Tag: Republican

Southerners Don’t Care How You Did It Up North

Certain events in the local political arena over the last year have made me understand much more completely why Southerners say, ‘We don’t care how you do it up north.’

Tip O’Neill told us all politics are local. What he didn’t tell us is it takes a transplant a long time to truly understand all the intricacies of ‘local.’

As a transplant from the north myself 32 years ago, I know there is a certain amount of resentment someone from the north can expect to experience after relocating permanently to the south.

I always attributed it to that ‘Civil War thing.’ After all, if your ancestors were on the receiving end of one of the biggest ass kickings in military history from my ancestors, you have a right to be a bit resentful.

There is also a significant difference in the general way the two regions view the political spectrum of ideologies, which I felt was a major reason Southerners didn’t want Northerners messing about too much in their politics.

Can’t blame anyone for that attitude.

Some transplants from the north have operated effectively in the local political arena. Loftus comes immediately to mind in local politics and Mark Kelly on the state level in earlier times.

However, it’s certainly a fact that the most effective politicians during my three plus decades of direct observation in Horry County have been those home grown natives with deep roots in the local area.

Most transplants who have tried their luck at running for local political office have been unsuccessful, except when one transplant was running against another transplant, which has happened, if rarely.

Much of that limited success can be attributed to ‘We don’t care how you do it up north.’

Recently, however, several transplants from the north have truly demonstrated how not to do it in local politics.

Yesterday, one local transplant, Dick Withington, was arrested for trying to get another transplant, incumbent Horry County Council District 4 member Gary Loftus, to pay Withington not to oppose Loftus in the upcoming election for Loftus’ seat.

Horry County Council Tax Explosion

Horry County Council is spending your tax dollars like a bunch of drunken sailors making a port call.

The council voted 6-5 to amend the FY 2016 budget to include a countywide tax increase of 7.2 mils for the general fund, to increase the business license fees and to raise the road fee to $50 for every vehicle registered in the county.

Council chairman Mark Lazarus was joined by council members Al Allen, Bill Howard, Johnny Vaught, Gary Loftus, and James Frazier in voting yes for the tax increase.

This is an increase of 20% on general fund operating millage and 67% on the vehicle road fee. The increase of 7.2 mils for the general fund is the maximum limit allowed by state law or council probably would have gone higher.

This comes on top of a 6 mil tax increase (50%) for the fire fund in all the unincorporated areas of the county approved two years ago.

And not that many years before, council added 3 mils (100%) to the waste recycling fee in the unincorporated areas of the county.

It used to be if you lived in the city you could expect fairly routine tax increases, albeit for a higher level of services. Now, that holds true for tax increases in the unincorporated areas of Horry County just not for the level of services.

To paraphrase former Republican senator Everett Dirksen, a few mils here, a few mils there, pretty soon it adds up to real money.

Of course, Dirksen was speaking against federal tax and spend programs.

In Horry County, it’s the Republicans who have proudly become the tax and spend party.

Reaching Your Dreams, Honor Black History Month

By Jordan Cooper

The opportunity for reaching your dreams is open to every American. Opportunity for having the type of family and career you desire is guaranteed to all. But, the outcome of your efforts is not set in stone.

As all Americans celebrate Black History Month in February, we must continue to rely on our attitude, preparation, and effort to help us achieve our goals.

As Blacks we must remember constantly to speak this, to show that we are the resilient, future people that our forefathers fought to get equality for.

Two Republican Candidates Cleared for Ballot

Two Republican Candidates Cleared for Ballot

Two Dorchester County Republican candidates were cleared to be on the November general election ballot Monday when a lawsuit challenging their certification was dismissed by Circuit Judge Howard King.

Ed Carter, Republican nominee for House District 97 and Carroll Duncan nominee for Dorchester County Council District 5 will be on the November ballot. GOP candidate Sean Bennett, who defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Mike Rose in the June primary for Senate District 38, still awaits a ruling from King on his status.

This case has been bizarre from the beginning. After the June 12th primary balloting, the Dorchester County Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against the county and state GOP and the county and state election commission claiming Republican non-incumbent candidates had not filed candidacy paperwork properly.

Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment Repealed

Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment Repealed

Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment, “Thou shall not speak ill of any Republican,” died in Lexington, South Carolina on Monday night. The party’s executive committee approved a resolution that GOP Party officers may now support non-Republican candidates in the upcoming November general election.

The resolution only formalized what has been going on in Lexington County and around South Carolina for months. Speaking ill of other Republicans has become the sport of this election season.

A second resolution to try and run incumbent Sen. Jake Knotts out of the party failed, but demonstrates the political infighting currently rampant within the party. Knotts is expected to be opposed in the fall by petition candidate Katrina Shealy, best friend of Gov. Nikki Haley. Knotts is the Republican nominee. Shealy will have the support of the state’s nominal top Republican office holder.

Lexington GOP Knottso Smart

Lexington GOP Knottso Smart

The most foolish thing I have seen in this year’s election cycle so far is a resolution “regarding” Sen. Jake Knotts proposed by the leadership of the Lexington County Republican Party.

The resolution proposes to censure Knotts and kick him out of the Republican Party. Why? Essentially, for being smarter than his opponents.
Included in its whereases are statements that Knotts: “orchestrated a lawsuit that took advantage of a deeply flawed and contradictory law concerning the filing of a “Statement of Economic Interests,” and “selfishly abused the law in order to eliminate his opposition from the ballot for the June 12, 2012 GOP primary.”

It is well known that Sen. Knotts and Gov. Nikki Haley don’t have much use for each other. Haley’s BFF Katrina Shealy filed to run against Knotts in the Republican primary for his Senate seat.