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SCTA 60-SECOND SPOT BEGINS RUNNING WEDNESDAY
The Tax Day Tea Parties held across South Carolina two weeks ago motivated me to take action.
I wanted to do something to fight for the average citizen and defend the rights of taxpayers. Frankly, the economic crisis we’re facing has created a real need for someone to advocate what’s best for ordinary citizens and free enterprise.
So I formed a nonprofit organization called the South Carolina Taxpayers Association to empower taxpayers and to give ordinary citizens a voice on important issues without fear of retribution from individuals in power.
And I’m truly excited about the possibilities for the SCTA.
The first issue we chose to tackle was Gov. Mark Sanford’s refusal to accept $700 million in discretionary federal stimulus funds. We chose this because it directly relates to what’s best for taxpayers.
And the issue also called out for an explanation of why the stimulus legislation was a bad idea but, now that it’s law, we must do the right thing for our taxpayers.
As I’ve written countless times on The Palmetto Scoop, I agree with Sanford that the stimulus legislation should have never been passed. But we lost that fight.
If we don’t take our share of the money, it will go to some other state like New Jersey and South Carolinians will still be on the hook to pay off the debt. That just doesn’t make any sense.
So we started raising money from private donors and reached out to media guru Bob McAlister to help produce a 60-second television spot encouraging Sanford to “Take the Money.”
The ad will begin running Wednesday along the coast in some of the less expensive markets with the intent to run it statewide as SCTA continues to raise funds.
And since this is a grassroots campaign aimed at fighting for taxpayers, I welcome your feedback and your support.
I think he’s stupid; like it or not SC tax payers will continue to pay taxes, so why refuse something were paying for anyway?
I totally agree with and support Governor Sanford. There are all kinds of strings attached to accepting government money and are with this stimulus package. It’s like getting a loan to pay bills that you can’t afford to pay. You will never come out ahead! Some of you are thinking about today and the near future. What about our children that are going to have to pay this back for years to come. We are signing their names to a contract that they would not agree to.
“No, Governor Sanford, do not give in unless we can pay down our debt.”
God bless you, Governor.
Linda Sutton
Linda,
You’re absolutely right. But what you’re forgetting is that WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS EITHER WAY.
This is exactly like a loan, and it comes with an unreasonably high rate of interest that will likely bankrupt future generations of Americans.
But that’s going to happen regardless of whether we take the money or not. The loan has already been issued and there’s nothing we can do about that.
However, if we accept the money, we can at least get something to help offset the future burden. If we don’t accept it, that money is going to go somewhere else and we have nothing to show for it except the bill.
- A.F.
This is Henry’s platform? Sanford is too conservative? Good luck with that.
elroy – Glad you could drag your whiny self back to TPS… it’s been a while.
A. Henry who? Brown? McMaster? Ford? Either way, I speak only for myself and the SCTA. The rest of those folks are responsible for their own platforms.
B. If you think it’s “conservative” to give away money that you’re already paying for, then good luck with that.
Will you release the names of your donors?
House turns back bill giving Sanford contol of ESC
Some House lawmakers are sore over Gov. Mark Sanford’s refusal to accept $700 million in stimulus money — and they’re letting him know by thumbing their nose at legislation the governor favors.
Wednesday, in a close 56 to 54 vote, House members turned back a bill to put the governor in charge of the Employment Security Commission. Government restructuring has long been a goal of the governor who has criticized the Employment Security Commission.
Under the bill, the ESC’s three commissioners would have been relegated to roles as hearing officers. A director would have been appointed by the governor to head the agency. The governor, with approval from the Senate, could fire the director.
The ESC has come under fire as the state’s unemployment rose to second highest in the nation and a state fund to pay unemployment insurance ran dry. Sanford has questioned the accuracy of ESC data.
“Why would we give the governor control of the ESC?” said Rep. Ted Vick, D-Chesterfield. “I think it’s rewarding bad behavior.”
http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2009/04/house-turns-back-bill-giving-sanford-contol-of-esc.html
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Ok you want feedback. I think your group should go after this stupid so called South Carolina Education Opportunity Act. Fiscal conservatives should be outraged.
