THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

How many of you received that Berkeley County telephone survey yesterday?

Here are a few of the questions asked:

"Do you think BC is headed in the right or wrong direction?"

"Since there are four candidates running for County Supervisor in 2014, Dan Davis, William Peagler, Jerry Beckley, and Larry Groomes, who will you support or are you undecided?"

"Will you be supporting your present County Councilman in the 2014 election or are you undecided?"

Well, isn't that special?

Since Senator Groomes has stated repeatedly that he has no interest in the position of County Supervisor, who would want to muddy the election waters with this type of rumor?  Who could benefit from this scenario? With Senator Groomes so accessible to deny this rumor, who would dumb enough to think it could work?  Could this be a sign of "somebody's" panic?

HE SAID WHAT?

It seems our parents were correct when they said, "If you wait long enough, the truth will out."

Last night on Fox News, one of the co-authors of ObamaCare, a Harvard (I'm MUCH smarter than you) professor admitted, under pressure, a few morsels of truth.

1. The drafters of the ACA knew the destruction of the private insurance market was part of the law from the start.
2.  Moving "customers" from the private market to the exchanges is mandatory for the success of the ACA.
3.  Even with the miserably low numbers who have signed up, 90% are either the "very sick" or eligible for "free" care.  Both are an unsustainable financial drain on the system.
4. Young, healthy "customers" are staying away in droves.
5.  The one year delay "fix" the president announced yesterday will have to turn the situation around within that year or the entire plan will fail.
6.  With only the "very sick" and those who will be paying nothing signed up in the exchanges, unanticipated "contributions" to the plan will be necessary for this first year.  He, finally, admitted that this meant the federal government would be obliged to not only subsidize the cost of the care provided by the exchanges but, also, reimburse the insurance companies for their losses. In case you don't know, the federal government gets its funding for US, the taxpayers.

So, the picture of Obama's plan is very clear and simple:  Obama designed a plan knowing at least 5 MILLION Americans would lose their health coverage right out of the chute.  When these 5 MILLION Americans lost their health coverage and complained, Obama declared they could keep their coverage, even though it is virtually impossible for the insurance companies to reverse this colossus within the time frame, if at all.  As a pleasant side affect, these same 5 MILLION taxpayers have the pleasure of subsidizing the negative results of the plan that cannot be reversed.

Folks, we couldn't make this stuff up if we tried.  And, we couldn't find a better example of the failure of Socialism.  The policy holders lose.  The taxpayers lose.  The insurance companies lose.  The economy loses.  And the greatest irony of all, even Socialism loses because over half of the country have had their eyes opened to the deceit and incompetence of our leadership.  There is no way for this mess to go but further downhill.  THANK GOD.

NO CHALLENGE HERE

It's disappointing and almost no fun when a political situation becomes void of challenge and surprise.  After the president's remarks today, that seems to be the case.  One would have expected some really clever maneuver executed to confound and put the Conservatives at some sort of disadvantage.  Instead, a plan was laid out that a five year old could see right through.

Mr. Obama announced that he was very concerned about those who had lost their health insurance plans without mentioning that the number at question is 5 MILLION and growing.  Instead, he referred to the comparatively small number.  Without a great deal of fanfare, he casually outlined how the problem would be solved.  He said he would "administratively" disallow the portion of the ACA that dictates to the insurance companies the required coverage contained in the policies they are allowed to sell. He went on to say that, if the insurance companies choose, they can restore the cancelled policies to the 5 million subscribers.  RED FLAG, RED FLAG.

FIRST ISSUE:

HOW THE HELL CAN THIS MAN, UNILATERALLY,  CHOOSE THE PARTS OF THE LAW THAT MUST BE OBEYED AND THE PARTS THAT DO NOT HAVE TO BE OBEYED?  If an act of Congress was required to pass this law, why does it not require the same kind of action to amend it?  And more importantly, why are the members of Congress silent on this issue? If the LEFT tries to introduce legislation to amend the ACA and the RIGHT refuses to cooperate, the LEFT will attempt to attach blame for this mess to the RIGHT.

SECOND ISSUE:

The insurance companies have spent over two years retooling their businesses to comply with the requirements of the ACA.  They have analyzed their policies and cancelled the appropriate ones. In CA alone, BCBS has cancelled over a million policies and the company has moved its business out of the state. How simple will it be for them to reverse theses actions?  How much money that cannot be recouped would a reversal cost the company?  Who, in their right mind, would think the insurance companies would agree to go along with such an insane plan?

Also, each of the states have specific insurance regulations and any policies offered must be approved by 50 individual State Insurance Commissions.  Even if the insurance companies agreed to this plan, the red tape of state approvals could take as much as a year.  This won't do a thing to help the people who have their coverage ending in January 2014.

THIRD ISSUE:

Exactly how stupid and gullible does Barack Hussein Obama think the American people are?  A blind man on a galloping horse could see this one coming.  After a few weeks pass and none of the 5 MILLION have had their insurance policies reinstated, you can bet the farm, the President and his willing stooges will be out there on every venue trying to blame the insurance companies and the states.   If the Conservatives fail to cooperate with any Liberal legislation, an attempt will be made to blame them for the failure of ObamaCare.

As recently as 6 months ago, this kind of maneuver may have stood a small chance of success but, with BO's record of telling big black lies to the American people, his chances of of getting away with this one is somewhere between slim and none.

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS

FACT:  Almost 5 MILLION Americans have lost their health care insurance since ObamaCare was launched on the 1st of October.

FACT:  ObamaCare was designed to incorporate these Americans into the ObamaCare system.

FACT:  The revenue realized from premiums paid by these Americans was intended to support the non-paying participants of ObamaCare.

FACT:  Over 90% of those who have signed up for ObamaCare have entered the FREE expanded Medicaid program.

FACT:  Less than 50,000 (we don't know the exact number) of the needed 500,000,  have signed up for policies requiring paid premiums.


When attempting an intelligent conversation on almost any subject, we have found that it is not usually advisable to incorporate the words "always" and "never". BUT, when discussing the mindset of the Liberal, Progressive philosophy, an exception can legitimately be made.  Empirical evidence gleaned from actual history, going back as far as the early 20th century, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Liberals, Progressives ALWAYS follow a pattern.  Wilson's efforts toward a Liberal, Progressive utopia was soundly rejected by the American people and was followed by the greatest economic boom in history.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives ALWAYS think they are more intelligent than everyone else.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives NEVER consider the results of actual historical facts to be legitimate.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives ALWAYS think, had they been in charge of the failed effort, the result would have been positive.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives ALWAYS think a failed effort would have been successful if only it had been pushed to a higher degree and more money had been committed.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives NEVER see reality as it exists but ALWAYS see the world as they wish it exists or could exist.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives NEVER acknowledge the law of UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives can ALWAYS find a way to blame the failure of their efforts on someone else.

FACT:  Liberals, Progressives ALWAYS consider their positions and opinions to be beyond reproach and none of their attacks on their critics is unreasonable or undeserved.


Before ObamaCare became law, Conservatives tried desperately to point out the flaws in this system. Conservatives provided facts AND figures that proved the program was doomed to failure.  Liberals, Progressives maintained, "Our minds are made up so don't confuse us with the facts."

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
Millions of Americans will lose their existing healthcare coverage.

RESULT:
5 Million Americans have lost their healthcare coverage.

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
These Americans will NOT accept higher premiums to buy ObamaCare policies.

RESULT:
The 5 MILLION who have had their policies cancelled have NOT signed up for ObamaCare.

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
More people will sign up for FREE health care than those who will pay.

RESULT:
90% of people who have signed up have opted for free Medicaid.

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
Young people will NOT sign up for expensive plans.

RESULT:
Young people have opted to avoid coverage and pay the fine.

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
This program will put an unsustainable burden on the economy.

RESULT:
Now the government is considering subsidizing the independent issuance pool.

