QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“Some argue that we should not criticize members of either political party – especially Republicans. Fortunately, there is hope outside of the political parties. S.C. Club for Growth represents a “special interest group” that has too often been taken for granted in Columbia – South Carolina’s taxpayers…” – SC Club for Growth Executive Director’s OpEd in The Sun News
“(Sembler) says he won’t build the project if he doesn’t get incentives. Taxpayers should be wary of an investor who cannot raise his own capital to build his project, and who isn’t willing to address environmental concerns unless he’s plied with public money. Other businesses in the area have invested their hard-earned dollars in their companies, and have abided by state and local environmental standards without public compensation. Now they will be forced to pay the cost of a competing company that has done neither…” – SCPC’s Ashley Landess and CCL’s Dana Beach railing against the Sembler handout
“South Carolina lawmakers have only just begun the work needed to get the state’s unemployment agency on sound financial footing. The state is looking down a $2 billion hole to pay back loans from the federal government and get the unemployment trust fund back to a fiscally responsible level. That’s quite an abyss, but the Senate and House took an important first step this month in passing bills to create a Department of Workforce, a Cabinet-level agency, whose director would report to the governor, to replace the Employment Security Commission. Direct accountability has been sorely missing for this agency…” – The Beaufort Gazette calling for continued diligence at the ESC
FEATURES OF THE WEEK
SC Club for Growth Executive Director’s OpEd in The Sun News – “Hold politicians accountable”:
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/02/20/1325764/exposing-graft-waste.html
…and SC Club for Growth PAC ad appears in The Aiken Standard – “Fed Up with Out of Touch Politicians?”
https://www.scclubforgrowth.org/files/SCCFG-AikenStandard.pdf
Ill-advised Sembler incentives get special order in Senate
http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/26/1175591/malls-100-million-tax-break-fast.html
http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/02/25/1152281/senate-votes-to-fast-track-bill.html
…as Ashley Landess and Dana Beach rail against the handout
http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/23/1170959/landess-beach-sembler-subsidy.html
State Senate votes for ESC reform, restructuring
http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/25/1173738/senate-passes-esc-overhaul.html
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100225/BUSINESS/2250316/State-Senate-drops-troubled-jobless-agency-in-governor-s-lap
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/feb/25/esc-reform-pending/
…Beaufort Gazette calls for continued diligence at the ESC
http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/02/28/1153639/agency-reform-one-step-in-sc-unemployment.html
Herald Journal applauds Secretary of State restructuring bill
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100228/ARTICLES/2281012/1128/OPINION?Title=A-sensible-change
COMMON-SENSE, GOOD GOVERNMENT
Island-Packet says DHEC should be put in governor’s cabinet
http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/story/1139048.html
…as agency under fire over discarded documents
http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/27/1177305/discarded-dhec-documents-raise.html
SC Dems critical of Ways & Means budget process
http://www.thestate.com/2010/03/01/1180608/democrats-want-new-budget-process.html
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2010/03/01/news/doc4b8b47e05a25e079226861.txt
EDUCATION REFORM
Post & Courier urges lawmakers to keep up the momentum on charter schools
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/mar/01/maintain-charter-momentum/
Scoppe urges legislators to uphold Governor’s veto of Fairfield schools bill
http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/28/1176875/scoppe-the-wrong-way-to-fix-fairfield.html
OF INTEREST
Anne Peterson Hutto gets a Republican challenger
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/feb/23/mccoy-runs-for-house/
Anti-Reform Annette Young to be challenged in primary
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/feb/22/hargetts-primary-challenge-of-young-drawing/