Where were these action alerts when the Ryberg/Davis budget was being proposed that sent more to the classroom in SC’s history? The SC School Board won’t go to bat for the classroom teacher, but will rise up to fight against giving kids education choices. Remember many membership dues to this organization are paid with your tax dollars (again robbed from the classroom). Read the anti-choice message below:

Legislative Alert – Voucher/Tuition Tax Credit Bill Vote Wednesday

Action Needed

Contact Senate Education Committee members (see below) by Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – even if they are not your senator – and urge them to vote against the tuition tax credit/voucher bill (S.520).

Background

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. this Wednesday, May 13 to vote on the South Carolina Education Opportunity Act (S.520), also known as the private school voucher/tuition tax credit bill. The meeting will be held in Room 308 of the Gressette Building in Columbia.

 During the subcommittee meeting on this bill, the Board of Economic Advisors reported that S.520 would cost $174.4 million in lost state and local revenue when fully implemented.

Position Statement

SCSBA opposes state-mandated efforts to subsidize elementary or secondary private, religious or home schools with public funds.

 

Sample Message

Dear Senator ________________:

As a public school supporter and taxpayer, I strongly urge you to vote against the private school tuition tax credit/voucher bill – S.520 – during the Senate Education Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2009.

At a time when South Carolina public schools and other vital state services have endured unprecedented budget cuts, passing a bill that would drain even more funds from the classroom is unconscionable. The $174.4 million in lost state and local revenue, as reported by the Board of Economic Advisors, is money we do not have to waste on an unaffordable, unproven, and unaccountable program.

It is time to end this ideological debate that has done nothing to advance public education in our state. Thank you for your service to the citizens of our state.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Board Member

[Address]

I chaired a LCI (Labor, Commerce, & Industry) sub-committee that gave a favorable report to H. 3042, which allows for the promotion and regulation of Mixed Martial Arts event. You may have seen the most popular promoter of MMA, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. H. 3042 passed full LCI and is now on the Senate Calendar.

MMA shouldn’t be confused with the cage fighting to the death portrayed in the movies. MMA has strict guidelines for drug testing, physical exams, safety precautions. There’s no doubt, MMA has serious risks, but is actually safer than boxing as boxers have a constant repetitive blows to the often leading to permanent brain damage.

05.15.09 update H. 3042 passed the full senate this week without debate or opposition. Since the Senate did not amend the House bill, the legislation goes straight downstairs for the Governor’s approval. Stay Tuned!

The Finance Committee has been debating the H. 3584, the bill to increase the cigarette tax. I support raising the tax on cigarettes under certain circumstances. As a healthcare provider, I witness daily the health problems caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking costs the taxpayers millions of dollars a year, and I know that this extra cost is unfair the non-smoking taxpayer.

I favor raising the tax on cigarettes and coupling that tax increase with an equally valuable tax decrease on personal income. Such action would not only depress the incidence of cigarette smoking and its related health care costs but would also return more money to the taxpayers that earned it in the first place. Also, our anemic economy will benefit from the extra money in the pockets of consumers.

On Thursday, 05.07.08, the Senate Finance Committee changed the bill to raise the cigarette tax by 50 cents and creates a “trust” fund. Basically, you’re trusting the Legislature to raise taxes and trusting the Legislature to spend the money. I was born during the day, but not yesterday. I do not trust the legislature spend this money appropriately, therefore, I have joined others in a procedural objection until we can get a clear idea of how this money is used. This bill essentially creates a new trough of your money and creates a political grab bag. For me, the sensible thing to do would be to used these funds for a general income tax cut.

Currently, H. 3584 creates a new cookie jar, or trough for political pork.

Today I offered and amendment to strick the database from  H. 3301. The Goldwater roots inside of me compell me to be very suspicious of a government run database for our constituents. This bill creates a central database with the government. That’s right, to keep you from going to more than one lender, big bro will have a database of your loan(s). The proponents of this legislation have good intentions; they want to help prevent our citizens from getting into a cycle of debt, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. I’ve heard Clifford Bryant say a million times “I don’t like to put the key in the door of the drugstore and tell myself this day is for the banker”. Believe me, if Daddy taught me anything, it is to be careful of debt. Ya’ll also know I’m uncomfortable supporting any kind of new regulation on most things. If Johnny wants to loan Jimmy some money and Jimmy and Johnny agree to the terms, why should the government get involved in the stipulations, interest rates, etc? Why do they need to ask government permission and then why should government offer the specifics. Can’t the market decide these things?

So you say we outlaw crack cocaine so government needs to intervene sometimes and protect our citizens. That’s a good argument. We all agree that crack cocaine should be outlawed yet no one would agree on outlawing cheese fries. Both are bad for you but these are two extremes. There is a line to be drawn somewhere. When in doubt, side with liberty has become my philosophy.

I cannot support H. 3301 bill for one reason. I can live with the new regulations, but the database gives me grief. Last year, I voted against the narcotic central database, but didn’t raise any sand about it. Now we’re creating another big brother database and I can’t imagine when this slippery slope will end. Yet the next central database that comes up for any reason, let’s put on the brakes! Do I sound like an extremist? Consider what Barry Goldwater proclaimed at the RNC in 1964.

Knee-Jerk Conservative
Knee-Jerk Conservative – [nee] [jurk] [kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv] noun
a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc. and immediately and initially suspects and ultimately rejects any thing or person that advocates government action on any subject.