CONSERVATIVE WARNING:
The ObamaCare website was not ready for launch.

RESULT:
The ObamaCare website crashed on the first day.

Many other Conservative warnings and Liberal, Progressive results have yet to come to light as this train wreck develops.  As the reality of ObamaCare unfolds, it is exasperating, almost beyond the level of endurance,  to watch the Liberal, Progressive reaction to the predictable results.  NOW, all the Liberal, Progressive talking heads are insisting the Conservatives MUST work with the designers of this fiasco to find a "FIX" for the problems.

When all Conservatives were standing on the runway, desperately waving their arms in warning, the Liberals, Progressives insisted that the plane take off.  It was of no consequence to them that the wings on their plane were hanging on by a thread or that there was no fuel in the tanks.  BUT, now that the plane has, as predicted by the Conservatives, CRASHED into a mountain, the Liberals, Progressives insist the Conservatives are obligated to help create solutions to the problems.  Exactly when did Conservatives become culpable for this mess?

As usual, Liberals, Progressives have placed Conservatives in an untenable position. It is unarguable that a solution must be found in order to literally save the lives of millions of Americans.  Conservatives will not stand idly by and let the worst happen.  Liberals, Progressives know this about Conservatives.  Conservatives ACTUALLY care and they will do everything in their power to extricate these 5 million Americans from this Gordian Knot.  BUT, when Conservatives act to mitigate the damage,  one unfortunate side affect will be that political cover for the 2014 elections will be provided for the Liberals, Progressives who solely created the problem in the first place.

Even with the efforts of every Conservative, we see a conundrum.  Exactly how does anyone put this genie back in the bottle?  How can the insurance companies reinvent the 5 million policies that have been declared ILLEGAL by ObamaCare and removed from the market?  Even if these policies suddenly were declared LEGAL, how long would it take the individual state Insurance Commissions, under existing state laws, to evaluate and approve them?  At best, this process would take far longer than the January 2014 deadline when these policies expire.  And, with no federal contributions, how will the states find the funding to support the expanded ObamaCare Medicaid programs?

As usual, the delusional, pie-in-the-sky Liberals, Progressives have created a problem that has no solutions and they are standing there with their heads planted securely up their ideals waiting for Conservatives to pull their fat from the fire.  And, some have the audacity to suggest that history doesn't repeat itself.

SHALL WE REASON TOGETHER?

Mr. President, in your eternal wisdom, you created ObamaCare.

Prior to your actions, 85% of Americans had some sort of health insurance, either paid for by themselves or their employers.  That left 15% uninsured but a considerable number of that 15% had free health care under Medicaid.  A very small number of those remaining were caught in the bind of either having too much income to qualify for government coverage or not having the  ability to afford coverage on their own.

Prior to your plan, the 85% of Americans sought out and purchased health care plans that met their individual needs.  EXAMPLES:

• A 60 year old retired couple chose a plan that would cover prescription drugs, office visits, and hospitalization.  
• A 25 year old single man would opt for a simple catastrophic plan that would cover care should he be involved in an accident and require extended hospitalization.  If he needed to visit a doctor one or two times a year, he would pay out of his pocket.  Most times he would have no need for prescription drug coverage.  
• A young family man would choose a policy to cover general care with additional maternity care and pediatric care.  Each paid premiums according to the coverage they chose.

Once more,  Mr. President, in your eternal wisdom, you had the bright idea that it would be better to destroy the entire existing system than to address the individual problems.  But, you made every effort to kept this fact a closely guarded secret. A few radical racists found out about your plans and tried to warn the public but  you took every opportunity to debunk those who only wished to panic the country and assured every American that there was no cause for concern. When these troublemaking liars said Americans were going to lose their existing insurance plans, you made speech after speech declaring, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, period" and "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan, period". There are over 40 taped examples of you making these statements.

All the time you were making these speeches and assuring the American public there was no need for concern, you knew these claims were false.  You knew what was coming and you chose to give misinformation to the public.  Early on, before your plan was passed into law, there were detailed discussions within your administration about how much information should be made available to the public.  The political arm of your administration vetoed the wishes of the governing arm to come clean about your plan.  The political arm prevailed because 'there was not one vote to spare' and it was decided 'if certain senators and representatives knew the full depth of your plan, they might bolt', resulting in the failure of the entire effort.

So, Mr. President, you kept your secrets and consistently provided misinformation to the American people.

As the flower called ObamaCare began to unfurl, the reality of your plan became obvious.  Your plan has literally put the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans in jeopardy due to the loss of their existing health insurance.  But, that was the plan all along, wasn't it, Mr. President?  Instead of the thousands of individual plans on the market, your new law allowed for only a few that you deemed acceptable and the insurance companies were force by law to comply with your wishes.   According to your logic, that 60 year old retired couple has to be covered for in-vitro fertilization and infant care.  That 25 year old single man has to have pre-natal and pediatric coverage.  That young family man can function very well with a $16,000 deductible.

For your information, Mr. President, since you have so little experience in the area, here's an example of Business 101.  Insurance companies are "for profit" concerns.  The premiums they charge must be commensurate with the coverage provided.  The more areas of coverage provided, the higher the premiums.   Are you getting this?  When your law dictates that insurance companies provide every possible area of coverage, your outraged reaction to higher premiums or the cancellations of policies that do not meet the criteria of your law is more than disingenuous and misleading.

As these realities of your plan become widely known, Americans have begun to react.  The national media, are accurately reporting for the first time on negative individual events brought about as a result of your plan.  The facts surrounding development and execution of your plan are being brought to light.  Your actions and intentions are being brought into question.

So how, pray tell, Mr. President, did you react to these negative reports?  Did you ask for a prime time slot to formally address the nation?  NO.  With the country in utter chaos as a direct result of your actions, you arranged a simple casual interview with a sympathetic reporter.  AND, you had the unadulterated gall to say, "I am sorry if some people 'find themselves' in a bad situation".  Mr. President, these people DID NOT "FIND THEMSELVES" in this situation.  YOU, SIR, PUT THEM INTO THIS SITUATION.

Mr. President, let's look at a simple outline of where we "find ourselves" at this juncture:

1.  The ObamaCare law is making it necessary for insurance companies to raise premiums for adding the new law's compulsory coverage.

2.  The ObamaCare law is forcing insurance companies to cancel policies that do not meet the criteria of the new law.

3.  People who are losing coverage because they can't afford the new policies initially provided by the insurance companies are being forced into the ObamaCare network.

4.  Most of these people can't even investigate alternatives to their old policies which expire in January 2014 because the ObamaCare website is a dysfunctional disaster.

5.  In addition to being put in the dangerous position of having their families uninsured in January, these same people are facing fines for not having coverage if they don't choose a plan from the ObamaCare network.

6.  Many who successfully access the website are finding they can't afford the policies offered there either.

Let's see if we have this correct, Mr. President.  Because of your law, people are having vital services they want taken away from them and replaced with services they don't want, don't need, and can't afford to pay for.  Insurance companies are being forced by law to take away what customers want; replacing these desired vital services with those people don't want, don't need and can't afford to pay for.  If Americans aren't happy with taking this tack, they can try to obtain these vital services by accessing a website that doesn't work or, if it does, has no hope of security for sensitive information provided.  These new service networks provided under your law might or might not give them access to their preferred doctor or hospital. And to top it all off, if they don't accept what they don't want, don't need, and can't afford to pay for, they will be subjected to a fine for noncompliance, imposed by your law. Do we have it right so far?

Also, Mr. President, I would like to touch on one other small issue.  In every one of your recent speeches, you have touted ObamaCare as the greatest thing to visit the universe in recorded history. You have assured every audience that every American is straining at the bit to get their ObamaCare coverage because they know how wonderful it is.  According to you, ObamaCare will solve the nation's problems and create an absolute utopia for the people.  You assure all Americans that ObamaCare has only an up side and no down side; all positives and no negatives.  In other words, ObamaCare is almost as perfect as you.  

