Court Gives OK to Political RoboCalls in S.C.

A U.S. District Court in Greenville has ruled that an S.C. law that bans political robo-calls is unconstitutional.

The order, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Childs June 10, is part of an ongoing lawsuit that Robert Cahaly, a former campaign consultant to ex-Lt. Gov. Ken Ard, filed after he was arrested in 2010 for robo-calls, or automated phone calls, traced to him.

After the charges against Cahaly were dismissed, he filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated.

Cahaly was accused of targeting six female Democratic candidates for the S.C. House in the call, according to the court order. One call asked listeners if a Democratic candidate should invite U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to campaign with her. The listener was prompted to answer yes or no by using the telephone key pad.

The court order says the state attorney general previously had interpreted the law to allow political robo-calls as long as they are delivered to an answering machine or conducted a survey.

The court ruled state law unfairly singles out political speech, agreeing with Cahaly that the law violated the First Amendment. The ruling only applies to political robo-calls, not to automated commercial phone calls, which also are restricted by state law.

“This ruling in favor of free speech isn’t just a win for me,” Cahaly said. “It’s a win for the Constitution and most especially the Bill of Rights.”

Attorney general, House speaker head to court

Why Nobody Wanted to Be Lt. Governor in S.C.

For weeks, political intrigue swirled in South Carolina over a part-time position no one seemed to want, especially for just six months.

How hard was it to find someone to become lieutenant governor in South Carolina? Well, Republicans in line for the job refused. And Democrats — who haven't won a statewide race in South Carolina since 2006 — weren't exactly tempted either. Finally, a state senator whose re-election was in doubt offered to take the seat.

The saga reminds some people of when John Nance Garner, vice president of the U.S. under Franklin Roosevelt, said the No. 2 office "is not worth a bucket of warm spit," (or in some accounts, something even more vulgar).

It would help if states gave their second-in-command more responsibilities, said the executive director of the National Lieutenant Governor's Association.

"It is the second-highest ranking elected official in the state. You can make it into whatever your state needs," said Julia Hurst, executive director of the association.

South Carolina's constitution says the office of lieutenant governor's post — when vacated — is to be filled by the powerful president pro tempore of the state Senate. So when Lt. Gov. Ken Ard resigned in 2012 after pleading guilty to spending campaign money on personal items, GOP Senate President pro tem Glenn McConnell was legally mandated to take over the office. McConnell's friends told him that it was the biggest political sacrifice in South Carolina history.

Others weren't so ready to sacrifice when McConnell decided to step down as lieutenant governor after two years on the job to become president at the College of Charleston.

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State Revenue Chief Retiring

The director who took charge of South Carolina's Department of Revenue following a massive hacking is retiring, and this time he says it's for real.

Bill Blume, 66, told The Associated Press on Monday he leaves the agency significantly more secure than he found it. His resignation, submitted Friday, takes effect July 18.

Gov. Nikki Haley's office confirmed she will nominate Blume's chief of staff, Rick Reames, to replace him.

"During a very trying time, his strong leadership and professional experience set the department in a new direction," Haley said, adding that the reforms he implemented made the state stronger.

Blume has led the Cabinet agency since January 2013. He replaced Jim Etter, who left amid investigations into the nation's largest hacking of a state agency.

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Special Council Meeting to Discuss Budget, Lawsuits

Anderson County Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown to discuss the FY 2015 budget and propsed settlements of lawsuits Erick Bradshaw v. Anderson County and Patricia Jones v. Anderson County.

Bradshaw had sued Anderson County Councilman Eddie Moore and the county alleging Moore did not properly respond to a Freedom of Information Act request. The key issue in the case is whether Moore created a list of employees he wanted fired a list Moore said never existed.

Jones sued the county over the hiring of a private investigator and consultant to look into activities that took place during former Anderson County Adminstrator Joey Preston's administration.

S.C. Leads Nation in Tire Business

South Carolina is on one heck of a roll when it comes to tires.

The Palmetto State in the fourth quarter of 2013 elbowed aside Oklahoma as the nation’s leading tire producer, churning out 89,000 a day compared to the Sooner State’s 88,000 a day, according to estimates by Tire Business magazine.

It is also expanding its lead as the export king – last year shipping 30 percent of the nation’s overseas market, three times as many tires as its nearest competitor, Ohio.

“South Carolina is No. 1,” Dave Zielasko, the magazine’s publisher and editor-in-chief, said. “And its not surprising. South Carolina has really been aggressive in attracting these factories.”

Last Monday’s announcement of a new Giti Tires plant in Chester brings to $3.5 billion the amount of investment tire companies have pumped into the state since 2011. Those new plants and expansions of existing ones are expected to create 5,150 jobs by the end of this decade. That includes the $560 million investment announced Monday by the Singapore tire manufacturer that is expected to produce 1,700 jobs.

The state’s climb to the top of the tire heap is part of an overall rebirth of manufacturing in South Carolina – highlighted by Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner assembly plant in North Charleston – that has led the state’s recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Unemployment has dropped from a high of nearly 11.9 percent in 2009 to 5.3 percent in April.

