Because of a family heritage of such things and a lifetime spent cultivating the art of the rant, we’ve been going off the rails a few more times than normal recently. We chalk this up to the days counting down to primary day, so shit’s getting weird. One thing is, a lot of people who are posturing as rock-ribbed fiscal conservatives have been coming out against raising the cigarette tax. Really.
They’re obviously smoking something, and it’s more what you could pick up at MLK Park in Five Points than what you can get at the convenience store.
In the political environment in this state, where there’s a headlong rush to be the rightest of the right, any tax increase on anything is considered by some an affront on the level of smacking God in the face. That also means they’re not thinking, but instead yapping at the sky like an over-bred spaniel. For instance, when the state’s seven cents-per-pack cigarette tax was put in, it was about 15 percent of the price of a pack. Now it’s less than two percent for your average pack of Marlboros or Camels. The state’s suffering massive issues when it comes to shelling out tax dollars for cigarette-related health care costs.
But God forbid we raise the cigarette tax. The effort against it has been partially led by the S.C. Policy Council, more because they’ve been receiving thousands of dollars from Altria (that’s Philip Morris to you and us) than some principled policy stance. Perhaps one of the highest levels of dumbassery comes from former SCPC staffer and former Rep. Nikki Haley gubernatorial staffer Justin Evans, whose half-baked thoughts have been promoted by the home of half-baked thoughts at S.C. Hotline.
Come on people. If you discourage people from smoking…thus having less smokers…common sense dictates you will not have the revenue necessary to “fully” fund Medicaid…which means these morons will have to find this cash somewhere else…likely cutting core government services like teachers if history is any guide…
So SMOKE! All of you!
And remember….with every cigarette you smoke, you could be saving a life!
The most unfortunate part of this tax hike is the fact that it is just that….a blatant tax hike.
Aren’t Republicans supposed to support lower taxes and limited government? This is an example of the Republican hypocrisy I have been ranting about for months. In fact, here they RAISED taxes to EXPAND government. Completely the opposite of what they claim to believe in.
Without a corresponding tax decrease, our Republican lawmakers once again failed their constituents, their party, and the state as a whole.
Oh, man. Give us a fucking break. Maybe Evans was dropped on his head, a lot, as a child, but let’s see here — South Carolina’s cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation. And cigarettes kill you. Lung cancer, heart disease and a significant amount of other maladies are related to tobacco use. What’s a better way to convince people to quit, and thereby cost the state’s taxpayers less, than take cigarettes outside of a person’s price point?
But actually having considerate thoughts (which seems impossible for people who are in love with the inappropriate use of ellipses) about this issue won’t happen with those whose brains are gray matter See ‘n Says that spit out “limited government” and “no new taxes” on a knee-jerk basis.
We read recently that all four Republican candidates for governor came out against the bill. That’s a goddamn shame. However, no politician ever did badly by underestimating the intelligence of the voters. That’s why we have the lottery, and more people trying to cut taxes for the rich than giving a damn about middle- and working-class kids being able to afford college. And Mark Sanford.
The gentlemen and (the few that are left) ladies in the General Assembly who have voted, and will vote, to override Sanford’s veto should be applauded statewide for putting aside their differences and compromising to pass an important piece of legislation that will actually make life better in our state, both on the street and during the budgeting process.
The tobacco industry has dumped all sorts of money into South Carolina over the past few years to put the kibosh on raising the cigarette tax in this state, which has led to some truly idiotic statements by the S.C. Policy Council, Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster and the child. At least some smarter people — among them, Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell — prevailed, and a vote to remove the 30-cent tax increase from the state budget failed 106-12.
South Carolina’s 7 cents-per-pack cigarette tax is the nation’s lowest and has not changed since 1977. A 30-cent increase would make the tax equal to Georgia’s and still 8 cents-per-pack cheaper than North Carolina’s. Nationwide, the average state cigarette tax is $1.34 per pack, with Rhode Island ranking first at $3.46.
Hopefully the Senate will go along with the proposal, and South Carolina can move on from yet another national embarrassment.
Rep. Nikki Haley has made her time in the House by bullshitting her constituents, who apparently haven’t been paying close enough attention or been getting involved enough to call her on her hypocrisy. Of course, her buds (Will Folks, the S.C. Policy Council, [because his boss heads SCPC] Adam Fogle, the S.C. Club for Growth, &c.) won’t do anything to show what a shit campaign she’s running for governor.
If Haley had decided to bide her time in the House, she probably wouldn’t be caught in so many traps. But, she creates them for herself and then steps into them and acts like nobody will pay attention. That’s too bad, because the House leadership is done with her crap. When you get called out in public by the leadership of your own party, that could be a clue that you don’t know what they hell you’re doing.
Tuesday, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Dan Cooper, decided he had enough and called a spade a spade.