Well, Mr. President, if ObamaCare is all that, why did you decide that you and your family would not participate in the program?  Why did you agree to exclude the entire Executive Branch of government?  Why did you agree to exclude the Legislative and Judicial Branches of government?  For that matter, why did you offer weavers from ObamaCare to over 117 groups of your friends, donors, and supporters?  It would stand to reason that the folks who brought America this wonderful gift would be the first in line to sign up.  And please don't waste your time explaining that you have employer provided insurance so you're not required to participate.  Next July, just a few short months before the 2014 elections,  that shoe has yet to drop.


UPDATE:

Mr. President, thank goodness you are listening to the complaints of the American taxpayers and are making an effort to provide some resolutions to the problems your ObamaCare plan has created.  I especially like this trial balloon:

Since everyone now knows the success of your plan to provide health care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, depends on young healthy people buying the more expensive policies offered by your exchanges.  Unfortunately, the sticker shock of these policies to the healthy people is preventing them from signing up.  Now, you have suggested subsidizing, with government money, the cost of these plans that cost more because they contain coverage young healthy people do not need.

I think we understand.  Your plan to pay for health care for people who don't have any money is to take money from people who can't afford the expensive policies. When these people refuse to spend money they don't have to buy these policies they don't need, you want to subsidize their premiums with these same taxpayers' contribution to government. Being as we are running a deficit, there is no taxpayer money there to take, so we will have to borrow these funds from China.

Makes sense to us.

YET ANOTHER RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY

Marco Rubio stands with the Tea Party on most issues, with immigration not being one of them.  On immigration issues, Rubio is far left of the Tea Party.  This week Rubio introduced a bill in the senate to postpone ObamaCare for a year.  As it stands now, the issue of ObamaCare is turning into a death nell for all Democrats who are standing for reelection in 2014. Republicans who criticized Cruz and the House Tea Party Republicans during the CR debates find themselves in the same boat. Since the rollout of ObamaCare has been such a debacle, these Republicans are going to have to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions.  Specifically, here in SC, Graham is getting more than a bit of pushback.

If a Republican introduces a bill to delay ObamaCare and it passes with Republican support, the Democrats can say the bill is "bipartisan".  This would take a LOT of heat off the Democrats and would lessen the impact of the issue in 2014.  On the other hand, if the Democrats are  forced to introduce a bill to delay ObamaCare themselves, they will own the toxic issue outright. How can they explain away their opposition just three weeks ago, to the point of "shutting down" the government? And how will the Republicans who so violently attacked Cruz and the House Tea Party Republicans, extricate themselves from criticism from their voters?

How would it work if the Republicans in question went to Rubio, a Tea Party favorite, and made a little deal?  "Hey, Marco, if you will introduce this bill and get some of the heat off us, then we will support the "Comprehensive Immigration" bill Obama is proposing". There we go, again, with the conspiracy theories, you know, like ObamaCare.

A GIFT TO BE PROTECTED

Prior to October 1, 2013, the Conservative Republicans in the House and a precious few Conservative Republicans in the Senate unsuccessfully attempted to convince the Obama administration to postpone 

the launch of ObamaCare. The President, the Senate majority, and even some not so conservative Republicans fought these patriots at every turn in the road. The Conservative Republicans in the House put forward numerous versions of “delay” bills only to have them ignored by the Senate leadership and Harry Reid would not even bring these bills up for a vote. The Administration and the Senate Democrats thought this issue of such import that they, in essence, caused the so called “government shutdown". 

Fast forward to October 1, 2013 and the “launch” of ObamaCare. Everything that could go wrong DID go wrong, just as the Conservative Republicans predicted. Access to the site was and still is virtually impossible. Applicants who do gain access to the site either have their personal information mishandled and misdirected or receive erroneous premium quotes. Premiums are exponentially higher than advertised. Even something as simple as the calculator on this site malfunctions.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of existing health insurance policy holders have received notices from their insurers that the policies they are happy with now do not meet the criteria of ObamaCare and these policies will be cancelled as of January 1, 2014. In the state of Florida alone, 300,000 people received these termination letters. This element of the scandal is in its genesis so the number of those affected is growing daily.

For almost two years, that mean old “radical” group in the House and the few in the Senate that represents the dreaded Tea Party have warned of these consequences of ObamaCare. Their warnings have been ridiculed by the Left as being “racist”. These Patriots have been accused of everything from “wanting to starve children” to wanting to “throw granny off the cliff”. These Patriots have been attacked in every scurrilous manner imaginable. The American people they represent have been equally maligned.

As long as the reality of ObamaCare was a thing of the future, the Left could ignore the facts. But, now ObamaCare is a living, breathing entity upon which even the alphabet media can no longer cast a blind eye. The earth is no longer flat and the moon is no longer made of green cheese. It is now apparent to all that ObamaCare is a colossal failure. More importantly for the Conservatives, as it stands now, the Left is the exclusive owner of this disaster.

The record clearly shows that the Conservative Republicans did their level best to warn America of the oncoming train wreck. These Patriots went so far as to put their careers and reputations on the line to save the country from this disaster. To put it bluntly, to protect this country from ObamaCare, the Tea Party representation in DC did everything except stand in from of an actual firing squad organized by the Left. Wouldn't one think, as the 2014s creep ever closer, the Right would recognize the gift that has been given to them?

Obviously not. Already, Marco Rubio has foolishly introduced a bill in the Senate to postpone ObamaCare for a year. This move deserves no other descriptive adjective short of “STUPID” because the success of this bill would give the Left an exit strategy. Why can't the Right be smart enough to just stand there with their mouths CLOSED. Let the disaster roll on for a couple more weeks till the Left can no longer stand the heat. THEN, when the Left proposes a bill to postpone this debacle, the Right can successfully ask questions like, ”We agree that this law is a complete disaster but please tell us exactly what has changed since you shut the government down three weeks ago to prevent a delay?” and “Did not the warnings from the vicious, radical, 'Tea Party' Republicans in both the House and the Senate, outlining the reality of this law, fall on deaf ears before the shutdown?”. The possibilities are endless. With ammunition like this, it is more than conceivable the Conservative Republicans could sweep the 2014 elections. Not only could they unseat the Democrats up for reelection but they could purge the party of the squishy, unreliable “so called” Republicans who failed to support the Conservatives on this and other issues.

Considering the fact that the main street media and the public are turning against the law and the record clearly shows the Conservative Republicans were correct in their assessment of the law, it's not a stretch for the rational mind to think that EVERY Democrat (and the not so conservative Republican) incumbent who supported the rollout of ObamaCare could face a rather dubious reelection effort.

We are all cognizant of the “career politics” system. The Republicans(?) who either failed to support the Conservatives, or actually worked against them, must feel rather uneasy at this point. And they should. As it stands now, if the Democrats fail in their reelection attempts in 2014, so do these Republicans(?). Now, we should all be on the alert for sabotage moves, initiated by the so called Republicans who actively vilified the Tea Party groups in the House and the Senate.

Any attempt to nullify the advantage now held by the true Conservative Republicans, by offering a Republican(?) bill, should be resisted at every opportunity. This country is at a tipping point on so many levels. Allowing a few career politicians, no matter which party, to preserve their positions by removing an advantage from statesmen who wish to preserve the Republic by disallowing this administration to continue its policy insanity, is totally unacceptable.

I urge every true Conservative Republican to expose any such effort AND the Republican(?) who puts it forward. Reject any Republican(?) bill that will remove accountability from the Left. Make this a PUBLIC strategy. Take the “Republicans want SS to whither on the vine” page from the Democrats' play book. During every TV or radio interview, stress that the Conservatives were correct about ObamaCare and the Left was dead WRONG. Drive it in the ground and break it off. Our Republic is at stake and our Republic must be preserved even at the peril of a few political careers.