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Opinion: County Budget Should Fund Raises, Economic Development, Law Enforcement

As Anderson County Council meets for the final time to discuss the 2014-2015 budget, let's hope the things which matter most don't get lost in the spreadsheets and politics. 

First things first. Anderson County continues to show strong signs of pulling out of the national economic downturn which began in 2008 and resulted in a reduction in budgets and employees, even the complete dissolution of entire departments. Offices were asked to adopt austere budgets and do more with fewer people and reduced resources. Few departments were not uneffected by these often drastic cuts, and county employees rose to the occassion and worked longer hours while absorbing extra duties. Meanwhile, increases in salaries were frozen. Solid. Anderson County employees have not received an actual raise in salaries in almost seven years. 

This impacts the county in a number of significant ways, many of them including a long-term effect on the bottom line. Good employees have left and and are continuing to leave Anderson County for better paying jobs. Sadly, many are leaving for smaller neighboring counties which pay higher salaries. 

Studies on the cost of employee turnover are all over the board. Some studies predict that replacing a salaried employee, costs 6-9 months' salary on average. Replacing a hourly-wage employee costs between 20-30 percent of that person's annual salary. Such studies point out the critical need for county council to weigh these costs when considering not only providing all county employees raises, but when looking at the bottome line. 

In some areas, such as law enforcement and emergency services, the cost and time of training and retaining good employees is even more important. As Anderson County Councilwoman Gracie Floyd rightly suggested in a recent council meeting: "No one who carries a gun for Anderson County should be eligible for food stamps." Too many already are.

Raises are not the only considerations which should be on the table. While it is too late for this budget cycle, the time has come for a comprehensive salary study/comparison of all positions in the county to see how we stack up with our neighbors across the Upstate and statewide. One such study was begun a couple years back, but died on the vine with no report. It's time to return the county's attention to make sure we are paying fair wages to all of our employees.

Next, it's time to revisit the Office of Economic Development and provide whatever funding needed to add staff, equipment, travel and training to continue the amazing production which has come from such a small group. Under the leadership of Burriss Neslon, working closely with Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, there is no questioning the wild success of the department over the past few years. This year's proposed budget only bumps funding for the department by a little over $100,000. That's simply not enough. A vision casting of where this department can go with proper funding should be part of the final discussions on this year's budget.

Finally, council needs to reconsider requests by law enforecement to help meet the needs of officers on the road attempting to deal wiht a growing population and a fast-rising violent crime rate in Anderson County. As mentioned earlier, other counties have more deputies per capita, but even the small counties surrounding Anderson are paying higher wages. This should not be acceptable in a progressive county. Emergency Services faces similar challenges often losing experienced employees to other counties and the private sector due to low pay. Anyone who has watched the exceptional response in recent weeks by this department, such as the acid leak on I-85 and at the same time a pipeline gas leak elsewhere in the county, can thank Taylor Jones and his staff for being prepared in advance, despite a shrinking buget which has still not replaced all the employees lost in 2008. 

Where will the money come from?

That is up to county council. Maybe we could start with the $500,000 divided equally among council members for their "recreation funds." That would make a dent in raises. It would take $786,000 for a two-percent across-the-board increase and $1,180.000 for a three-percent raise. Or give half to economic development to hire an additional recruiter or maybe to the Sheriff's Office so they can add five deputies to patrol the roads with the money.

A lot of effort and study has gone into the current proposed budget, but if last year's final vote is any indication, a lot of changes are still possible at the twelfth hour. 

Let's hope council reconsiders some core priorites and shifts the budget accordingly.

Tuesday Primary to Impact Two Statewide Races

Voters in Anderson County will have a chance to vote in the primary runoff elections on Tuesday.

In the Republican runnoffs, voters will choose between Mike Campbell and Henry McMaster in the final statewide election for Lieutenant Governor. The office will be appointed beginning in 2016.

Republican voters will also choose between Molly Spearman and Sallly Atwater for State Superintendent of Educaion. Democratic voters will decide between Sheila C. Gallagher and Tom Thompson for the same office. 

There are no local offices on the ballot in Anderson. and polls will open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Voters who voted June 10 must vote for the same party in the runoff. Those who did not vote, may choose which party runnoff in which to participate. 

For more information, visit www.scvotes.org.

County to Get Tough on Illegal Signs

Beginning Thursday, Anderson County Public Works employees will begin an Illegal Sign Blitz throughout t he county. Non-permitted signage will be removed from the right-of-way on county roads. Public Works will suspend operations on Thursday to put as many people as possible on the task. Signs that are removed will be stored at the White Street Convenience Center located at 2151 White Street Extension. 

"Illegal signage detracts from the beauty of our county," said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn. "The Public Works Division will put a lot of effort into this all out Blitz to clean our right-of-ways, which is a giant step toward our goal of ensuring the maintenance of an attractive community environment. I'm certain that residents will see a big difference by the end of the day. Thursday's event will also kick off Anderson County's policy of zero tolerance for illegal signage." 

