-Congressman Gresham Barrett has stated that Congress may temporarily lift the gas tax which is currently $ 0.40 per gallon.

-Also to report instances of price gouging, follow this link: http://gaswatch.energy.gov/

I encourage all to consider helping with this great community project. Pendleton Pride in Motion is sponsoring the building of this playground in memory of Barrett Beck, a twelve year old Pendleton resident who tragically lost his life too young, and other young people in our community whose lives we want to remember. Through volunteer efforts and donations, the Pendleton area community can build a playground without tax dollars. Plan to be a part of this opportunity to build on our community and work together for healthier children! For more information, visit: www.barrettsplace.org

Is YOUR Home Safe?

Op/Ed in Greenville News: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050721/OPINION/507210306/1010

Whether you’ve got a three-story mansion or a 30-year-old doublewide, it is your home. You work hard to pay your taxes and your bills. You try your best to keep your gutters clean and your grass mowed. You look out for your neighbors, and they look out for you. Your home is the very best that you can provide for your family. Your home has been your castle — until now. Your constitutional rights just took a serious blow. The U.S. Supreme Court stunned us with a redefinition of eminent domain.

The town of New London, Conn., approved a private development plan designed to revitalize its ailing economy and then purchased most of the property from willing sellers. When a few homeowners refused, the city condemned their homes. The homeowners sued, claiming that seizing their properties violates the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause. On June 23 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of New London. Consequently, any government entity can lawfully seize private property and hand it over to private developers.

I, along with other members of the S.C. Senate, am in the process of strengthening our state’s eminent domain laws. In the wake of this shocking ruling, we are committed to addressing property rights legislation without delay. We will not rest until the New London scenario becomes absolutely impossible in South Carolina!

If you have an opinion on this or any other matter, feel free to post it!

Un-American land seizure
By EVELYN CLARYGuest columnist

…Why, then, in a country that professes to be a “sweet land of liberty,” can not only the government but any interest with enough money and influential friends seize land from individual property owners? The Supreme Court ruling allowing the city of New London, Conn., to use eminent domain to demolish homes to make way for private development is a crime against freedom…

for the full article click below:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/opinion/12071493.htm

Rick Beltram,, Chairman, Spartanburg County Republican Party
The Spartanburg County Republican Party and S.C. Republican Party fully endorse legislation to require registration by party. Here in Spartanburg, we have overwhelmingly passed resolutions since 2001 to support this legislation.
With the present system, too many times we find that Democrats are voting in Republican primaries. The Herald-Journal is correct in its assessment that “Primaries are … the method for members of a particular party to choose their candidate in the general election.”
We would urge the Legislature to pass this legislation in the new term to begin in January 2006.
Clearly, the GOP Presidential Preference Primary in 2008 must be a primary for Republicans only. We will see various candidates visiting our state over the next two years. We need to assure these fine folks that they will get nominating votes from Republicans only.