49th in Education Remains a Popular Residential Destination.

Most of us may not be able to count past 10 with our shoes on, but our picturesque little state still remains a popular destination for residential relocation.

According to Relocate America who recently announced its 2008 list of “Top 100 Places to Live,” the Palmetto State was not without representation.

Greenville came in at Number 4.

Other South Carolina cities in the Top 100 listing are: Aiken, Charleston, Columbia, and Rock Hill. While they appear on the list, those cities are not specifically ranked.

– Joe Merchant

UPDATE: I know of at least one mistake in the “Greenville” depiction based on an e-mail I received from a friend who was adamant that some of the neighborhoods listed were actually subdivisions in neighboring towns.

Maybe Her Return Will Bring Some Civility.

We rarely agreed with her, but we (most of us) respected Laurin Manning and always had an interest in what she had to say.

Oft described as the “Queen of South Carolina’s Blogosphere,” the Hartsville native called things like she saw them, but she did it in a way that illustrated that political discourse could be civil and entertaining at the same time.

When she attacked, she attacked issues, not people. Her problems with conservatives were ideological, not personal.

Her view of Republicans was the mirror image of a philosophy a good friend (of several people associated with this site) had with the other party. He used to say, “You know, I have no problem with Democrats. I go huntin’ with ‘em. I go fishin’ with em’. I just don’t want ‘em runnin’ my government.”

Although none of us here know her personally, we were glad to see that Laurin Manning is back from a long stint on the presidential campaign trail — returning with her own thoughts and feelings on Palmetto Politics.

Our hopes for LaurinLine 2.0 are that 1) her experiences haven’t jaded her too much so she still separates the personal from the ideological and 2) her return will signal that a political debate can be done civilly and without personal attacks just as easily leveled by a fourth-grader.

Welcome back, Laurin.

– The OBB

It’s About Issues, Not Personalities.

Mark Sanford hasn’t made a lot of friends in the legislature, and something tells me that he’s OK with that.

Do I think a positive relationship would get his legislative priorities further than trying to jam policy down the General Assembly’s collective throat? Absolutely.

I also know sense that for all of the criticism that’s been heaped in his direction, for Mark Sanford, it’s ultimately about policy and ideology.

ReformSC, a group that some have tried to tie Sanford to for months now, just released a new ad about South Carolina’s overspending binge over the past several years.

I don’t know if it’s going to be a television ad or if it’s going to stay on the Internet only, but considering what Wilson and Mary Claire already wrote this week, I thought this YouTube clip seemed pretty appropriate.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get how we can brag about how Republican and conservative our state is when South Carolina’s government’s financial management and policy seems to be anything but. I’m just sayin’.

– Bo Burdette

OK. Apparently the Senate Didn’t Get the Memo.

There are some in the South Carolina Senate that apparently didn’t see Wilson’s thought-provoking Pulitzer-worthy (this Pulitzer, not this one) commentary on Monday, which is kind of funny since so many others did — including the folks at FITSNews, SC Hotline and The Shot.

NOTE TO THE FITS GIRLS: OK, so the other guys around here didn’t send your Founding Editor a “nudie pic.” I think Bo posted a shot of my ripped skirt from this year’s Cup. That’s gotta count for something.

In case you’re like the Senate and missed what he said, it was pretty much that the state and its local government counterparts are largely irresponsible when it comes not only to taxation, but to spending.

Well, the self-described “deliberative” body of our legislature had a chance this week to make some changes and move toward limiting state spending.

Boy, did they blow it.

Senator McConnell’s bill (S.718) for a constitutional amendment referendum failed on third reading by a vote of 30-13. In case you’re wondering, it needed 31 votes to pass. Why would any legislator vote against a referendum like that in an election year — especially with the primary coming up in just a couple of weeks?

Here’s who voted how.

The 30 “Yes” votes came from:

Alexander, Bryant, Campbell, Campsen, Ceips, Cleary, Courson, Cromer, Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Gregory, Grooms, Hawkins, Hayes, Knotts, Leatherman, Martin, Massey, McConnell, O’Dell, Peeler, Rankin, Ritchie, Ryberg, Scott *, Setzler, Sheheen, Thomas, and Verdin.