This is a bill which proposes to give tax credits to people who send their kids to private school. What the heck? I don’t even have kids in school and I already pay for a public school system. Why should I let some guy out of paying his fair share of the state’s bills, so that he can send his kids to private school rather than the school I am already providing? This does nothing more than run up the state’s debt. How can someone possibly support lower taxes, less debt, and paying people to send their kids to private schools? Give me a break.
Adam – let’s start with the fact that the RQA overlords have set this one up with you as the figurehead.
Then let’s watch it all play out, Graham creates high drama by questioning the constitutionality of the Clyburn provision. McMaster crafts an opinion to put it on the Governor alone to request the money. Then two hack trial lawyers (hey, doesn’t RQA do work for the trial lawyers?) push a child out to sue ‘the State’ and not the Governor, so we can hide behind that whole 11th Amendment thing. Get the Supreme Court to address the obvious issue of ripeness and voila – the General Assembly has ‘de facto authority’ to spend the money. Yeah, yeah, you’ll feign ignorance and talk conspiracy, but even you have to admit it’s not too hard to connect the dots.
I’ll even give you the Rex Rice for Congress Commission. Funny, meaningless, but sure sounds good.
Here’s a nutty thought, Sanford said he would take the stimulus if the General Assembly would pay down debt. Call his bluff, put some money down on the line. Not the whole thing, just something. They just can’t can they. Your clients have paved the way for this mess, but let’s not let that get in the way of the RQA train. They’re gonna run the state, amirite?
Does this group have a contact number or any contact information available? Do they want to know the rest of the story, you know Adam, the story you won’t touch, the one about Social Security being privatized already by our elected elite/ because I have ALL the details.
I agree the bill was wrong, take the cash.
And I want to know who the state of SC owes, how much and who Governor Sanford wants to cut a check to to pay this debt. We all have a right to know.
SC Retirement System HAS LOST OVER TEN BILLION $10,000,000,000.00
FOLLOW THE MONEY
11-12-2007
Bob Borden, chief investment officer of the South Carolina Retirement Systems Investment, overseeing the state’s $30 billion in public retirement assets are now investing in roughly a dozen new asset classes – and moving more than $20 billion into a combination of portable alpha, derivative overlay…
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33521317_ITM
8-14-2008
“SC adopted a plan in February to invest as much as 45 percent of its $29 billion in hedge funds, private equity, real estate and other alternatives, from nothing 18 months ago”.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aDC_42LM.oj4&refer=us
8-18-2008
COLUMBIA —“ SC state pension managers see a chance for their $29 billion fund to profit from the real estate collapse that has affected much of the country.”
The managers see commercial real estate as a good value, saying it could return double-digit profits for the state’s current and future retirees…
But critics worry the commercial real estate market, including office buildings, malls and shopping centers, could suffer the same drop in prices that has hit home- owners, threatening money meant to pay for the retirements of tens of thousands of state workers.
Borden …said because real estate has lost so much value in the past two years, now is the time to buy.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/aug/18/fund_likes_looks_real_estate/
10-18-2008
Officials say state pensions healthy Despite losing $2 billion in value this year as the stock market has sunk …said the state’s pension system is healthy enough to weather the storm. Pension systems, said SCRS director Peggy Boykin, are designed to withstand short-term problems with the stock market. With $23 billion in value, she said, the fund is able to meet its commitment to retirees…
12-7-2008
While state employees watch for furloughs and pink slips from St. Nick, one man is getting a $176,000 stocking stuffer. Bob Borden already makes $353,500 a year as CIO …Now, he’s getting a six-figure bonus check, which is 50% of his salary. Even though Borden’s buds claim he’s doing a really, really good job…
http://www.indigojournal.com/tag/Bonus
4/15/2009
“The state might be forced to look at cutting future benefits to its retirees or increasing the amount of general-fund budget dollars flowing into the fund.”
…the fund has shrunk dramatically from its $29 billion high last fall to where it resides today, close to $19.5 billion. That nearly 30 percent decline was spiked last September when the fund saw a $2 billion single-day drop as the stock market collapse began in earnest.
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=11012506084548046&ShowArticle_ID=11011504090575666
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