Staff training will take place on Wednesday at the Civic Center of Anderson.

Anderson County Code of Ordinance Section 38-255: "A security deposit shall be required for each permit for temporary signs. Deposit shall be returned to the permit holder provided the sign has been removed after the expiration of the thirty-day period or the deposit will be forfeited."

Minimum setback required: Five (5) feet from any defined right-of-way or property line or fifteen (15) feet from edge of pavement if there is not a defined right-of-way. Applicant is responsible for contacting SCDOT (864.260.2251 for right-of-way information on all state roads. Applicant is responsible for contacting the County Roads Department (864.260.4190 for right-of-way information on all county roads. If placing signage on private property, applicant must obtain permission from the property owner and provide the Development Standards Department with a copy of this documentation with application.

Permit Applications and accompanying information are available for download at

www.andersoncountysc.org/web/admin/documents/devstandards/TemporarySignPacket.pdf

For more information about County Ordinances regarding sign permitting, please contact Anderson County Development Standards at 864.260.4774.

Pope Excommunicates All Members of Mafia

Speaking to a gathering of tens of thousands of people at the power base of a highly dangerous organized crime group in Italy, Pope Francis Saturday condemned the mafia's "adoration of evil" and declared all mobsters as effectively excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

The pope traveled to, and held a mass in, the southern region of Calabria, the power base of the global drug trafficking syndicate 'Ndrangheta, to comfort the family of a 3-year-old boy who, along with his grandfather, was gunned down in a January shootout involving the mafia.

"Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated," Reuters quoted Pope Francis as saying in impromptu comments at the mass.

People connected with the mafia are highly religious. They often fund some of Roman Catholic Church's programs and seek the blessings of local priests, according to USA Today. In April, bishops in Calabria issues a statement calling the mafia a "cancer."

"This evil must be fought against, it must be pushed aside. We must say no to it," the pope said Saturday, denouncing it for its "adoration of evil and contempt of the common good."

"Our children are asking for it, our young people are asking for it. They are in need of hope and faith can help respond to this need," Francis added.

Full Story Here

State: S.C. Motivated to Vote, Less Active After Elections

South Carolinians are among the most likely to vote, but among the least likely to take action after they cast their ballots, according to a new study.

Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said he thinks he knows why civic engagement ends for many in the Palmetto State as soon as they leave the voting booth.

"I know people are frustrated; I know they have not seen good examples of people in public life nationally, and they're turned off to the riff-raff," Keyserling said. "The bottom line is that people don't feel the issues that affect them day-to-day are being addressed."

"But that's not the case," he added.

Among the 50 states, South Carolina ranks 13th in voter registration, 14th in voter turnout for the 2010 mid-term elections and 19th in turnout for the 2012 presidential election, according to the study released last week by the University of South Carolina Upstate and the National Conference on Citizenship.

However, South Carolina ranks among the bottom four states in other forms of political activism, such as boycotting products and contacting public officials.

That so many South Carolinians vote --- at least relative to the rest of the country --- suggests local officials and elections offices are successful in swaying new voters, according to Marie Smalls, director of Beaufort County Elections and Registration.

During the 2012 presidential election, South Carolina ranked sixth in the nation for turnout among voters between 18 and 29 years old, according to the study.

However, young voters' civic engagement paralleled the state's overall trends, dropping off sharply after casting their ballots, according to the study. These voters ranked among the bottom 15 states in discussing politics several times a week, exchanging favors with neighbors and belonging to an organization, according to the study.

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SCDOT to Replace Bridge of Toney Creek

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) plans to replace the bridge on S-116 over Toney Creek in Anderson County beginning July 14. Pending any delays due to weather conditions, fabricator delays, etc., the new bridge is expected to re-open to traffic by October 10. The Anderson County Sheriffs Department, emergency management and Anderson County School District Two have been advised of the pending closure.

Anderson County Jobless Rate Up Slightly in May

South Carolina's unemployment rate remained at 5.3% in May, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce. Meanwhile Anderson County's rate was up slightly to 4.6 percent for the month. The jobless rate for Anderson for April was 4.3 percent.

The number of South Carolinians working continues to trend upward, rising for 10 consecutive months and reaching a historic high in May of 2,051,011, increasing by 500 since April, the department added.

The state's unemployment rate has declined from the previous year by 2.6 percentage points, marking one of the largest declines in the nation.

Complete statistics for the state can be found here.

S.C. Supreme Court Says Public Meeting Agendas Optional

The state Supreme Court has ruled that public bodies in South Carolina do not have to publish agendas before their regular meetings and they can add to the list of items discussed during the meetings.

The justices ruled this week in a Saluda County case after a citizen sued the county council for adding an item about water services during a meeting in 2008.

The ruling said South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act includes the phrase "if any" when mentioning agendas must be posted. The justices say that means an agenda isn't required.

South Carolina Press Association Executive Director Bill Rogers says the ruling will allow governments to vote on items without the public knowing about them in advance. He wants public bodies to keep publishing their agendas.