AS: Ervin Reminds Voters He's in 3-Way Governor's Race

Former S.C. House Rep. Tom Ervin has recently announced his candidacy for governor, now making November’s election a three-person race.

Ervin said he was influenced to run after reading about the tragic cases coming out of the S.C. Department of Social Services. The department has come under fire recently for its overloaded case workers and the allegedly slow way it has dealt with law enforcement in investigating child deaths.

Ervin said children are dying under the department’s watch and that a major concern for him is the case load per worker.

“The caseloads are way too high, and workers who are supervising children at risk should have 20 kids or less. Some of these workers have 40 or 50 kids, and one even has 100 children. So, there’s no way they can supervise that many kids,” said Ervin.

Ervin said another one of his goals is to reemphasize the Charleston Harbor that he said accounts for one in five jobs in the state.

The state’s decision in 2011 to allow to Georgia to deepen the Savannah River left some thinking the move would take business away from the Charleston port. Ervin said he has ideas to reemphasize Charleston.

“We have got to stay competitive, which means finding the funding to dredge that port,” he said. “All of our industries like BMW and Michelin rely on that port to bring raw materials in and ship the final products out.”

Ervin also made the point that South Carolina’s roads, bridges and general infrastructure need improvements; it is also something he plans to address.

“We’re going to have to find a revenue source. It may be increasing fees or the gas tax,” he said. “We need to look at all available sources to fix this problem.”

A native of Honea Path, Ervin was elected to the House in 1979 and after two terms, decided not to seek reelection.

At age 32, he became the youngest circuit court judge to ever be elected in South Carolina.

Ervin is also a small-business man and owns three radio stations in the Upstate. He is currently running as an Independent Republican against S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Democratic candidate S.C. Rep. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw.

S.C. Tourism Site to Get Half Million Dollar Upgrade

Tourists visiting South Carolina can customize and navigate their trip to the southeastern state, following the municipality's recent $500,000 tourism site upgrade.

The state's department of tourism's revised project, part of the governing body's $12 million advertising budget, helps plan trips for vacationers, according to the Associated Press. The digital media also selects possible activities guests can take part in based on input they enter on the site about their likings.

In addition, the advanced site adjusts its content based on the mobile device a consumer is using. Drop-down menus with lists of attractions provide guests options for lodging, and restaurants. The site's link to social media platform Facebook also enable consumers to post details about their experiences while journeying through the coastal state.

The site's international translator caters to travelers who speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German. This is possible through a Google Translate capability, which deciphers words into 80 languages.

Officials have also incorporated classic documents from the original site to the revamped one. These include current vacation guides, South Carolina's state festival calendar and BBQ Trail Map.

"The website is our primary means of engaging with the consumer," explained Duane Parrish, department director  "Their expectations for quicker searchers and more relevant information have grown exponentially."

Official: Voter ID Law Working Well in S.C.

A spokesman for the state Election Commission says the lack of problems at the polls during last month's primaries shows South Carolina's voter ID law is working well.

But critics say the effects are not yet known. The June 10 primaries represented the first statewide test of the law since it was implemented last year.

Several dozen votes weren't counted because the voter didn't provide a valid photo ID. All of those were people who told poll workers they didn't bring their driver's license, or other acceptable photo ID, with them, then failed to present it later.

Voters who don't own a photo ID also can cast a paper ballot after signing an affidavit that a "reasonable impediment" kept them from getting one. All of those votes were counted.

Emergency Services Prepares Organizations to Deal with Armed Intruders

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office - Emergency Services Division has been conducting instructional workshops for County Employees on things they can do if they are ever confronted with an active shooter situation.  The workshops are based on the ALICE program.  The ALICE program teaches potential victims to make themselves harder to target - and that includes ways to fight back. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.

Though your first thought about a school or workplace shooting may be, "That would never happen here in Anderson County," the reality of the matter is that a shooting can happen anywhere at any time. And if you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in the same place as a shooter, whether you're at work or in a school, it's best to be prepared. If you can run away reasonably safely, that should always be your first move. If not, you need to hide and barricade yourself. And if you come face to face with a shooter, then you will need to fight for your life.  That's the purpose of these workshops, to give options to employees. 