The 13 “No” votes came from:

Anderson, Hutto, Jackson, Land, Leventis, Lourie, Malloy, Matthews, McGill, Patterson, Pinckney, Reese, and Williams.

Congratulations, South Carolina. We’ll continue to have a government that spends money like drunken sailors.

Cheers!

– Mary Claire Forrester

THE STATE is Off Base.

I don’t understand. What’s not to get?

The editorial team at The State recently wrote that, “There is simply no need for a state spending cap.“

Why not?

Don Weaver of the SC Association of Taxpayers says that not only do we need spending limits at the state level, we need them locally, as well. I couldn’t agree more.

In a perfect world where government was responsible with taxpayers’ dollars and egos weren’t more important than ideology, we wouldn’t even have to have this debate. Government would do its job, take what it needed to do that job, and either return the excess to the people, put it away for a rainy day, or reduce tax rates for the following year.

Unfortunately, that’s not reality.

The reality is that state government in South Carolina grew 41% during the past three years. The General Assembly spent $1.5 billion in reserve funds leaving the state’s coffers depleted in an upcoming budget year that shows us expecting significant shortfalls.

At the local level, according to a study out of the South Carolina Policy Council, without the imposition of local level spending limits:

• The entire 2008 reduction in property taxes will be negated by the introduction of new property taxes.
• Because the 1¢ increase in the state sales tax will be in effect, the state will still collect $594 million more in sales tax revenue.
• SC businesses will pay $409 million in additional taxes above what they would have paid had the swap not been imposed – a 12.51% increase.
• SC homeowners’ initial tax cut will decrease 45% (or $281 million) from $632 million to $351 million.
• The local tax burden will continue to rise, along with the increase in sales tax.
• The state will have 6,557 fewer jobs than it would had nothing been done.
• Investment will be $852 million lower.
• Personal Income will fall by $321 million and real disposable income per capita by $79.
• Sales tax will remain higher, while tax relief will become smaller or non-existent.

The Coalition Against Government Spending, a group of business community members and taxpayer advocacy supporters, notes that at the local level:

• From 1995 to 2006, local governments raised millage in 44 out of 46 counties.
• Total average statewide millage jumped 80 mills during that time — 277 in 1997 to 357 in 2005.
• From 2000 to 2005, making rate hikes even more dangerous, the value of one mill increased an average of $98,317.
• Despite increased property tax revenues, local reliance actually decreased because of escalating local option sales taxes, hospitality taxes, and user fees and permits.
• 21 schools districts across the state announced millage hikes by December 2006.
• By nearly 70%, voters in November 2006 approved the constitutional amendment limiting local property tax reassessment.

So with all that said, let’s remember that The State says there is “simply no need for a state spending cap.” Likewise, Mr. Weaver paraphrases Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell’s oft-quoted, “I’ve had about all the home rule I can afford.”

After looking at the facts, figures, and numbers as our state’s finances spin out of control, I have to agree with Weaver and can’t understand why The State or the General Assembly wouldn’t feel the same way — especially in an election year.

– Wilson Charles

So THAT’S Where the Money Goes.

As the state’s educrats continue complaining about not having enough money “for the kids,” I now understand why.

They need our tax dollars to buy these fancy briefcases to help them lobby the General Assembly for more cash that won’t get into a classroom.

Why didn’t they just say so? It makes perfect sense.

– Bo Burdette

Yeah. Duh.

Well, a new study soon to be published in the professional journal Psychological Science claims that conservatives are happier than liberals.

Um, yeah. And?

Haven’t you ever watched Fox News?

Researchers Jaime Napier and John Jost of New York University contend that their “research suggests that inequality takes a greater psychological toll on liberals than on conservatives.”

They say this is true “apparently because liberals lack ideological rationalizations that would help them frame inequality in a positive (or at least neutral) light.”

I think that translates in to the overriding fact that liberal philosophy in the United States is steeped in what’s wrong and how wrong things are.