For months I have held my tongue while Rep. Nikki Haley traveled the state touting her “opposition” to taking federal stimulus dollars, but after reading her Feb. 12 guest column in this paper I felt compelled to set the record straight. Here are the facts:
While the majority of state legislators opposed President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan on principle, we realized that if South Carolina did not accept the federal funds then the hard-earned tax dollars of the families we represent would be spent in other places, like New Jersey and California. In other words, we would be paying the price and getting nothing in return.
Rep. Haley knew that. This legislation was thoroughly discussed, and the issues were very clear. On March 9, Rep. Haley joined 107 other legislators voting for an amendment to the budget bill to accept the stimulus money. The very next day, she voted for the budget bill that included the stimulus money. On the third and final reading of the bill, it passed overwhelmingly with a voice vote.
It was only two weeks after she announced her candidacy for governor that Nikki Haley changed her tune on the stimulus. She then began to publicly question everyone else who had joined her on multiple occasions in voting to accept these federal funds. And despite all of her double talk, the truth is Nikki Haley’s rhetoric just doesn’t match her record.
Haley has taken steps in recent years to get in tight with the Sanford cabal. Now that organization is falling apart, she’s up the creek. It should be a lesson to others who sell out for for out-of-state dollars and perceived influence. Put your constituents and your district first — not political pals.
Well, how about that? Rep. Nikki Haley, dubbed, “Ms. Transparency,” can’t come up with her disclosure report by the deadline. You’d think that a person who’s practically gotten “transparency” tattooed on her forehead would have her finances in line to the point that she could go live with her contributors and expenses by Sunday night/Monday morning. Apparently, it doesn’t look that way.
With Sen. Larry Grooms departing the race, that leaves Haley in last place behind U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. André Bauer (whose disclosure is anticipated to put him in third). Like Grooms, it’s only a matter of time until she’ll have to abandon her ill-considered bid for the state’s highest office. Why she made this run this cycle is beyond us.
After all, for as often as Republicans want to take the sledgehammer to the establishment, in this state the GOP is the establishment. And if you’ve paid attention to the presidential primaries in this state, the voters tend to go with the establishment candidate — as in recently, U.S. Sen. John McCain (2008) and former President George W. Bush (2000). Experience and backing are trusted as the arbiters, more often than not.
If you can’t even live up to your own hype, that doesn’t help any.
Speaking of which, her allies at the S.C. Policy Council finally went live with their “news” site, The Nerve. That organization tubthumps for transparency, as well, but won’t allow the public to view its donors and expenses, unlike the elected officials it criticizes. What a surprise.
If you believe the effluent regularly produced by Will Folks‘ bile duct, you would think that the S.C. Policy Council is doing something new and inventive. After all, they hired Eric Ward from the Free Times and Rick Brundrett of The State. We suppose these guys don’t mind trading in their ethics for an organization that laughingly calls itself “non-partisan.” OK, maybe just “Sanfordite Republican,” and not non-ideological. And the organization will lose a hell of a lot of influence when Gov. Mark Sanford rides off into the sunset, if not already.
You see, the Policy Council’s shill at FITSNews is making a big deal out of some new Web site that the SCPC is starting up.
In what could become some heady competition for Palmetto State media outlets (including FITS), the S.C. Policy Council is on the verge of launching a new “citizen reporter” website – perhaps as soon as next week.
Reportedly dubbed The Nerve (or something to do with nerves), the top secret project will provide original content from Policy Council writers as well as contributing writers from all corners of the state, sources tell FITS.
What this clown doesn’t tell you, and what he knows, is that the plan to hire formerly legitimate reporters and start such operations has been in effect since at least 2007, if not before. And it’s not just South Carolina. Every member of the State Policy Network, which is tied at the hip with robber baron Howard Rich, is doing exactly the same thing. It’s a national effort. Because some reporters are so broke and scared of losing their jobs, they’re willing to do what it takes to pay the mortgage, get insurance and put food on the table.
What sucks for those guys is that they have to make peace with that Faustian bargain, and realize their work — and your labor is one of your most important actions — is actively going against their self-interests. But that’s how the journalism industry crumbles.
A while back, we were told that all sorts of hell was going down at the S.C. Policy Council, because allegedly SCPC head Ashley Landess wouldn’t back a report taking Gov. Mark Sanford to task for his abuse of state planes. It’s finally come to a head, as we were told SCPC spokesman Bryan Cox left because of the issue.
The whole situation is pretty interesting, considering that the Policy Council chairman is none other than Rick Quinn. That naturally drags Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster into the mess, which could reflect badly on his gubernatorial ambitions. After all, what’s up with an organization that his political consultant is running pulling punches about Sanford?
Come on, Rick — ‘fess up. Why are you protecting America’s most-despised governor?
Rumors are flying in River City about internal problems at S.C. Policy Council. The state’s leading conservative think tank, and close ally of Gov. Mark Sanford, is having problems as to how to respond to Sanford’s extensive use of business class travel on the taxpayers’ dime. If it were any other elected official, it’s easy to assume that the SCPC would be out front with a report detailing the abuse of state money so that official could fly in luxury.