UPDATE:  NJ just announced that an estimated 800,000 people will receive cancellation letters from their insurance carriers next week.

HERE'S A RADICAL LINE OF THOUGHT

Our government leaders, especially in DC, have lost sight of a few possible reactions to their stupidity.

FACT #1.  These folks in DC, overcome with their own importance, have "shut down the government".  In actuality, the government is still chugging right along.  The only changes that have happened make no sense at all.

• All national monuments have been closed, even the open air ones that require no output of expense.  Actually, it has cost more money to cordon the places off than it cost to keep them open. 
• The Grand Canyon has been "closed".  Exactly how does one accomplish that?  Anyone who has ever visited the Grand Canyon knows there are countless overlooks on the sides of the roads that run along the edge of that hole. Private helicopter and small airplane tours still fly over the thing every day.
• Catholic chaplains in the Armed Forces have been forbidden to celebrate mass, administer sacraments, or even council any military personnel and have been threatened with arrest should they do so.  Chaplains of all other denominations are under the same threat should they conduct their services.
• Parking lots and walking paths have been roped off at sites that are NEVER manned. 
• Sections of the Gulf of Mexico have been put "off limits" to fishing.  These idiots have even closed Biscayne Bay in Miami, disallowing charter fishing boats from passing through to the ocean. How well do you think that's working?
• The majority of federal workers are still on the job or, if not, will receive their paycheck anyway. 
• Now, the feds are forcing PRIVATE BUSINESSES that are located on LEASED federal land to close their doors.  This is being done by FORCE, Folks.

FACT #2.  There are way more of us than there are of them.

There are some verifiable "rumors" going around that a large group of truckers are planning a protest in DC this coming weekend.  This protest is a result of the insane policies and behavior of our government. As the story goes, these demonstrators plan on actually "shutting down DC".  What can DC do to prevent this?  Well, they could set up roadblocks and prevent all large trucks from entering the city. That would stop the protest BUT it would, also, stop the delivery of groceries, gas, and every other essential commodity you could name.  Wouldn't that achieve the same result desired by the demonstrators just using a different route? 

And, even more profound, what would happen if even half of the truckers in the country decided to call in sick for a couple of days? How long would it take for the store shelves to empty?  How long would the supply of gas for your car last? Remember the old saying: IF YOU EAT IT, WEAR IT, TOUCH IT, OR USE IT, IT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY A TRUCK.

What would happen if all the other hard working folks in this country who are fed up with the antics of  this government got the same idea as the truckers?  What would happen if even 1/4 of the non-emergency workers in this country called in sick for a few days?  People like doctors, firemen, police and the like might sympathize with the "sick out" but they would remain on their jobs. The number of participants of the "sick out" would include people employed all the way from Wall Street to your local garbage collector. If DC likes "shut downs" they would love the result of this action.

Viewed from every angle, the federal government has gotten completely out of hand.  This government is no longer being run for the benefit of this country.  It is being run to forward the agendas of a few, much to the peril of the many.  How long will it be and how much more will it take before the many get enough?

PAINFUL TO WATCH

This post falls into the category of "A little knowledge can be dangerous".  Also, this account supports the theory that there exists a portion of the population known as "low information voters".  All in all, this post exhibits just how gullible some people can be when a few dollars are waved under their collective noses.

We are referring to the choreographed support DD received from a portion of the audience at last Thursday's County Council meeting.  This approximately 1/4 of those gathered were uninformed County employees summoned there to support DD's purposed 2013/2014 budget which includes a 3% across the board raise for all County employees.

When DD mentioned the 3% raise, this 1/4 erupted in applause.  When DD "explained" the raise should be taken from those Economic Development funds generated by the LOST and not from the general fund, this 1/4 erupted in applause.  When DD maintained that a simple COLA would not be a good idea, the same 1/4 erupted in applause.  Of course, there was a small minority present who realized the absolute absurdity of it all.

Realizing fully the futility of attempting an explanation, we shall proceed.

A "raise" is just that.  It is a one time event. If a straight 3% raise across the board is implemented, does anyone realize the magnitude of this raise for the head honchos who have had their salaries explode since DD took over?  The first year DD was in office, he increased his salary by 20%. He vehemently denies this fact but the public records don't lie.  Department heads have seen massive increases, many of which have been hidden from public view.  One department head who now "wears two hats" received a $6000 raise in one year.  Legal realized equivalent increases, for "some".   Meanwhile, the $40,000 a year salary for the folks who actually do all the work has remained stagnant.  Is there anyone in this category who truly believes anyone in DD's inner circle works harder or is more productive than you, and, therefore, deserves this discrepancy in compensation?

However, if a COLA is implemented, it means just that, a Cost Of Living Increase.  With a COLA, if rising prices justifies it again next year, another COLA could be implemented without argument.

It may seem of little concern to some as to the origin of funds to pay for any salary increase but where the funds come from should be of vital concern to every taxpayer.  Some on Council want these monies to come out of the general fund.  The general fund is unambiguous. The majority of this revenue is paid as obligatory taxes.  There is no gray area.  BUT, DD wants the necessary funding to come from the LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) funds, which has of late been housed in Economic Development.

On the outside chance that some mentally deficient person out there doesn't know about the origin of these funds, we are referring to the 29% of your property tax relief that DD confiscated a few years ago.  When this particular Local Option Sales Tax was implemented, it was with the understanding and commitment that ALL of the proceeds would go toward property tax relief.  But, being as state law allows local governments to TAKE 29% of this relief if they so choose, DD couldn't resist the temptation to STEAL this money from the taxpayers of BC.

At the original TAKING, DD said he desperately needed this money for a matching funds loan from the State Infrastructure Bank.  He promised he would only need this money for ONE YEAR (check the minutes of the council meeting).  But, as was predicted, once he got his greedy hands on the extra money, the taxpayers were doomed.  That portion of the tax relief was gone until he lost control of council.  First the money was absolutely, positively necessary for the matching funds lie. Then, it was absolutely, positively necessary for capital improvement projects.  At present, these funds are in a "slush fund" to be used for whatever DD desires. (check the minutes of last Thursday's council meeting)

NOTE:  Our regular readers and followers can stop right here.  Your acquired knowledge of the facts, not to speak of your intellectual quotient, precludes your need for these instructions.


Now comes the hard part for those of you out there who find it difficult to walk and chew gum at the same time.  Admittedly,  it will involve a Herculean task on your part, but try to connect the dots:

DD'S PLAN:

1. DD wants to use the 29% of the LOST to fund a one time pay raise for BC employees.
2. This 29%,  before he STOLE it,  was used to lower your property tax burden.
3. After he STOLE this 29%, your tax bill INCREASED.
4. Now, DD wants to partially return, in the form of a pay raise, YOUR money that he STOLE.
5. In simple terms, you are getting a raise with your own STOLEN money.
6. This one time pay RAISE gives you no guarantee for next year.

OPPOSITION PLAN:

1.  Provide a COLA to all employees leaving the possibility of future increases.
2.  Fund the COLA with monies from the non-controversial general fund.
3.  Return the portion of the LOST monies not hopelessly encumbered by DD this year. (approx. 9%)
4.  Untangle the can of worms created by DD so the remainder of the 29% can be refunded next year.
5.  End Result: Employees below the Zillion dollar pay level will realize the equivalent of the 3% raise and, ALSO get back their 29% property tax relief which means LOWER PROPERTY TAX BILLS.

We defy anyone who employes the slightest measure of intellectual integrity to challenge the reasoning of the opposition plan.  Only those with self interest will not agree that this plan will be beneficial to the long term economic benefit of the county and its taxpayers.

It goes without question that DD and the folks who are to benefit from his plan will attack this post from every angle.  We do not ask that anyone blindly accept the statements made here.  The public records that support our claims are readily available.  Do the research for yourselves.  If, in the end, you are drawn into this charade, you have no one to blame but yourselves.