County employees that have taken this training have found it to be helpful, and enlightening.  As a part of the program, important first aid basics are also taught.

These training sessions will be on-going, with the goal of reaching every Anderson County Employee.  According to Anderson County Emergency Services Director, Taylor Jones, "Our goal is not just to make this type of training available to our county employees, but to develop a culture in Anderson County of being prepared to take action and to not to simply be a passive victim."  Similar programs will be developed by the Emergency Services Division for schools, businesses and even houses of worship in Anderson County.

According to Sheriff John Skipper "The reality is that Law Enforcement cannot be at all places, all of the time.  When something tragic, like a school or workplace shooting occurs, citizens need to be prepared to take necessary action to defend themselves in those minutes that Law Enforcement is on the way."  Additional information about these training programs can be found at the Emergency Services Division Website.

Seven Myths About July 4

Americans are celebrating the United States' 238th Independence Day Friday, marking the time in which the Declaration of Independence was propagated to the rest of the world.

The Fourth of July has become a major holiday noted for its parades, barbeques, and numerous fireworks displays. As with other holidays, July 4th has its own mythology and interesting factoids surrounding it.

Here are some random trivia:

1. July 2 is the "real" Independence Day

Contrary to popular belief, the motion that the Continental Congress approved to declare independence was approved on July 2, two days earlier.

According to historian Ray Raphael, July 4 became the day of remembrance due to a different, yet related, action by the Congress.

"On July 4, the second day after it declared the United States to be an independent nation, Congress approved a document that explained its reasons," wrote Raphael for the Journal of the American Revolution.

"As so often happens in history, representation of the event would have more staying power than the event itself."

2. An international element

In his book, The Declaration of Independence: A Global History, David Armitage noted the global ramification and focus of the Declaration approved in early July.

According to Armitage, the first published copy of the Declaration was printed by an Irishman, with most of the copies being put on Dutch paper. Of the 55 delegates to Congress, nine were born in the British Isles and more than a dozen were educated in Europe.

(PHOTO: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER)

Re-enactors march away from the Old State House following a public reading of the United States Declaration of Independence, part of July Fourth Independence Day celebrations, in Boston, Massachusetts, July 4, 2013.

3. Three deaths and a birth

Three former presidents, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Monroe died on July 4. Monroe died in 1831 and Jefferson and Adams both died in 1826.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States who was known for speaking little, was born on July 4, 1872.

4. A genre born

With the publication of the Declaration, argued David Armitage, a new genre of political writing was created.

"No document before 1776 had ever been called a declaration of independence," wrote Armitage in his book, The Declaration of Independence: A Global History.

Armitage counted over 100 declarations of independence having been issued since 1776, with the later ones often borrowing the form and rhetoric of the first.

Ironically, this includes the Vietnamese declaration of independence from 1945, which opens by specifically quoting and citing the U.S.'s declaration.

5. The most ironic July 4 quote never spoken

Online and offline the claim has long been made that while writing in his diary entry for July 4, 1776, King George III stated: "Nothing of importance happened today."

Arnold Hunt, curator of historical manuscripts at the British Library, told National Public Radio in 2007 that the laughable quip was never written by the British monarch who fought the American Founding Fathers.

"King George III never kept a diary. … The quote is a variation of another well-known story from the French Revolution," said Hunt to NPR.

Regarding the French Revolution story, it was said that on the day the French Revolution King Louis XVI wrote in a diary the phrase "nothing," regarding a failed hunt.

6. Ages

At age 70, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, 26, was the youngest.

Charles Carroll of Maryland was the last surviving signer of the Declaration. He died in 1832, outliving the likes of Franklin, Jefferson and Adams, at 95.

7. There is something on the back

In the blockbuster action film "National Treasure," Nicholas Cage looked for an ancient treasure the whereabouts of which could be found via a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

According to Maria Vultaggio of the International Business Times, there is indeed something written on the back of the Declaration.

"… there is apparently a message written upside down at the bottom of the signed document: 'Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776,'" reported Vultaggio.

