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Elections are all about contrast
2008-04-17 17:39:00
SCOTT V. ROSE RACE PROVES IT I don’t know State Sen. Randy Scott from a hole in the wall. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and all, but after watching the above video I’m wondering how on God’s green earth this guy ever won an election. Granted the video was put together by former Sen. Mike Rose, who is challenging Scott in the June primary. And granted it only presents a few out-of-context excerpts from Scott’s “speech.” But it’s incredible that someone could say pretty much nothing and do much pretty much nothing and still get elected to two terms. The video is about three minutes longer than it needs to be and has way too many text cutaways, but it hits on the point that Scott might just be a moron. To see what I mean, go to the 1:06 mark of the video. Watch that for about 25 seconds and then go to the 2:09 mark for another 40 seconds or so. And I’m not completely sure, but I think fellow blogger Earl Capps has a cameo in the...
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Buddy?s bigot bucks
2008-04-16 22:18:00
BUDDY RAISES THOUSANDS, MOSTLY FROM HIMSELF Fueled by the will of the people and thousands of eager donors ready to oust our Senior U.S. Senator, Irmo dentist Buddy Witherspoon is destined achieve greatness this June. Or at least that’s the narrative being pushed by Buddy and his lone campaign staffer, Dan Herren. But the reality of Buddy’s first quarter filing with the Federal Election Commission is that 63 percent of the meager $350,642 he reported in total receipts came in the form of a check written to himself. That check totaled $220,000. Despite that, Herren claimed that what money the “campaign” did raise from people not named Buddy Witherspoon was from more than 3,000 donors. I haven’t seen the report yet, so I don’t know if that claim is true. But if it is, I’m guessing most of those folks have the last name Witherspoon or live near Irmo. The rest will probably be the fringe reactionary loonies who want to ship everyone with ta...
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Pee-wee?s Big SC Adventure
2008-04-16 18:58:00
PAUL REUBENS JOINS CAST OF ‘NAILED’ WITH BIEL, GYLLENHAAL I was quite surprised Tuesday when I was wandering around the Statehouse — which is right now doubling as the set of Nailed starring Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal — and I bumped into none other than Paul Reubens, known to many as Pee-wee Herman. Unbeknownst to me, the good folks at the Internet Movie Database, and pretty much everyone else in the world, he has a role in the film. Which is crazy because I had no idea the guy was still alive, much less acting in movies. And much, much less acting in this movie. When I saw Reubens on the set, he and the cast were between takes at State Treasurer Converse Chellis‘ office. He wouldn’t give me any inside details about the film, but did say he was playing a Congressional staffer. That doesn’t explain the fanny pack, Bluetooth or pocket pens (photo below), but it does explain why he was seen with Biel at Mo Mo’s Bistro in Columbia...
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Former SCGOP Chairman Dan Ross has died
2008-04-16 17:38:00
DAWSON: ROSS WAS A REPUBLICAN PIONEER The Palmetto Scoop has just learned the sad news that Dan Ross , who served as the South Carolina Republican Party Chairman from 1976 to 1980, has died from complications of a stroke suffered on April 1. “We are deeply saddened by Chairman Ross’ passing, but we are extremely grateful for his years of leadership and service,” SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson said. “Chairman Ross was a Republican pioneer who joined Gov. James B. Edwards, Sen. Strom Thurmond and others in laying the conservative foundation in South Carolina on which the Republican Party has been built. “Thanks to Chairman Ross, our State Party is stronger and more united than ever.” An e-mail from the Richland County GOP said Ross had “been moved just yesterday from the Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta to a nursing facility in Barnwell where he died about 8:00 p.m.” Funeral arrangements have been tentatively set for Saturday....
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Thanks for the robbery, Uncle Sam!
2008-04-16 06:31:00
TAX DAY SUCKS If you’re like me and you work for a living, then every April 15 is a reminder that the federal government is probably the largest racketeer in the history of man. Seriously, can’t a guy just try to earn a mostly-honest living without enduring an astronomical shakedown courtesy of Uncle Sam? Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree that we should all pay our fair share. But it’s hard not to get pissed off when the kids charged with collecting our cash break the piggy bank every time a sweet pork project comes across their desk. Sure it’s just nickels and dimes at a time, but that stuff adds up fast. And if it wasn’t enough that millions of dollars are wasted on special interest spending every year, we have to fork over another $200 to $500 to pay someone else who understands the incredibly complex tax codes to file our taxes for us. That’s worse than a freaking racket. But I’m not the only one ranting today. Gov. Mark Sa...
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Thanks for the robbery, Uncle Sam!