Supposedly, some staffers have “gone rogue” and put together a paper detailing exactly that. It’s to their credit that they stuck to their guns for what the organization was created to do — point out misspending of state revenue.
Sources close to the situation have told Wolfe Reports that Policy Council president Ashley Landess refuses to release the report. If she doesn’t, the insinuation is that several staff members are willing to quit in protest.
We will bring more information about this state of affairs as it becomes more clear.
Former House Majority Leader and political consultant Rick Quinn went shopping for a new House district, and found one, running for Rep. Ted Pitts‘ district in Lexington County. Pitts is vacating the seat to run for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.
The last time Quinn was an elected official, he represented my old stomping grounds, House District 71. Quinn held the seat for 16 years. But, in 2004, the relatively unknown Nathan Ballentine out-worked, out-hustled and in general simply beat Quinn like a drum, taking the seat 51.3 percent to 48.6. At the time, the S.C. Democratic Party danced on Quinn’s grave by saying, “Mark Sanford‘s best friend in the legislature just got beat. Tonight’s upset shows that voters are sick of a do-nothing Republican governor and his do-nothing legislature, and are eager for change.”
Word is, since Quinn is currently the chairman of the S.C. Policy Council, he will be running as an SCPC-style candidate, in the Sanford mold, which is a little outside his normal situation when he was in the House. His primary opposition thus far is Danny Frazier, a town councilman for Lexington and entrepreneur with Frazier-Taylor LLC, and Gary Taylor, who by our scouring of the series of tubes seems to be working with Mungo real estate firm Sovereign Homes (but, we could be very wrong — confirm or correct in the comments).
Some people, they have egos that are a little too big. Quinn’s is pushing him to get back into elective office. But, he didn’t seem to consider the sledgehammer of oppo that will be coming down on his campaign, from the get-go. It will be fun, though. And, it will be even better if (pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease) former The State editorial page editor Brad Warthen gets into the mix.
It all comes down to Wednesday, as S. 520, this session’s quixotic attempt at getting a private school choice law passed in South Carolina goes to the full Senate Education Committee.
Earlier, the bill was given a 6-4 unfavorable report out of subcommittee, which, for those not bobbing for campaign contributions, was thought to be the most likely outcome.
Time and time again during Gov. Mark Sanford‘s tenure, we have seen him and his out-of-state-funded proxies doing their usual, which is using their massive amounts of money to make their disproportionately-vocal minority look like a majority.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The school choice lobby managed to pick off one idiosyncratic Democrat, but they cannot even secure a majority of Republican legislators for the plan.
Day after day, South Carolinians for Responsible Government, S.C. Club for Growth, S.C. Policy Council and a number of Sanford shell groups have been banging the drum on this issue. They are fueled by large grants and donations from foundations run by super-wealthy people (so far on the edge that they make John Birchers look sane) and other fellow-travelers from the Lowcountry and across the country.
It seems, however, that a couple dozen foundations and a couple hundred high-rollers do not a majority make, especially when they couldn’t accomplish Sanford’s attempted coup on the General Assembly last year.
The need to commit to comprehensive reforms in South Carolina schools has been around practically since the beginning of public education in this state. Like other parts of the South, educating the less-well off (first whites, then both whites and blacks) was never a big priority for the people in power.
Now, here we are, with a lobby of political operatives with deep pockets who would rather eschew the past and nuance and try to put a bumper sticker slogan into legislation.
Hence, why even legislators who may be predisposed to support a version of private school choice will not back a bill like S. 520. Sometimes, with a bill, it isn’t what the bill says, it’s who is pushing it. And, when you can’t trust the motivations of the lobby backing the bill, it’s pretty damn hard to press the “yea” button.
For six years, Gov. Mark Sanford has done all he can to alienate himself from his own party, poison the political atmosphere (which should have been impossible) and show how not to lead.
He also heralded the front line presence of South Carolinians for Responsible Government, S.C. Club for Growth, S.C. Policy Council and a myriad of Sanford shell groups.
Until former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel’s cocaine bust, he was the obvious heir apparent for this small, but well-funded and vocal, lobby. Hell, Ravenel was even best buds with Mallory Factor.
But, here we are, with three major candidates for governor, none of which is an easy fit with Howard Rich‘s heimwehren. If last year is any indicator, even with a coordinated attack, these groups had to rely on one man, some mistakes, and pure political skullduggery on one particular race, to get just a few key people elected to the General Assembly.
And, some of those guys might as well make plans to go back to the day job full time as of the next cycle.
Still, this lobby cannot do what they like, the Governor is acting like a spoiled child, and the leadership in the House and the Senate is just a little hostile.
Right now, all Team Sanford has to bet on is Karen Floyd, one of theirs. She will be the next chairman of the S.C. Republican Party. But, as has been said, she was the only statewide Republican to lose in 2006 and still has tens of thousands of dollars in campaign debt to pay off.
Unless Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer‘s involvement with Floyd’s firm is him tipping his cards to Project Mayhem, Sanford’s stormtroopers are going to be even more marginalized than they are already.
