Recent Posts

Getting Economic Growth Back on Track

Economic growth continues in Asia while it stagnates in America. Even though Singapore and Hong Kong have the heavy hand of government involved in infrastructure planning, their private sector continues to boom.

I cast my ballot early because I had to be in Hong Kong and Singapore when Americans voted for president of the United States on Nov. 6. I’ve been following the election closely, but I was struck by how closely everyone in Asia paid attention, also. It seems to those in Asia that we have lost our way.

I didn’t have to look far beyond my hotel window to see the expanse of cranes erecting new buildings, too many to count, across each country.

Continue Reading →

Beyond Venture Socialism

It’s a safe assumption that American citizens, no matter their party affiliation, believe government is wasteful. Government programs never come in on budget, as the recent and predictable example of the Affordable Care Act demonstrates. The American people were told that the ACA would cost $900 billion in ten years, but the latest estimates by the CBO indicate that it will cost a staggering $2.6 trillion in its first in that same time period. This does not even begin to include the multitudes of anecdotal stories we have all heard about government agencies spending hundreds of dollars on relatively inexpensive items such as hammers. We hear these accounts and accept them as, perhaps, exaggerations of actual government waste.

Continue Reading →

The Re-election Lies of Mark Suben

Every so often, a story breaks that demonstrates everything that is wrong with American politics. Such is the case with Cortland County (NY) district attorney Mark Suben and the manner in which he lied his way to re-election last week.

According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, Suben was re-elected to his second term as Cortland County district attorney by a 9,815 to 7,507 vote margin over opponent Keith Dayton.

Here’s the hitch, in the last weeks before the election, information surfaced that Suben had acted in pornographic movies in the early 1970’s. Suben categorically denied the information, telling a reporter, “I didn’t make porno movies, That’s a categorical ‘No.’ That’s the truth.”

Continue Reading →

South Carolina Trails in Secession Protest

Seven states have already garnered the required 25,000 signatures on their secession protest petitions and South Carolina is not numbered among them.

Texas is in the lead with over 100,000 signatures with Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee reported to have over 30,000 signatures each.

Once a petition reaches 25,000 signatures, the White House will make a statement on the issue at some time.

It is distressing that South Carolina trails so miserably in this effort. Where is the fervor the state demonstrated in December 1860? Where are James Chestnut, James Hammond and William Gist when you need them?

Continue Reading →

Secession Again?

An unpopular (in some regions) candidate wins a close election in a sharply divided country to serve as president over the next four years. Sounds like a good reason for secession.

1860?

No, 2012, but, once again the secession beat is being heard in South Carolina and thoughts of James L. Petigru come to mind.

Elements in the state are trying to revisit history as new petitions to secede from the Union emerged on the White House website over the weekend following the presidential election.

Continue Reading →
Martin Luther’s Revolution: Democracy is Born

Martin Luther’s Revolution

This Sunday, many protestant churches will recognize the Reformation of the Catholic Church. But I say everyone should stop, pause, because Martin Luther’s actions have a much larger, ripple affect, extending far beyond church doctrine.

In Europe during the 16th Century, several key events inspired Martin Luther’s revolutionary action:

1. The Pope wanted to build Saint Peter’s Basilica – the crown jewel of the Vatican. But there was one small problem. The Church was broke.

2. When the Pope approached Venetian bankers to finance is vision, they balked at the Church’s credit.

3. In return, the Papacy devised a plan to satisfy the Church’s debt to the bankers. Indulgences—payments to the Church so that parishioners could buy a loved one’s ticket into heaven.

4. St. Peter’s Basilica becomes the first building to be built on credit.

Continue Reading →

Freedom Works Weighs In on District 56

Over the last two days, I have received two e-mails from FreedomWorks, an initial statement and an expanded statement after I requested one. The statement is here in full:

October 25, 2012

Statement from Allen Page, Southeast Regional Director, FreedomWorks

Yesterday, I released the following statement. The statement was sent to Mr. Paul Gable.

Continue Reading →

Obesity Rates in the U.S. Running Amok

Obesity rates in the U.S. are projected to increase dramatically over the next 20 years, according to a report released yesterday by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.

The report projects nearly two of every three South Carolinians (62.9%) will be obese by the year 2030. Obesity rates in the U.S. are projected to increase dramatically over the next 20 years, according to a report released yesterday by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.

We are already halfway there as 2011 obesity rates list one of three (30.8%) of South Carolinians currently obese.
And it’s not just South Carolina. The whole nation is out of control weight wise.

Continue Reading →

Why All the Secrecy

Several days ago, we ran a story about how South Carolina ranks dead last among the 50 states for freedom of information access to government information. Thursday night, we learned that Horry County is attempting to rank at the bottom of the state’s 46 counties for public disclosure of information about its actions.

Horry County Council voted 7-2 Thursday night to pass first reading of an ordinance that would allow the issuance of $8 million of general obligation debt while refusing to publicly state what the money will be used for. Council members Harold Worley and Marion Foxworth voted no on the ordinance while members Brent Schulz, Paul Price and Paul Prince were not present at the meeting.

This vote took place during the second specially called council meeting in three days, both dedicated to executive sessions on a Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation initiative called “Project Blue.”

Continue Reading →
SCGOP Must Sacrifice Leadership to Preserve the Party

Sacrifice Leadership, Preserve the Party

This election cycle has not been a simple one. Many disqualified candidates and several unsuccessful appearances in court by party attorneys have made headlines.

However, in his most outrageous action yet, state GOP Chairman Chad Connelly recently took it upon himself to disqualify Ed Harris as the party nominee for S.C. House District 3, even though Harris is fully qualified.

Harris was certified to be on the ballot, won the primary election and withstood a challenge to certification as the Republican nominee. Yet, faced with the threat of a lawsuit and another hearing before the Supreme Court, Connelly folded like a cheap suit and disqualified Harris at the 11th hour.

Continue Reading →
1 … 48 49 50 51 52 … 69