2008-04-16 04:21:00
TAX DAY SUCKS If you’re like me and you work for a living, then every April 15 is a reminder that the federal government is probably the largest racketeer in the history of man. Seriously, can’t a guy just try to earn a mostly-honest living without enduring an astronomical shakedown courtesy of Uncle Sam? Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree that we should all pay our fair share. But it’s hard not to get pissed off when the kids charged with collecting our cash break the piggy bank every time a sweet pork project comes across their desk. Sure it’s just nickels and dimes at a time, but that stuff adds up fast. And if it wasn’t enough that millions of dollars are wasted on special interest spending every year, we have to fork over another $200 to $500 to pay someone else who understands the incredibly complex tax codes to file our taxes for us. That’s worse than a freaking racket. But I’m not the only one ranting today. Gov. Mark Sa...
More About: Democrats , Republicans , Executive , Legislature , Robbery

The McLovin Fund
2008-04-15 20:15:00
“The Mclovin’ Fund ” with Kristen Bell and Christopher Mintz-Plasse on FunnyOrDie.com CHICKA CHICKA YEAH, HOLLYWOOD LOVES ME AGAIN, CHICKA CHICKA GETTIN’ MY BLOG ON For those of you that haven’t seen the movie Superbad, it’s a movie about three not-so-cool high school seniors about to leave for college and their all-night adventure to find booze and women. There’s a ton of swearing and countless not-so-vague sexual references, but on the whole it’s a pretty good flick. One of the main characters in the film is named Fogell, who picks up a fake ID with his picture and the name “McLovin.” No first name, just McLovin. So the now-defunct “Shady Places” duo of Corey Hutchins and Wes Wolfe began calling me McLovin. After their blog went belly-up, a few of the less-original blogs decided to copy the idea. I’m not sure if it’s a way to boost traffic or they’re just huge admirers, but I guess itR...

Meadors makes memory miscue
2008-04-15 17:51:00
SENATE CANDIDATE SEEMINGLY SUFFERS AMNESIA WHILE FILING ECONOMIC INTERESTS STATEMENT… GOOD THING HE HAS MEDICAID CONTRACT In his bid to unseat State Sen. Kevin Bryant in the November election, Democrat candidate Marshall L. Meadors III — not to be confused with Marshall B. Mathers III a.k.a. Eminem a.k.a. the “Real Slim Shady” — is apparently having a bit of difficulty adhering to the state’s ethics laws. That’s because Meadors, who is a practicing physician at Primary Care Associates in Anderson, did not report a pair of government contracts on his statement of economic interests form, The Palmetto Scoop has learned. “Meadors should immediately amend his statement of economic interests form to honestly and accurately reflect his dealings with government agencies,” GOP Chairman Katon Dawson told TPS. “If voters can’t trust Meadors to be forthright in financial disclosures, they certainly can’t trust him to repr...
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The country of South Carolina?
2008-04-15 02:47:00
SOMEBODY FORGOT TO TELL ME WE SECEDED AGAIN I’m not sure where the above video was shot — pardon the pun — but I wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out to be the base of operations for Charles Edward Atwell, an Easley resident who told a federal judge Friday that he didn?t have to pay more than $2 million in back taxes because he is a citizen of the ?country of South Carolina ,? not the United States. Take a guess how the judge responded… Atwell was sentenced to the maximum of four years and three months in prison by U.S. District Judge Henry Herlong. Herlong had asked Atwell where he was a citizen. ?Right here, the country of South Carolina ,? Atwell said. ?That?s not a country,? Herlong said. ?It?s a state.? [The State] So either Atwell hopes to raise an army of machine-gun-wielding children and grenade launching, cannon blasting grown ups like in the clip above (another lame pun?) to re-secede from the Union, or like the people of the Iraq, he does...
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Boy killer?s appeal denied by SCOTUS
2008-04-14 22:41:00
PITTMAN WILL SPEND NEXT 30 YEARS IN JAIL I’m going to avoid getting on my soapbox as much as possible here, but in most cases when you kill your grandparents with a shotgun while they sleep and then set the house on fire, you deserve life in prison, no matter what age you are. So even though Christopher Pittman was 12 years old when he committed that heinous crime in November 2001, I think Chester County prosecutors were actually too lenient in giving him only 30 years in prison. Of course, Pittman disagrees. But his fight to reduce the sentence came to end today when the U.S. Supreme Court denied him a hearing. The justices, without comment, refused to intervene. At issue was whether the state properly used its discretion to try Pittman as an adult, whether the sentence was excessive, and whether mitigating factors should apply. Outside a death-penalty context, the high court has offered little recent guidance on how to treat underage defendants. […] Pittman, now 6 f...