"It's not known who wrote it or when. Since parchment was usually rolled up during the Revolutionary War years, it's thought this memo served as a label."

S.C. Ranked Most Patriotic State

As people across the United States prepare to set off fireworks for the Fourth of July, a recent survey suggests South Carolina might have more bang behind the boom. 

According to the Movoto Real Estate Blog, South Carolina is the most patriotic state in the country.  The designation was based on data collected from sources that include the 2012 U.S. Census, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Google Trends, Facebook and Wikipedia. 

Movoto measured patriotism using criteria it considered to be indicative of proud Americans.  The criteria included national historic landmarks per capita, veterans per capita, money spent to fund veterans, percent of residents who voted in the last presidential election, people who Google for American flags and people who list America as an interest on Facebook.

Here’s a look at Movoto’s 10 most patriotic states:

South Carolina

Maine

North Carolina

Wyoming

Virginia

Florida

Georgia

Alaska

Alabama

Arizona

For a further breakdown of the survey, check out Movoto’s map.

Meals on Wheels Golf Event Raises Nearly $10,000

The Dirty Old Men’s Club, a golfing group whose home course is Pine Lake Golf Club in Anderson, hosted a benefit golf tournament for Meals on Wheels-Anderson for the 32^nd year in a row. Proceeds from the tournament were $9600 which were donated to the nonprofit organization.

Pictured left to right: Dave Schonauer, Dirty Old Men’s Club & Golf Tournament Committee; Laurie Ashley, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels-Anderson; and Vic Vickery, Dirty Old Men’s Club & Golf Tournament Committee.

Clyburn: Failure to Expand Medicaid "Disaster" for S.C.

By S.C. Rep. Jim Clyburn

During his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made many timely and noteworthy speeches. He is quoted frequently, and often persuasively. A quote from one of his speeches, which I consider very timely, was made in 1966 during the National Convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights.

On that occasion, King said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” I agree with Dr. King, and that is why I stand by my statement that the Affordable Care Act is the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century.

The Affordable Care Act outlaws requiring women to pay more than men for health care coverage because of their gender. The ACA requires insurance companies to pay out at least 80 percent of the premiums they collect or give a rebate to their policy holders; it also prevents health insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. Before the ACA, the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in America was medical bills, but with out-of-pocket caps mandated by law, getting sick no longer means going bankrupt.

One might think all of these benefits put directly into place by ACA would cause anyone to defend the law. Instead, we’ve seen just the opposite. The political theater and gamesmanship taking place in South Carolina are hurting people and their families very directly and in very real ways.

In South Carolina, nearly 200,000 individuals fall into what is called the coverage gap. By South Carolina not expanding Medicaid, this group of people will not have any health insurance. Many of these individuals are adults without children or with incomes too high to receive health subsidies, but too low to receive Medicaid. So while the elected officials in South Carolina play political games, these individuals are one illness away from bankruptcy. The hurdles South Carolinians and their families have to overcome are already cumbersome without adding the lack of health insurance on top of record unemployment. We can – and we should – do better.

It is not just individuals who will suffer, but our hospitals and businesses too. Uninsured South Carolinians become a burden on the taxpayers of South Carolina when they visit emergency rooms because it’s the only access to health care they have. President Ronald Reagan passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requiring hospitals to treat all medical emergencies regardless of ability to pay. This is an extremely expensive way to provide health services.

According to The Greenville News, “Hospitals will have to provide unreimbursed charity care to patients who would have qualified for the expanded Medicaid program, and those costs will be passed onto businesses and individuals that buy health insurance.”

The United Health Foundation ranks South Carolina as 43rd in overall health. The average South Carolinian dies nearly two years earlier than the average American. This is not acceptable to me, and I hope that it is not to the members of our Legislature. And let’s not forget about jobs. Since ACA’s enactment in 2010, we’ve seen 8.5 million private sector jobs created across the country. Unfortunately, in South Carolina we are denying more than 40,000 people new jobs that would be created with the expansion of Medicaid. The disastrous effects of South Carolina not expanding Medicaid are clear. It’s time for this warfare on the poor and uninsured to end.