DD is in a state of panic considering the fact that he no longer has the votes to run the finances of BC unilaterally.  Other than DD himself, only God knows how many financial skeletons are buried in BC government.  Won't it be entertaining when all those bones start to rattle?

ANOTHER STUPID CONTROVERSY

The newest Samual Adams beer commercial is in the news now for mis-quoting the US Declaration of Independence by omitting the words "endowed by their Creator".  Everybody and their grandmother has an opinion as to why the commercial was made the way it was.  Some think this is yet another effort to remove God from the culture.  Some think it was a justified effort to separate Church and State.  Some think the company was simply following established Rules against using religion to promote products. In our humble opinion, all these people are over thinking this issue.  The actual reality is that this is sloppy creativity.

It was a deliberate action for the writers of this commercial to incorporate an historic document into their advertisement vehicle.  They should have been responsible enough and astute enough to know any variation from the exact historical text would face widespread criticism. As a result of their carelessness, the product they created turned out to sound really stupid.

What would be the reaction to "Romeo, Oh, Romeo, do you want fries with that?";  or, "Now, Voyager, start your engines."; or "As American as Italian loafers."

Well known quotes from historical document, poems, works of literature, and coined phrases are well known for a reason.  These words are usually profound and meaningful. They convey a message with few words and stick in the mind.  There is almost always a context.  Deviation is, therefore, frowned upon.

Unfortunately, there is nothing new upon the earth.  How many people support "an eye for an eye" and ignore "turn the other cheek"?

OBERVATIONS

For many years, Moncks Corner, SC has held a 4th of July Street Dance at the Old Train Depot.  Many locals jokingly refer to this event as the 4th of July Street "Stand Around And Talk With Your Neighbors" Dance.  The familiar sounds of live beach music and oldies fill the air and some folks DO dance but, in actuality, it IS basically a chat and chew event.  Countless small children run around the area unrestricted.  Adults arrange their lawn chairs in front of whatever stage is set up for the band.  And, folks mill about shaking hands and chatting with everyone else as if they are running for some office or the other.  There is always a food truck where fried catfish or BBQ can be purchased.  And, least we forget, there is a vender selling shave ice, which is always welcomed on a hot July night in the low country. All in all, the event is a treasure of Americana.

You know there is going to be a "BUT" don't you?

As is the case with most small Southern towns, parking in the "downtown" area is at a premium. Referring to the Train Depot area as "town center" is a bit of a stretch in generally accepted terms, but, on a very small scale, that is what it is.  There are banks, restaurants, and various stores located in the immediate area.  Each of these concerns have limited parking opportunities.  Also, there are several undeveloped tracts of land nearby.  Immediately adjacent to the Train Depot is a parcel of land housing a defunct grocery store and its accompanying, comparatively large parking lot.  Historically, attendees to the event could park free of charge anywhere they could find an empty spot.

When we arrived for the festivities last night, all of the regular street parking spots were filled. All of the business parking areas were, also, filled.  The search circle for a parking spot got wider and wider.  Each full lot we passed had no attendant or any posted price for parking.  Finally, we found a spot on a vacant lot some blocks from the event.  At the entrance of this makeshift lot was a handwritten sign that said "FREE PARKING".  We did not see any signs requiring payment for parking EXCEPT ONE.

As we walked from our parked car to the event, we had to pass the location of the old Piggly Wiggly property.  The entire lot of the old store was cordoned off with tape.  At the entrance stood several attendants at the ready to collect the $5.00 parking fee that was required to enter the lot.  At the time I passed, there were very few cars that had taken advantage of this opportunity.

As the evening progressed, the parking fee being charged right next door to the event was a hot topic of discussion.  It seems that locals had "taken a pass" on the advantage of parking so close to the event "for a price".  Many people lamented that it was a shame that newcomers or folks from out of town might think this "pay to play" situation was customary.

In a world where customs and traditions are poo-pooed as old hat, it is refreshing to see so many people work so hard and make such an effort to make an annual event a success.  The town did its part.  The band did its part.  The attendees did their part.  Wouldn't it have been great if EVERYBODY had done their part?

GOD PRESERVE US

Anymore, just watching the morning news is almost more than one can stand.  This morning was especially troubling:

NEWS STORY ONE:

In a news conference yesterday, the president, in answer to a question regarding whistle blowers on the Benghazi issues being threatened, said he knew nothing about it.  Meanwhile, the State Department said they had received no requests from any attorneys for clearance to review documents for any whistle blowers.  On the split screen was an attorney for a whistle blower with copies of two requests submitted two weeks ago.  Not the agency nor the president have the character to even be embarrassed at being caught in this lie.

NEWS STORY TWO:

The Obama administration has almost finalized their plans to provide lethal arms to the rebels fighting in Syria.  Knowledgeable sources say these rebels are Hamas.  What???????

NEWS STORY THREE:

In the government schools, there must be a doctor's statement provided by the student's parents on file for even a senior in high school to get two aspirin for a headache.  BUT, now the FDA has decided it's a good idea for PLAN B, the morning after abortion pill, to be sold over the counter to girls as young as 15.  This medication will be provided without the control and over site of either the parents or a doctor. Considering the potential negative side effects of this medication, we wonder how many little girls will have to end up on a steel table in the morgue before someone decides this is a bad idea?

NEWS STORY FOUR:

It turns out the Boston bombers' family has been receiving every government handout on the books since they arrived in this country 10 years ago.  They received over $100,000 in Section 8 housing allowances alone.  Along with this, they got food stamps, welfare, school grants, scholarships and other government giveaways.  Oh great, we are now state sponsoring terrorism.

How much further down the drain can this country go?

WHO'S LEFT HOLDING THE "BAG"?

It would appear the poison pen campaign against Council's choice for Clerk of Council has failed miserably.  Council's choice has been installed.  DD is suspiciously quiet and, judging from his history, that's never a good thing.  His counter move remains to be seen.  But rest assured, there will be a counter move.

PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES

As we are want to do, Grits Eggs and Politics would like to issue a community service announcement.

"The issuance of defamatory statements in written form constitutes LIBEL, not slander."

While it is more than understandable that any employee working at any job would strive to ingratiate themselves to their boss and re-enforce their job security, generally speaking, it would always be unwise, not to mention reckless, for anyone to perform a duty that would expose their soft underbelly to jeopardy, especially legal jeopardy.

By some strange coincidence, we have come into possession of a group of libelous letters written about County Council's choice for Clerk of Council.  Contained in these letters are statements that Council's choice is "unqualified",  "discriminatory", "unethical" and a general waste of taxpayers' money, among other defamatory statements.

Have no fear, BC Taxpayers, we have made sure these defamatory documents have been sent to the appropriate legal council.  Those in BC who are so worried about libel, slander, and defamation can rest assured the perpetrators will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.

TAXPAYER ALERT

Until January 2013, Supervisor Davis was as happy as a pig in slop.  He enjoyed a 4/4 vote split on County Council with himself casting the tie breaking vote on every controversial issue.  In other words, he unilaterally controlled Berkeley County.  He could spend money as he pleased; borrow more money as he pleased; and successfully hide the details of his nefarious schemes from the 4 Conservatives on Council.

With the election of a 5th Conservative Councilman last November, the dynamic shifted.  Now the Conservatives had control over the vote and the Supervisor realized this resulted in his perfect little sand box being filled with land mines.  He HAD to do something to mitigate the damage.  True to form, he and his trusty legal staff came up with a plan. They focused on the only remaining opportunity to exert any control, the Clerk of Council's office.  If the Supervisor could only gain control over the meeting agendas, he might be able to pull this disaster out of the fire.

Prior to retirement in June 2011, the 14 year veteran Clerk of Council trained a replacement.  In total, this replacement has 9 years experience in the Clerk's office, which includes a year and a half as interim Clerk.  This replacement is the ONLY member of the Clerk's office who has the experience, training, and expertise to head the office. However, this replacement has a serious deficit which renders her unacceptable to the Supervisor; she is an honest professional who realizes she is legally working for and answerable to County Council and NOT the Supervisor.