There’s blame instead of solution, and the whole time you can hear Chicken Little tell us that the sky is falling.

Everything’s wrong, nothing’s ever right, and there’s no offered solution to fix the problem.

If I were a liberal, I’d be a little bummed out too.

Thankfully, I’m on the other end of the spectrum.

The results add explanation to a 2006 Pew Research Center survey where 47% of conservative Republicans were self-described as “very happy,” and 28% of liberal Democrats described themselves the same way.

One of the most basic truths of the human condition was completely missed, though.

Some people are just happier when they’re miserable, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

– Bo Burdette

Grassroots Group Calls for More Property Tax Reform

NoHomeTax.org, a Charleston-based grassroots organization that worked with others for recent property tax reform measures, launched a new radio ad calling on the General Assembly to improve the state’s property tax structure.

With a fictional reporter questioning an equally fictional “Representative Seesaw” at a press conference, the subject revolves around NoHomeTax.org’s belief that South Carolina property taxes remain too high and that the legislature seems to be out of touch with taxpayers.

According to the ad which is running in each of the state’s major media markets, “A number of legislators are considering an improved property tax relief plan.”

The ad’s reporter claims that through an additional 1 cent sales tax the plan will:

• Completely eliminate homestead taxes
• Eliminate point-of-sale assessments
• Give new relief to all 4% and 6% properties.

The group promises to post the names of legislators who support and oppose H.4784 along with members’ home and Columbia contact information.

While the May 1 crossover deadline passed last week (meaning that after May 1, any bill passed in one chamber requires a two-thirds vote from the other chamber before it can be debated), NoHomeTax.org officials hope that pressure on legislators will help the bill move quickly and that its proponents can generate enough support to have the bill heard and voted on by both houses.

– Wilson Charles

Luckily There’s Enough Walt Wilkins to Go Around.

Although Assistant US Attorney Walt Wilkins’ music career may not have been as long lasting as the Walt Wilkins pictured here, he is as accomplished in his own right.

On the advice of both of South Carolina’s senators, President Bush today nominated Greenville’s Walt Wilkins to be the next US Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

Upon confirmation by the US Senate, Wilkins will succeed recently inducted SLED chief Reggie Lloyd in the position.

Among his notable cases are successful prosecutions of a recent human trafficking/prostitution ring, a 2007 gambling operation forfeiting $9 million to the federal government, and a bank/mortgage fraud case involving two brothers who bilked banks out of more than $20 million.

PERSONAL NOTE/OPINION: That last one was especially satisfying. One of the brothers (James Byrd) caused a good friend of this site to lose a client because he had issue with the way Byrd conducted business. He objected to his client about doing work for Byrd and had his contract canceled after Byrd then claimed that the objections were racially motivated. As a result of illegal business practices, Byrd and his brother were sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $5.5 million in restitution.

Wilkins lives in Greenville with his wife and daughter.

He is the son of Judge Billy Wilkins (former Chief Judge of the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals) and the nephew of former SC House Speaker and current US Ambassador David Wilkins but frankly has the skills and resume to deserve this position if his name were Booger McGee from Modoc, SC.

– Wilson Charles

I Hope He was Only Joking

It’s not even close to football season, but there’s already a lot of talk about potential recruits for the 2009 kickoff.

I was part of an e-mail volley earlier today in which the original sender was doing metaphorical back flips over Clemson receiving a verbal commitment last night from the nation’s top-ranked safety Craig Loston out of Houston, TX.

The exchange went like this.

• Original E-Mail: I received a phone call last night close to 10 from a “very excited” _______ _______.  He was astounded that I had not heard the news. This looks like a pretty big get.  Hopefully it can translate to some “W’s.”
• Response E-Mail 1: Big score for the Tigers; plus, he plans to enroll in January.
• Response E-Mail 2: That is good news. Safety is important in any sport — especially football. I hate seeing people get hurt.

If #2 wasn’t joking, I hope every South Carolina college’s offensive line takes turns hitting him.

– Matthew Wills