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Fmr. Gamecock Jamacia Jackson dead at 26
2008-04-14 21:23:00
CAUSE OF DEATH STILL UNKOWN There’s very sad news today that Jamacia Jackson , who played in 43 games at safety and on special teams for the University of South Carolina from 2001 to 2004, was found dead at his girlfriend’s home in Sumter. He was 26 years old. He signed with the New York Giants in 2006, and was allocated to NFL Europe and selected by the Berlin Thunder. He signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 as an undrafted free agent, but was released during training camp. He subsequently joined the [Canadian Football League’s]Montreal Alouettes’ practice roster, and then signed with the [CFL’s] Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. “Jamacia was a beloved player, teammate and friend,” Ticats coach Charlie Taaffe said. “He will be truly missed by our entire team.” [AP] WLTX reports that the cause of death is not yet known, but an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fmr. Gamecock Jamacia Jackson dead at 2...
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Hillary makes play for SC voters
2008-04-14 19:25:00
NEW FOOTAGE EXPLAINS A LOT I’ve always wondered what Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton does late at night when her husband Bill is off doing his “thing,” and now I finally know. The Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends, which Stephen Colbert called “a Disney movie about the news,” had footage this morning of Hillary showing her human side when she knocked back a few shots and chased them with a beer over the weekend. Almost as good as the video of her tying a few on was the commentary by the FNC anchors. According to them, the former first lady enjoys a Blue Moon with an orange wedge and that she’s “no stranger to late night drinks.” The image of Rick Blaine hunched over a table in the wee hours of the morning trying to heal the hurt of a broken heart with a bottle of liquor immediately comes to mind. But to think this footage was leaked by accident would bee foolish. Hillary Clinton’s campaign never doe...
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I never saw this coming
2008-04-14 17:18:00
SANFORD TO ENDORSE FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF’S SENATE BID Gov. Mark Sanford’s diabolical scheme to pick off numerous legislative opponents with a slate of loyal cronies never really reached fruition. There was chatter all over the state that Sanford supporters would rise up and oust the “status quo” politicians from Columbia, but when the filing deadline came and passed, little materialized. One race that has, however, is the already-dirty showdown in State Senate District 46 between incumbent Catherine Ceips and the governor’s former top aide, Tom Davis. And get this: Sanford will be endorsing him today in Beaufort. Sanford backed Ceips’ opponent in last year’s special election following the resignation of Scott Richardson to become director of the state Department of Insurance. I think Sanford supporting Davis is about as shocking as when I endorsed Sen. John McCain before the South Carolina GOP primary. McCain went on to victory and I̵...
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Lucky No. 7
2008-04-14 04:33:00
S.C. COULD REGAIN 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AFTER 2010 CENSUS For the first time since 1933, South Carolina could have a seventh member of the U.S. House of Representatives. If forecasts for the re-apportionment of Congress ional districts following the 2010 census are accurate, both of the Carolinas would pick up another seat in the Capitol. But the Myrtle Beach Sun News notes that observers are quick to caution that the formula is incredibly intricate and the outcome is very difficult to predict. This decade’s population shifts from north to south - especially along the coast - could boost the political prominence of the Carolinas in general, and the Grand Strand in particular. […] Using a complex duck-duck-goose scheme, the Census Bureau orders the states by population, then parcels congressional seats out, one at a time, until all 435 are assigned. The formula is so complicated that it has been mathematically proven to have built-in paradoxes, and only a few analyst...
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Public Schools Gain From School Choice
2008-04-13 14:00:00
South Carolina?s public schools are in trouble. Ranked lowest in graduation rate and 49th in SAT scores, our public schools are not preparing our students for the challenges that lay ahead. In addition to growing achievement gaps between income and racial groups, researchers have found that some of our state?s ?best? public schools are actually the furthest behind their national peers. Despite abysmal rankings, public spending on K-12 education is enormously high and increasing faster than wages or inflation. Lawmakers are looking to spend $11,480 per child in the 2008-09 school year. Recent history is clear: More and more money is clearly not the solution to failing public schools. We must change how we fund education in South Carolina, not merely how much we fund public schools. Tax dollars should be appropriated on a strictly per-pupil basis, allowing parents the freedom to choose the independent, private, charter, magnet, or traditional public school that meets the needs of the...