Shortly after the 5th Conservative vote came on Council, this Clerk of Council replacement developed a medical problem that required attention.  She took a short medical leave, FMLA.  While she was absent, the Supervisor illegally replaced her.  When she returned to work, she was informed that she had not only been replaced but her pay grade and position had been reduced.  It boggles the mind to consider how many labor laws these actions violate.

When the 5 Conservatives learned of these actions, they responded.  The Vice Chairmen of County Council notified the Clerk's office that he wanted certain items that would correct this blatant violation of the law added to his agenda and that of the regular Council meeting.  The Supervisor, in turn, instructed the Clerk's office to REMOVE these items from the regular Council meeting agenda .  How many laws did this action violate?

There has not been much publicity about the Supervisor's behavior at that Council meeting.  At that meeting, when the Vice Chairman learned that his items had been removed from the agenda, the Supervisor initially said he didn't know how the items came to be removed.  It was only after a member of the Clerk's office admitted the Supervisor instructed her to remove them that the Supervisor admitted his actions.  From where we come from, that's called a lie.

State law, Home Rule, and County Ordinance clearly state the powers of County Council:


SECTION 4‑9‑110. Council shall select chairman and other officers;  terms of office;  appointment of clerk; frequency and conduct of meetings;  minutes of proceedings.

    The council shall select one of its members as chairman, except where the chairman is elected as a separate office, one as vice‑chairman and such other officers as are deemed necessary for such terms as the council shall determine, unless otherwise provided for in the form of government adopted.  The council shall appoint a clerk to record its proceedings and perform such additional duties as the council may prescribe.  The council after public notice shall meet at least once each month but may meet more frequently in accordance with a schedule prescribed by the council and made public.  All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the general law of the State of South Carolina affecting meetings of public bodies.  Special meetings may be called by the chairman or a majority of the members after twenty‑four hours' notice.

    The council shall determine its own rules and order of business.  It shall keep a journal in which shall be recorded the minutes of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection. 

If County Council has the authority to select, appoint, or hire a Clerk of Council, and they do, then they, also, have the authority to select, appoint, or hire the people who assistant the Clerk of Council.   County Council should and do have complete control of the Clerk of Council's office.  This office is for the support of 8 elected officials.  The Supervisor has exceeded his authority by interfering in the Clerk's office.  No one would think it proper if the Supervisor interfered in such a manner with the Sheriff's office and support staff or the Clerk of Court's office and support staff. 

The Supervisor is using the following to support his actions: 

SECTION 4‑9‑430. Powers of council and its members;  authority of supervisor over certain elected officials.

    The council shall not remove any county administrative officers or employees whom the county supervisor or any of his subordinates are empowered to appoint, unless by two‑thirds vote of the members present and voting.

    Except for the purposes of inquiries and official investigations, neither the council nor its members shall give direct orders to any county officer or employee, either publicly or privately.

    With the exception of organizational policies established by the governing body, the county supervisor shall exercise no authority over any elected officials of the county whose offices were created either by the Constitution or by general law of the State.

This section refers to those employees who fall under the control of the Supervisor's office and administration, NOT the folks under the control of other elected officials.  In the Post & Courier today the Supervisor said he had no influence over the offices of "elected officials".  How in the Sam Hill does the Supervisor think the Councilmen achieved their positions, by Royal decree?  These 8 ARE elected officials and the Clerk's office is theirs not the Supervisor's.

Prior to this situation, few of the controversies created by the Supervisor attained widespread publicity.  Generally speaking, very few taxpayers were aware of his activities, whether legal or questionable.  Only a small group of diehard Conservative watchdogs knew about and cringed at his antics.  But, as more and more taxpayers are negatively impacted by his policies, the media seems to have awakened from their long sleep and are taking notice.

We would strongly suggest that all concerned taxpayers attend the Monday night Council meeting and observe the Supervisor's actions.  He is bound to come up with some equally ridiculous points to try to derail the efforts of the 5 Conservatives  to rectify this outrageous/illegal situation.  We are sitting on the edge of our chair in anticipation.

WOULDN'T THAT BE SPECIAL

There's a new tax proposal coming from the Left:  3.6% annual tax on assets......not income, but ASSETS.

A LIFELONG DREAM FULFILLED

We are happy and proud to announce that our childhood dream of being married to a "wealthy" man has come true.  It is so exciting to anticipate the life of sumptuous ease; European vacations, summer homes, fabulous cars, what the heck, a chauffeur, maids, and more.

For the last couple of years, Barry has preached that his economic plan would only raise taxes on the "wealthy".  He swore the middle class taxpayers would NOT be affected.  As of January 1, 2013, our breadwinner learned that his taxes have gone up on average by 8%, which means our disposable income has been reduced by 8%, on average.  Being as the "wealthy" was to be the only group to suffer this extra burden,  we have to conclude that we have become "wealthy".

We are, also, confused.  We always thought that when one becomes "wealthy", one has MORE disposable income, not less.  After a lifetime of aspiring to reach the level of being "wealthy", we must admit the result is a bit anti-climactic, not to speak of disappointing.

Now, we have learned that we are going to become even "wealthier" during 2013 as there will be a dozen or so new taxes connected to Obamacare imposed upon us.  Don't think we are ungrateful for our blessing but, quite frankly, if we become much "wealthier",  our household budget is going to be forced to revert back to the Ramen noodle days.

THE LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE MINDSET

As if anyone really needs an explanation of the Liberal mindset, it can be found in the Post and Courier articles, "Forgotten South Carolina". The first tome enumerates the historical failings of the SC education system and points out the fact that SC has definable groups of "haves" and "have-nots".  Predictably, the author places the blame for these statistics at the doorstep of "taxes are too low" and "there's a lack of a sufficient number of government programs" to fix SC's problems.

If anything, Liberal are predictable.  For some strange reason, they all think any problem can be fixed if only they could throw enough money at it. They commiserate the failure of the last "program" due to the lack of yet another expanded government effort funded by increased taxes. Each generation of Liberals is convinced their failed retread will succeed if only they can squeeze more money out of the producers to apply to these programs.

Also, it is beneficial to Liberals to hold and preach a very degrading opinion of people in general.  Liberals are convinced that no one, except of course those few greedy rich people, can succeed without government assistance. In their opinion, the rest of us, both black and white, aren't smart enough, ambitious enough, or clever enough to do anything on our own initiative. This erroneous "fact" is woven into the fabric of the Liberal mantra.

According to the Liberal philosophy, most of us are incapable of feeding ourselves, housing ourselves, or even making our own decisions.  We can't compete in the work force or in the schools unless the benevolent Liberals provide us with a handicap.  We "deserve" to be "kept" as no more than pets of Uncle Sam.  Unfortunately, after three generations of this indoctrination, accompanied by the financial rewards and lack of expectations,  the Liberals have a lot of people convinced of this lie.  As a result, the United States now has 46%+ of its population on some version of unearned government assistance. This number is in addition to those receiving earned retirement such as Social Security and government pensions into which producers have contributed during their work years.

In order to support this Liberal philosophy, one must totally ignore the history of the United States, which is inundated with examples of people going from rags to riches, from the bottom to the top.  Many of the "greedy rich people" criticized by the Liberals today started out somewhere in their lineage with their asses in their hands.  These innumerable examples range from Abe Lincoln to Tim Scott. But, Liberals want the actual facts left out of the conversation. The facts invalidate their theory that the infusion of confiscated money (redistribution) is the only answer. No matter how many years pass or how many times Liberals repeat their failed endeavors, they will never abandon this flawed theory.

The producers, on the other hand, hold to a diametrically opposed philosophy.  This group, composed of mainly Conservatives or other like minded individuals, cringe at the "handout" theory.  Their values are simple: "Get out of my way and let me do it for myself." These producers embrace the true meaning of the term  "American Dream".

