When we read stories like what we've seen in the Sunday Charleston Post and Courier about how some state agencies are getting cut to the bone, we really wish the education folks would shut their mouths and quit whining:

Struggling to keep its core staff intact after years of withering budget and staff cuts, Natural Resources managers have now told employees to expect a staff reduction of at least 50 people in the coming fiscal year.

The cuts already have led to the loss of one in every five employees, including one in every four law enforcement officers. They threaten monitoring and research that led to the recovery of depleted game fish such as red drum and sea trout. Wildlife officers are now spread so thin that concern has been raised about the ability to provide public safety, much less foster wildlife and game.

Here at the Blogland, we care about our readers. We want them to stay safe and keep out of trouble.

To help our readers have a safe and enjoyable weekend, we wanted to share some useful advice:

Becky Richardson, one of the state's three Employment Security Commissioners, fired off a two-page letter this afternoon which criticized the agency's leadership and calling for reforms to be made in the agency.

        I am shocked at many of the things that have come to light since Mr. Sam Foster was hired as the Employment Security Commission’s new interim executive director. I have long complained about how this agency was run, but the situation is even worse than I could have imagined. Information has been withheld and even hidden from me. It appears that I have purposely been kept in the dark. Every day, there is a new revelation and I find more and more evidence of just how dysfunctional the agency has been allowed to become. Moreover, I feel that I may have been somewhat “muzzled” by recent events.
        Last year my concerns and frustrations became so serious that I realized it was time for me to air my concerns.

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  The PARSA section of the bill questioning the need to include solicitors in the PARSA section.
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  The existence of evidence to support the claims that the bill would benefit economic development or lower insurance premiums.
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  The statute of repose language.

Democratic State Rep. Anne Hutto's tenure in heavily-Republican House District 115 may turn out to be short-lived, with a Republican challenger with major backing announcing plans to take her on in the fall elections.

After receiving widespread support and encouragement from family, friends, and elected officials, I have decided to become the Republican candidate to represent James Island and Folly Beach in the State House.

This recession has caused some of the biggest transformations seen in the American workforce in decades. According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, these changes have included women taking the lead in today's workforce:

Steady increases among women with college degrees over the past two decades apparently paid off during the recession, with government statistics showing they fared better than men over the past year, and for the first time surpassed the number of men holding payroll jobs.

The Palmetto Patriot Leadership Committee, a PAC organized by Rep. Alan "Ferris Bueller" Clemmons, will be hosting a fundraising event at the Clarion Hotel Downtown Camellia Room from 4-5:30.

... Significant Winter Storm Expected To Impact Parts Of The Area Friday Afternoon And Friday Night...

Jenkins-Screven-Candler-Bulloch-Effingham-Tattnall-Evans-Allendale-Hampton-Inland Colleton-Dorchester-Berkeley-Inland Jasper-Including The Cities Of... Millen... Sylvania... Metter... Statesboro... Springfield... Reidsville... Claxton... Allendale... Hampton... Walterboro... St. George... Summerville... Moncks Corner... Ridgeland

308 PM EST Thu Feb 11 2010

... Winter Storm Watch In Effect From Friday Afternoon Through Late Friday Night...

The National Weather Service In Charleston Has Issued A Winter Storm Watch... Which Is In Effect From Friday Afternoon Through Late Friday Night.

Low Pressure Will Intensify Over The Northeast Gulf Of Mexico Through Friday Morning... Before Crossing The Florida Peninsula Friday Afternoon Then Shifting Into The Atlantic Friday Night.

Rain... Possibly Mixed With Some Snow... Will Begin Across The Area On Friday... Mainly During The Afternoon Hours. As Colder Air From The North Overspreads The Region... The Precipitation Is Expected To Change Over To All Snow Late Friday Afternoon. Snow... Moderate To Heavy At Times... Will Then Persist Through Friday Evening Before Tapering Off After Midnight. Total Snow Accumulations Of 2 To 4 Inches... With Locally Higher Amounts... Can Be Expected Through Late Friday Night.

... or you might get pulled over in Colleton County and get cited on New Years' Eve for doing so (and you might hit a bump and spill the drink).

That the accused did have in his possession any beer or wine in an open container in a moving vehicle of any kind while located upon the public highways or highway rights of way of this state, except in the trunk or luggage compartment.

Ryan Buckhannon, Tumpy Campbell, Katherine Jenerette, Larry Kobrovsky, Tim Scott, Paul Thurmond, and Stoval Witte.

For the second time in a week, we've received a press release from the Tumpy Campbell campaign (which has gradually morphed from Tumpy to Carroll III to just Carroll) which has taken shots at State Representative Tim Scott, who entered the open First Congressional District race today.

Mr. Scott is just another politician in a string, all scrambling over one another to get into a campaign I have been in for nearly a year. The people of South Carolina are tired of political opportunists. They want real leadership - a leader with the guts to stand up for them. As someone who watched politics but chose to successfully help run businesses for over 20 years, I am ready to put my business experience to work for our District by creating jobs and growing South Carolina’s economy.

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I'll be taking the day off from blogging. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

If you want to do anything for my birthday, be sure to attend tomorrow's benefit event for Nettie Britts in Greenville, or send a check to the address below if you can't make it:

RONALD REAGAN BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION
Attn: Dean Allen
8 Rutledge Avenue Greenville, SC 29617

State Commerce Secretary weighed into the ongoing tort and workers' comp reform efforts this afternoon, publicly endorsing legislation that would help address both issues, by reining in frivilous legal actions against employers.  He pointed out what those of us in economic and workforce development know all to well:

Moving workers' compensation reform and tort reform forward now would strenghten our businese environment and thus increase our competitiveness. While numerous factors influence a company's location decision, we have found that fundamental issues like tort laws and workers' compensation play a key role in every location decision.

In most states, serving in the legislature doesn't pay enough to pay the bills, so the question of "how DO they earn a living" is one which was recently examined in a study by the National Conference of State Legislatures, which found that nationally:

Full-Time Legislators have now become the largest occupational group in legislatures with 16.4% of legislators classifying themselves as such. Previously, attorneys had been the largest occupational group but that profession has decreased substantially over the last three decades from about 25% in the mid-seventies to only about 15% today. Retired legislators make up the third largest occupational group in legislatures at approximately 12%.

We got a media release from the Tumpy Campbell congressional campaign which felt the need to diss State Rep. Tim Scott, a potential entrant, and proclaim their "lead" in the still-developing race for the First District Congressional seat. The ad trumpted:

Carroll Campbell is in first place. With three former State Republican Party Chairmen's recent endorsements and some of South Carolina’s most respected and active donors and leaders' involvement on his Finance Committee, Campbell's momentum is still building.

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  In 1994, Bob Harrell led in fundraising and didn't make the run-off while Van Hipp led in the pre-primary polling, only to lose the GOP run-off to Mark Sanford, who finished a dozen points behind Hipp in the primary.
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  In 2000, Buck Limehouse held a tremendous lead in fundraising and in early polling, but finished a distant second in the GOP primary, and lost the run-off to Henry Brown.