Circuit Court.
Ms. Durden is enthusiastic and sincere about her desire to serve on the Administrative Law Court. The Commission also noted that Ms. Durden has excellent experience and is a hard worker which would serve her well on the court.
Judge Young is a dedicated, hard working, and exceptionally intelligent judge. They noted he has been a valuable asset to the Circuit Court bench for the past five years.
Because the failure to install the system timely has cost our state $63.18 Million in penalties (all paid from the general fund) to date with another $30 Million expected to be paid through fiscal year 2011, I wanted to learn more about why this happened; what can be done to fix the current problem if anything; and what can be done to ensure that such waste and mismanagement of resources does not take place again. The meeting was helpful in providing us insight and our Freshmen Caucus plans to work together to address the inefficiencies in state government that caused this so that it does not happen again.
There was communication breakdown to the ultimate degree and that our procurement code needs attention. Having DSS not comply in this circumstance is negligence to the taxpayers of our state. I own child development centers licensed by DSS, if they mandated changes in our requirements and I didn’t comply for 10 years, or even 2 years, they’d have shut me down. There would have been no negotiations, in fact, absolutely no tolerance for non-compliance. They should practice what they preach and we should help them to develop the tools to do so.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
This is just a friendly reminder to legislators and staff that the annual legislative reception tonight at the Koger Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Leslie, Sammy, Allen and a lot of others have worked really hard to make sure this is a great event for all who attend, so we know you won't be disappointed.
Nearing the end of her first year on the bench, Ninth Circuit Judge Kristi Harrington is continuing to earn the nickname that some in the state's legal community have given her - "Handcuffs Harrington".Salisbury started serving a 15-year sentence in March 2001 for criminal sexual conduct with a minor, a crime that was committed in Berkeley County. He was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault on a correctional officer, and taking of a hostage by an inmate. He was sentenced to life without parole by Circuit Judge Kristi Harrington. The life sentence won't kick in until after the assault on the minor sentence ends, around 2015.
The next time George Salisbury leaves prison, it will be in the back of a hearse - to which we say ood riddance to bad rubbish. Having someone like this removed from society so swiftly (the trial took under a week) also supports her right to hold the nickname which blogger Will Folks gave her - "Wonder Woman".As the attack was going on and the officer screamed for help, at least three other inmates in the dormitory broke into the locked control room area to help the officer and subdue the man.
Ninth Circuit Deputy Solicitor Bryan Alfaro said the inmates broke windows and removed a door to get to the attacker, and helped carry the guard away to protect her.
"It really could have gotten horribly bad," Alfaro said.
Two of the inmates testified against Salisbury during his trial this week inside the Berkeley County Courthouse. Their contribution was significant because "it corroborated her version of events," Alfaro said.
