There are two realities in South Carolina - the first is one that most of the citizens live in - the one where you work hard, raise the family and figure out how to pay the light bill sometimes.
The other is the reality around the capital in Columbia. That is the reality which tends to cloud judgements and helps people find ways to justify their actions. It is a false reality, too. Recent votes and actions prove the first sentence of this post. Add the power of the purse - the ability to spend money without fear of accountability - and you create a scary mixture. Food for thought: Years ago I read that "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Why do we work so hard to pass pro-business legislation like Tort Reform, Medical Malpractice Reform and Workers' Comp Reform - along with bills supporting conservative ideals such as the pro-life Ultrasound bill, the support for Right to Work laws, protection against Eminent Domain abuse and affirmation of the institution of marriage between man and woman - if we aren't going to try to put like-minded judges on the bench?
These judges will one day have cases that deal with all of the issues just mentioned. That is why groups like BIPEC, SC Policy Council, NFIB and the Palmetto Family Council got involved. They have worked just as hard to support our efforts to pass legislation on the issues just mentioned.
I am putting this Supreme Court vote behind me and moving on as of today.
I am going to focus on what I consider to be a poor budget - one that spends way too much and doesn't give enough back to the taxpayers from whom it was taken. I don't know what I can do at this point, though. It looks as if we will spend all of the $1.5 Billion that we overtaxed you this year and I am truly sorry. (Excuse me - we did have $81 Million in tax relief in the House budget. So, the House's version spends $1.419 Billion of your money.)
The Colonials in the 1700's protested about taxation without representation. Remember the reality that you live in and think about where your representation is.