The ACA has improved health care for current and future generations. It has not only ended abuses by some insurance companies, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, it will also help reduce the deficit by $210 billion over the next 10 years.

And let’s be clear about one other thing. The first three years of a state’s expansion of Medicaid is at no cost to that state. According to a report by Milliman for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, by year 2020, South Carolina will spend $180 million to expand its Medicaid services while the federal government will be putting $1.8 billion into our system.

Another statistic of note from the South Carolina Hospital Association is the annual fiscal impact. From 2014 to 2020, if we were to expand Medicaid in South Carolina, the required state match would be $442.2 million, South Carolina’s administrative cost would be $192.6 million, and the state tax revenue generated would be $644.1 million. This leaves South Carolina with $9.3 million in revenue from the Medicaid program.

It’s time for our elected officials to step up and begin working for our citizens and communities. With hundreds of thousands of people across our state being affected by the lack of Medicaid expansion, practically everyone is related to or knows someone who is negatively affected by this lack of visionary leadership.

I often reflect on the experiences growing up in a parsonage, and as I write this piece, I am remembering Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” That seems to be what we are experiencing in South Carolina and it is time for that to change.

It’s time to make government work for the people. It’s time for South Carolina to be the rule, not the exception. It’s time to embrace the Affordable Care Act and stop treating that law, and it is the law, as a political pawn.

More than 100,000 South Carolinians have enrolled in the Affordable Care Act and every South Carolinian is benefiting from it. Too many South Carolinians are being affected by the foolish actions from our Legislature debating, and in some instances, passing laws seeking nullification and interposition. It’s time to stop supplementing other states and show some compassion for all our citizens.

Failure to expand Medicaid is a rejection of protection for our vulnerable citizens, most of whom are children, elderly and disabled. Poll-tested slogans and catchy sound bites may help score political points, but they are not solutions to our state’s and our nation’s growing need for policies that work for all our citizens, and not just a select few.

South Carolina cannot afford to continue trailing the rest of the nation in health and wealth indices. But that will continue to happen if we don’t stop governing by political slogans and start providing real solutions.

Congressman James Clyburn, the U.S. House assistant Democratic leader, represents South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District. This story appeared in the Orangeburg Time-Democrat.

State: Haley Looks for Funds for Roads

Just as she did with $180 million for school fixes this year, Gov. Nikki Haley plans to tackle ways to fund roads when the Legislature meets in January. 

Haley did not reveal any details about her roads plan on Tuesday, but the governor suggested at a campaign news conference in Columbia that she would use growing state revenues, like she did for her education proposal. 

One senator said Haley ought to share details of her ideas before voters cast ballots in November for her re-election bid against Democratic State Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden.

“She’s going to have to tell us before we come back,” said Sen. Ray Cleary, a Georgetown Republican who champions road issues. “The public deserves to know before the election what are her ideas.” 

Cleary’s main beef is that Haley insists she does not want to raise taxes or fees to pay for the $29 billion shortfall in roads over the next 20 years.

“When you raise the costs on transportation, you are hurting business,” Haley told reporters at a Columbia truck repair shop while receiving a small-business group’s campaign endorsement. The governor has already promised to veto any increase in the state gas tax – one of the lowest in the nation. 

Haley’s $180 million education plan, which lawmakers approved for the state budget year that started Tuesday, was paid with growing state revenues from the improving economy since the recession. The plan included spending more in poorer districts, hiring reading coaches, holding summer reading programs and adding technology in classrooms.

Haley said state lawmakers wanted to improve education but had no plan. So the governor’s office developed a spending proposal and legislators “ran with it,” she said. 

That’s the game plan Haley said she will use with roads. 

She said, “South Carolina is doing well,” suggesting that she might recommend using rising tax revenues to pay for roads like she did for schools. 

“We can find money for that,” she said.

Haley pitched during her State of the State address this year to use a budget surplus seen in recent years to pay for roads – what she called “the money tree.”

Critics say the money is not a reliable source of revenue, though the state had an extra $86 million this year.

Tropical Storm Likely to Edge Along S.C. Coast

South Carolina began to ramp up emergency operations Tuesday as Tropical Storm Arthur strengthened and its threat to the state grew during the day.