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Shane Martin has the coolest events ever
2008-04-12 02:42:00
SENATE CANDIDATE SHOWING OFF NASCAR CHAMP’S CAR AT SATURDAY MEET AND GREET With a Dale Earnhardt-like mustache and a personality that exudes a blue-collar wrapped around a red neck, it’s no wonder that State Senate District 13 candidate Shane Martin (above left next to Rusty Wallace) manages the NASCAR Busch Nationwide Series and oversees the Craftsman Truck Aerodynamic Program for Chevrolet. Which means that while other candidates are holding events in stuffy old houses, rec centers, retirement homes and other lame places, Martin gets to raise money the awesome way. By “awesome way” I mean he gets to have NASCAR show cars at his fundraisers. And not crappy washed-up drivers or guys who barely qualify. He gets the real deal. Like on Saturday when back-to-back Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will lend a replica of his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to Martin’s campaign from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a meet and greet at the Lowe?s and Tractor Supply park...
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Bush coming to Furman
2008-04-11 18:39:00
POTUS TO ADDRESS GRADUATES NEXT MONTH It’s hard to think of a better keynote speaker for a college graduation ceremony than the leader of the Free World. So, being that I’m a Georgia Southern grad who opted not to attend the ceremony, news that President Bush will give the commencement speech at arch rival Furman University next month was basically a double kick in the stomach. The Greenville News reports the “barebones details”: Bush will speak at the 7:30 p.m. ceremony, where approximately 650 degrees will be awarded in the 16,000-seat Paladin Stadium on May 31. Furman spokesman Vince Moore said it would mark the first time that a sitting president has visited the campus in its 182-year history. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a 1983 Furman graduate and the 2002 graduation speaker, played a key role in the arrangements, Moore said. He said after Sanford inquired about the possibility, university president David Shi “met with the senior class leader...
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Kay Patterson is grumpy, ready to rumble
2008-04-11 05:38:00
REPORTEDLY CALLS CONSTITUENT A ‘SMART ASS’ I don’t know Sen. Kay Patterson (D-Richland) — pictured above responding to voters’ mail — personally, but I’ve always heard he is a very nice guy. Of course, when you’re somewhat older than time itself, are on your way out of office and have been dealing with whiny constituents for nearly four decades, I suppose even the nicest folks are subject to the occasional temper tantrum. So when Kenny Rowland of Blythewood sent Patterson a letter complaining that he wanted “the same retirement plan the legislature is voting for themselves” because “I will work my a** off untill [sic] God knows when to pay for health insurance and a retirement I can live on,” he was just asking for a verbal brow-beating. And just to make sure he fully pissed Patterson off, Rowland added, “It is no wonder you guys try so hard to keep getting elected.” The State’s Brad Warthen ...
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Andre?s MySpace page is famous
2008-04-10 22:44:00
ABC NEWS ‘GRABS’ SHOT OF GUV LITE’S NETWORKING HOME I’m not sure how this is at all possible, but today is somehow an even slower news day than last Thursday. Of course, the result of that was that I almost got sued by Jake Gyllenhaal, so I guess things can change in a matter of seconds. To once again prove that — until this moment — nothing is happening around here, I bring you the only shred of interesting information I have: Lt. Gov. André Bauer’s MySpace page has achieved infamy. Sort of. ABC News reported today that News Corp.’s MySpace has given the British-based ShineReveille International media company exclusive rights to distribute “MySpaceTV” on broadcast television outside the U.S. and to sell DVDs and other merchandise. But that’s not the news. Not for me anyway. For me the news is that they used a “frame grab” of Bauer’s MySpace page circa 2006 during his successful re-election bid to ...
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McMaster gears up with a little help from his friends
2008-04-10 19:20:00
BIG NAMES COME OUT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL RAISES $100K AT K STREET FUNDRAISER For a guy who is still “not” running for governor in 2010, Attorney General Henry McMaster sure is raising a lot of loot and winning a number of key allies. At an April 1 fundraiser held at the historic Roosevelt House in Washington, DC — the private residence of President Theodore Roosevelt located in the heart of ?K Street? — McMaster reportedly hauled in close to $100,000. The event was organized and sponsored by DC GOP power-player Scott Reed (pictured above), who managed Bob Dole?s 1996 presidential campaign and served as Chief of Staff for the Republican National Committee during the 1994 “Republican Revolution.” Reed also ran the Department of Housing and Urban Development for Jack Kemp during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Those of note participating and attending included Jack Kemp, former Navy Secretary Will Ball, former Virginia Attorney Jerry Kilgore and...