When actual facts are taken into consideration, it is impossible for us to find an upside to the Progressive philosophy.  Just for the sake of argument, let's look at the most recent wide spread disaster to befall the low country, Hurricane Hugo.  Anyone who lived in this area in 1989 remembers it well.  Let's examine what happened in the different areas and how the residents of these areas reacted.

After the storm left the coast and aimed its wrath at the inland areas, the power was off; the water was off; the roads were blocked with debris; the grocery stores were closed; banks and ATMs were closed; the gas stations were closed; all TV stations were off the air and all but one radio station was off the air. To put it simply, life as we knew it had ceased to exist.

As day broke the morning after the storm, the first sign of life other than our own was the sound of one of our neighbor picking his way from his house to ours on his farm tractor.  Another neighbor was riding shotgun.  Two other neighbors were walking through the fallen trees that covered the highway to our house. This group of men and women had a meeting on what was left of our front porch to take a cursory inventory of what supplies were available in each household.  It was decided the most important task was to plan how we could start to clear the roadways for emergency vehicles.

Over the next two days, these men and women, with the help of the farm tractor, cleared a path down highway 59 from highway 311 to highway 176.  Admittedly, sometimes the path went through people's yards or through the wooded areas, but a drivable path was created.  Another group started from the old fire tower at Cross and cleared one lane on Highway 311 from Highway 6 to Highway 59.  Several first responders later voiced their appreciation for the efforts.

All the folks in our community had prepared for the disaster in one way or the other.  Most had laid in emergency supplies, food, water, batteries, and gas for the cars.  Even so, we cooperated and helped each other. During this crises, one neighbor who had a way to cook, shared hot food with the others.  One neighbor who had a generator to pump water shared with the others.  Some who had freezers full of food contributed that food to the community dinners.  We didn't wait for "the government" to see to our needs.

One the other hand, in the densely populated areas, Charleston and North Charleston, folks were lining up to demand that something be done to help them.  In Charleston, these groups came to near riot when their needs were not met as quickly as they thought was reasonable.  None ever asked what they could do to help alleviate the problem.  None of these complainers organized work groups to help clear the streets. None of these dependents even offered to help distribute what supplies were available.  The mindset seemed to be "take care of me without any effort on my part".

Even some communities near to us seemed to hold the same opinion.  On the third day after the storm, a delegation from one of these communities came to our house lamenting that they couldn't get a response from the aid office in Moncks Corner. They complained that they had no food or water and they asked if we would intervene on their behalf.  When we suggested they bring containers to get water from our neighbor's well, we were told they preferred to get the bottled water like they heard about on the radio.  (It is important to note that these same people sat on their front porches watching and never offered to help as our group cleared THEIR road.)

Why can't the Progressives see that their entitlement philosophy has created a self devouring monster.  We can see why they would think it is beneficial in the short term to play Santa Clause and give "stuff" to the masses in order to perpetuate temporary power.  BUT, why can't they see the long term damage that is being done to our country?  At this point, almost half of our population, black and white, young and old,  thinks God lives in the mailbox.  They have never had to work for anything.  Uncle Sam gives them food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, and, now, even luxuries like cell phones.  They don't have a clue as to the meaning of self reliance or self respect.  They have never heard of individual responsibility.

Today, most of the people who number in this entitlement society have never had to be accountable for themselves or the children they create.  Neither do most of them have any foundation in Faith or religion.  Morals and decency have been relegated to unnecessary inconveniences by this group.

So, here we have the product created by the Progressives.  We have almost half of the people in our country standing there with the palm of their hand facing the moon, waiting for someone to put something in it.  Most of this group haven't even finished school so they are totally unaware of how this country is supposed to operate. Most don't know how to or don't care to get a job if they could.  The family unit is virtually absent in this group.  Morals and values are sorely lacking among most of them.

So, if you will, please consider what will happen when this economy fails, and it will. It's only a matter of time, considering the $16.5 TRILLION debt.  Eventually, the whole world will realize the money the Fed is pumping out is worthless.  The bill will come due.  The checks won't be in the mailbox.  The food won't be provided.  There will be no funding for any of the things the perpetual dependents are  accustomed to having.  What will the totally unprepared entitlement society do then?

The United States and all of the producers herein owe the Progressives a debt of gratitude for creating this time bomb.  And, by the way, Post and Courier, throwing more taxpayer money at the problem is NOT the answer.

STICKY WICKET FOR DD

As each day passes, it becomes more apparent that 2013 will prove to be a bad luck year for DD.  For years, everything has been very simple and convenient for his agenda.  Now, the worm has turned. He has lost his former 4/4 split vote on Council and he has lost control.  BUT, don't think for a moment he will take this turn of events lying down.  If there is any doubt in your mind, just take a look at what he is trying to do with the Clerk of Council office.

The acting Clerk of Council has been out on sick leave for a while.  DD has taken it upon himself to replace her with a person of his choosing from his legal department.  Although DD claims this person was put in place only on a temporary basis, her former position in the legal department has been posted as a vacant position to be filled.

This action is in direct violation of State Law.


SECTION 4‑9‑110. Council shall select chairman and other officers;  terms of office; appointment of clerk;  frequency and conduct of meetings;  minutes of proceedings.

    The council shall select one of its members as chairman, except where the chairman is elected as a separate office, one as vice‑chairman and such other officers as are deemed necessary for such terms as the council shall determine, unless otherwise provided for in the form of government adopted.  The council shall appoint a clerk to record its proceedings and perform such additional duties as the council may prescribe.  The council after public notice shall meet at least once each month but may meet more frequently in accordance with a schedule prescribed by the council and made public.  All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the general law of the State of South Carolina affecting meetings of public bodies.  Special meetings may be called by the chairman or a majority of the members after twenty‑four hours' notice.

    The council shall determine its own rules and order of business.  It shall keep a journal in which shall be recorded the minutes of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection.

Now, you low information voters out there may be wondering why this action by DD should amount to a hill of peas.  Well, there are some important issues connected to who controls the Clerk's office.

• Does anyone recall the "burn your house down" issue?  There are controversial minutes connected to that.
• Does anyone recall the Accommodations Tax Board issue?  There's jail-time connected to that. 

Now that control of Council has slipped from DD's grasp, there are numerous critical issues in jeopardy of exposure.  His latest actions are but his first desperate attempts at CYA.  Expect more "any old port in a storm" behavior.

TIME TO DRAW THE LINE

The following article appeared in several newspapers.   

Guest Speaker: Daniel W. Davis, Berkeley County Supervisor

Daniel "Dan" Davis has lived in South Carolina for 58 years. Mr. Davis earned a B.A. and a M.A. from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Davis believes in efficient, effective and equitable provision of county services. Locally, he supports fiscal conservatism and resources which support providing meaningful employment to all citizens. Davis has spearheaded efforts to reduce county debt, implement a Capital Improvement Program, develop a Community Facilities Plan and update Berkeley County's Comprehensive Plan.

 Event Sponsors

NUCOR

Alcoa Mt. Holly

Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

South Carolina Federal Credit Union - North Charleston

Trident Health

MWV

Berkeley County Water & Sanitation

Coastal Air Solutions

The questions are: 
How can the Berkeley County Water and Sanitation Authority support this event or, for that matter, any event, when the Law clearly says such expenditures are illegal?

The support/funding comes from which one of the three divisions? 

Sec. 65-33. - Water and sanitation authority.

There is hereby created an agency of Berkeley County to be designated as the Berkeley County Water and Sanitation Authority (the "authority").

The authority shall consist of a water department, sewer department, and solid waste department and shall be responsible for the acquisition and distribution of supplies of fresh water, the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater, and the collection and disposal of solid waste, including resource recovery and recycling. The cost of operation of the water and sewer activities shall be defrayed entirely by the revenues derived from the operation of the water and sewer systems and such revenues shall not be used for any other purpose. The cost of operation of solid waste activities shall be defrayed entirely by the revenues derived from the operation of the solid waste system and such revenues shall not be used for any other purposes.

