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.