Arthur’s top sustained winds went from 40 mph in midday to 50 mph by late afternoon, and the National Hurricane Center changed its forecast to say the system will be a minimal hurricane when it passes offshore of South Carolina Thursday afternoon. Earlier, the forecasts had it not hitting hurricane strength of 74 mph until Friday over North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

While the highest probability was for the center of the storm to remain off South Carolina, state officials began to prepare for the worst. The state Emergency Management Division went to OpCon 4, which is the second of five levels of alert and puts other state agencies on notice to be ready to respond to the storm.

The various forecast models agree strongly on the path of the storm, curving slowly north and west. But the intensity models vary remarkably, some showing Arthur’s winds only growing to about 70 mph, while others put the winds as high as 90 mph. That’s more a concern for the Outer Banks than South Carolina.

If the path forecast holds, there’s a slim chance of 50 mph winds along the Grand Strand on Thursday, but most of the South Carolina coast should face only a short stretch of winds in the 30-40 mph range. Rough surf and rip currents are expected on the beaches starting late Wednesday and all day Thursday.

Fortunately, in terms of beach erosion, the storm is hitting at neap tide, when the natural tides are lower than normal.

Anderson Democrats Events Set

The Anderson County Democratic Party will meet Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the party headquarters, 115 N. Main St. Juice and coffee will be provided. Committees organized earlier will continue to work on plans for the fall campaign. 

On July 12, at 5 p.m., the Anderson County Democratic Party will sponsor its 9th Annual Bar-B-Q and Rally at the Anderson Arts Center at 110 Federal Street in Anderson. The meeting follows a 9-year tradition of meeting in July to socialize and hear from Democratic candidates.  The meeting will inlclude 3rd Congressional District Caucus which will meet 4-5 p.m., and will include food and speeches. South Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Vincent Sheheen and other statewide and local candidates expected to attend. Call Stuart Sprague at 864-314-5640 for more information.

State: Audit Suggests Need for Monitoring Senior Facilities

An audit of the agency that serves South Carolinians with disabilities finds the Legislature can curb abuse and neglect by requiring a central registry and allowing electronic monitoring of facilities' common areas.

The Legislative Audit Council report released Monday says employers need a database to search for any past abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. At least 20 states already have an adult abuse registry.

Gloria Prevost, director of Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, called the registry critical.

"That is something our state direly needs for the protection of people with disabilities," she said. "If I ran a program, I would want to know who I'm hiring."

The audit also recommends that all caregivers undergo a national, fingerprint-based criminal check and a national sex offender registry check. Those are among two of the 12 recommendations still not implemented from the audit council's 2008 report. Prevost said she's concerned so many things are left over.

According to the audit, 31 of the 63 recommendations for the agency were completed and 17 were partially implemented. The Legislature made none of the three law changes the 2008 report recommended.

Full Story Here

Hurricane Watchers Keeping Eye Off Fla. Coast

Hurricane forecasters say the Atlantic's first tropical depression of the 2014 season could form by mid-week off the coast of Florida -- but it's not there yet.

On Monday night the area being watched, labeled Invest 91L by the National Hurricane Center, was about 90 miles east of Vero Beach, Fla.

Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance aircraft spent the day investigating the system and found a closed circulation, the hurricane center said, but not enough thunderstorm activity to warrant upgrading it to a tropical depression.

Sea surface temperatures are warm (at least 80 degrees), and environmental conditions are favorable for strengthening.

The Hurricane Hunters also found peak sustained wind gusts up to 35 mph. Winds would have to reach 39 mph for tropical storm status.

The NHC raised the system's chance for development in 48 hours to 80 percent, and said it wouldn't take much for it to be upgraded to a tropical depression.

If that were to happen, tropical storm watches will be issued for parts of Florida's east coast, the hurricane center said.

Computer models take the tropical disturbance northward along the East Coast later this week. 

Where will it go? Right now the hurricane center says the system will drift southwestward toward the Florida coast, but will turn west Monday night and eventually north -- a path that could take it along the southeastern Atlantic coast.

If a tropical storm did form, it would be the first of the 2014 season, and named Arthur. The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30.