This is a prime opportunity for the five Conservative votes on County Council to LEAD.  It is not necessary to create a public confrontation.  They should simply notify this administration that this kind of activity will no longer be tolerated.  Then, if the situation is not corrected, go public.  Also, insist that any monies paid be returned.  The taxpayers (voters) ARE watching.

WIN--LOSE--WIN--LOSE

Why can't life be simple; good or bad, black or white, right or wrong?  Unfortunately, here on earth, nothing is so cut and dry, leaving us with only the understanding and hope that the concept of heaven encompasses this probability.

Last Saturday we encountered one of these questionable events and we are still mulling as to whether the result was positive or negative. We are referring to the resignation of the Berkeley County Republican Party Chairman, Tim Callanan.

On the one hand, we agree that every effort should be made to install State Senator, Larry Grooms into the open 1st Congressional District seat.  Larry is the best choice by far.  Larry has a consistent Conservative record so we can anticipate that he will maintain Senator Scott's policies. Now that Councilman Callanan's expertise has been added to the campaign, Senator Groom's odds of winning have gone up exponentially.  This is a very good thing for Berkeley County.

But, on the other hand, by adding to the possibility of a win for the Groom's campaign, we have to endure a huge loss to the Berkeley County Republican Party and the Executive Committee.  Since the Rules dictate that the Chairman cannot endorse or exclusively work for one candidate over another during a contested primary, Chairman Callanan was compelled to resign his Chairmanship.

Four years ago, when Chairman Callanan was elected Chairman for the first time, Berkeley County had a broken, dysfunctional GOP organization.  Decades of ineffective leadership had resulted in low membership and an organization that garnered little to no respect from other counties or the state leadership.   After only two terms in office, Chairman Callanan had elevated the BCRP to heights never dreamed of by Conservatives in BC.

The BCRP now follows actual Rules and Ethics Standards.  The finances of the Party are now at levels never before seen.  There is now a finance committee to oversee the process.  Membership and active participation are now at an all time high. Any citizen of BC is now welcome to join and participate. The BCRP organization is now acknowledged by the higher-ups to be a dependable cog in the GOP wheel.

Admittedly, Chairman Callanan had a lot of help accomplishing the improvements realized by the BCRP in the last four years, but, had it not been for the expert leadership of the Chairman, it is doubtful that the change would have been as profoundly positive as it has been.  Chairman Callanan has devoted countless hours to the Party and should be given the lion's share of the credit for the well oiled machine we enjoy today.

This is the crux of the dilemma we are experiencing.  The Grooms campaign's gain is the BCRP's loss. We can only hope that Councilman Callanan will still have the time to actively participate in our Reorganization and Convention process, if not as Chairman, at least as an individual.  Maybe if we all help Tim's efforts by doing  what we do best and get out there and get Larry elected, Tim will find it possible to return the favor.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

WARNING: This subject will take a while so fix yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable.

It is fairly rare that any issue causes GE&P as much inner conflict as does the fact that Mark Sanford has opted to throw his hat into the ring for the 1st District Congressional race. Having everybody and their grandmother file for the seat was bad enough.  Judging from recent history, this herd will totally eviscerate one another during the primary and, consequently, give the Democrats more than enough ammunition for the general election. But, we digress.

Before we get to the point of our conflict, let us make a few facts perfectly clear.  We have kept a very close eye on Mr. Sanford's career since he first went to Washington.  In essence, we have agreed with all of his policies.  Virtually without fail, his political positions have been grounded in solid Conservative principles.  The few issues on which we had exception are hardly worth a mention.

During his time in Washington, Mr. Sanford understandably received resistance and endless criticism from the Liberal quarter, but he, also, received more than his share of flak from his fellow GOP members due to the fact that he chose not to "go along to get along".  Sadly, this resulted in him being forced to sacrifice his effectiveness in order to maintain his principles. Unfortunately, toward the end of his tenure, Mr. Sanford was unjustly relegated to virtual political obscurity by his own party.  Although he received much local criticism for this outcome, GE&P's admiration and respect for the man was only increased.

Mr. Sanford's years in the Governor's mansion reflected this same tenacity.  He had a firm understanding of the issues that impacted South Carolina and he refused to "compromise" his Conservative principles. The wrath of the legislature came down on his head more times than once when, for example, Mr. Sanford chose to refuse "free money" from Washington.  In the long run, Mr. Sanford was proven correct and his policies sound. All in all, Mr. Sanford was a voice in the wilderness for true Conservatism.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, the Sanford train went off the tracks.  In retrospect, although we were profoundly, personally disappointed, Mr. Sanford's personal life should have been just that, personal.  All of the controversial  issues should have been between Mr. Sanford and his family.  However, the scandal went beyond his personal life.  There was the issue of him being AWOL from his elected position and this WAS and SHOULD HAVE BEEN of concern to the taxpayers. Even though this activity would have surely been career ending, we are confident that the majority of his supporters would have taken his emotional turmoil into consideration before making personal judgements.

But, just as all concluded that the situation had gotten as bad as it could get, it went from bad to worse and then to nightmare status. Regardless of whether the "damage control" strategy that followed the revelation of the scandal was devised by Mr. Sanford or by his "handlers", it was an unmitigated disaster.  The Liberal news media was waiting just like a wake of buzzards and Mr. Sanford voluntarily offered up the carrion. Each and every night for what seemed like eternity, the evening news gleefully presented a new interview or press conference featuring Mr. Sanford revealing fresh and titillating information about his indiscretion. This mini-series became, literally, too painful to watch.  Now, it would appear that we are condemned and sentenced to the sequel.


Few would disagree that the time frame surrounding this scandal was the most humiliating period in South Carolina's political history.  One would think that at least one of "the many supporters who are urging Mr. Sanford to reenter the political stage" would have mentioned not the probability, but the inevitability, that the Liberal news media would certainly seize this opportunity, once again, to degrade and embarrass South Carolina and the GOP, should Mr. Sanford run for any office . To deliberately hand the media this kind of ammunition is beyond comprehension.   Is there anyone out there with three brain cells to rub together who doesn't know the media will have a hay day if they are handed an opportunity of this magnitude?

This is the crux of our conundrum.  We readily agree that Mr. Sanford has the political credentials and Conservative fiscal policies to satisfy the most right-wing voter among us, BUT, in the area of personal judgement, he is a train wreck. For him to be politically viable without repercussions to the people of South Carolina, he would have to step forward and offer for office in some parallel universe.  Much more than the several years that have passed would be necessary for the stark memories of this scandal to have faded.

It is unfortunate and such a terrible waste that a man of such incredible talent and expertise should have put himself into the position of becoming so tainted and damaged.  As painful as it is to acknowledge,  Mr. Sanford is exhibiting the same poor and selfish judgement as he did when he took us along as unwilling tourists on his trip to Argentina.  We sit here on the porch swing watching a three year old build a ramp for his Big Wheel.  We know he is heading for a broken arm but the child is saying, "This time I'll really fly, Grandma."  Correction: The people of SC are headed for the broken arm, again.


 

  

WE LOVE IT

Sign in old man's front yard:


DUE TO THE PRICE OF AMMUNITION, DON'T EXPECT A WARNING SHOT

PATHETIC

Well, it looks like it's "game on" with the new Berkeley County Council saga.  But, does it have to be so disappointingly predictable and sad? We must admit the Liberal's first salvo is more than a bit anemic.

All they can come up with is:

"You made all the Rules without our input." (just like we did)

"You didn't let us read the Rules before we passed them. (just like we did)

"You won't let us choose our seats." (just like we did)

"You've shut us out of the process." (just like we did)

"You're taking advantage of your majority." (just like we did)

Lesson to be learned:

IT AIN'T NO FUN WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN CHARGE.