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BREAKING: Sanford?s (Port) Royal mess gets dirtier
2008-04-09 21:29:00
FORMER PORTS AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN DIVULGES DETAILS OF GOVERNOR’S INVOLVEMENT IN PORT SALE Gov. Mark Sanford attempted to influence the state’s multi-million dollar sale of Port Royal in an attempt to win the deal for a campaign contributor, the former chairman of the State Ports Authority said Wednesday. Bill Stern told lawmakers that the governor urged him to reconsider developer Jim Chaffin, who The Palmetto Scoop reported in February had given thousands of dollars to Sanford, after Chaffin’s bid for the development rights to the port property came in far below the appraised value of the land. According to the Associated Press: Stern says the governor asked him to negotiate with Chaffin for a higher bid and the state should do business with the Hilton Head Island developer. Both Stern and Sanford in previous interviews with The Associated Press have denied the governor tried to steer the sale to a specific developer. Stern is telling lawmakers about the Port Royal ...
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Government knows best
2008-04-09 17:54:00
HOUSE SEEKS TO BAN MOON PIES, FRIES, PIZZA, FROM SCHOOLS In a sure sign that state legislators have become way too obsessed with luring Hollywood to South Carolina, Rep. Bakari Sellers introduced a bill that could best be described as a tribute to the Eddie Murphy movie “Daddy Day Care.” Actually, I have no idea if it’s anything like Murphy’s Daddy Day Care because that movie sucked. You could put me on Ipanema Beach with endless margaritas and my own personal drop-dead-gorgeous Brazilian masseuse and I would still leave if I so much as thought that film would start playing anywhere near me. But Sellers’ proposal to get rid of Moon Pies, french fries, pizza and other foods from public schools certainly sounds like the government is playing “Daddy Day Care.” The legislation would ban high-fat foods from school lunch programs and remove calorie-loaded snacks and soft drinks from school vending machines. That means granola bars could replace h...
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Lindsey needs some Orbit gum
2008-04-08 23:34:00
GRAHAM SAYS TROOPS ARE KICKING ARSE, DOESN’T ACTUALLY SAY ‘ARSE’ Speaking at the Vets for Freedom rally outside the Capitol Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham took an opportunity to really reach the pro-war base. After getting teed-up by Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman, Graham knocked out quite a gem. According to Jonathan Martin: ?You want to know who wants you to come home more than anybody?? Graham continued. ?al Qaeda because you?re kicking their ass.? This came less than a week after Graham basically called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “cootie queen,” to which she reportedly replied, “Who are you calling a cootie queen you lint licker?” I’m pretty sure the Orbit gum lady will be paying him a visit very soon. ________ UPDATE: Surprise, surprise. The liberal blogosphere is up in arms over this. Think Progress said Graham’s comments today — including his kind words for General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker d...
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Terrible Twosday
2008-04-08 21:38:00
TWO SC STORIES ABOUT TWO HEARTS AND TWO DISTURBING DISCOVERIES ON A… TUESDAY I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about today that’s been a bit off. I’m not sure what it is, but things just seem, well, weird. And neither of these two stories did anything to help. First, authorities in Greenville County found “severed hands and feet” in separate bags at two homes about a mile apart. Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans says the body parts were cut from Mekole Michelle Harris. He says fingerprints were used to identify the body parts. Evans says he doesn’t know how the body parts were cut or whether it was done after Harris died. He also says there was no obvious connection between Harris and where the limbs were found. Her last known address was a boarding house in the city. Police are looking for the rest of the body. [AP] As if the line “police are looking for the rest of the body” isn’t creepy enoug...

A few Tuesday scoops
2008-04-08 18:29:00
I’ve read through a few small stories so far today, but since I’m resorting to a “scoops” post, you can assume that none are really worth their own post. So here are a few scoops for this partly cloudy, not very warm, and mostly uneventful Tuesday : ? GO GREEN, GET A TAX BREAK — As regressive as South Carolina can be at times, we’ve been pretty good about environmental issues. Which is unfortunate, because all the Earth has ever done is try to kill us (see: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, etc.). So why shouldn’t we return the favor? Not everyone agrees with me on that though, because some people just like being wrong. In this case, we call those wrong people “environmentalists.” And part of being an “environmentalist” is taking things that are seen as bad for the Earth and adding the word “green” to them. But that costs a lot of money so only the really hardcore (rich) “env...
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Smoking bans = more drunk driving fatalities
2008-04-08 00:40:00
STUDY FINDS DRUNK SMOKERS WILL DRIVE TO FIND NON-SMOKE-FREE BARS The recently-upheld smoking ban in the city of Greenville could mean drivers in that area should stay off the roads after dark, if a new study conducted in part by a University of South Carolina researcher is accurate. USC’s Chad Cotti and Scott Adams of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that smoking bans are directly connected to increases in alcohol-related traffic deaths. And if a study finds it to be true, it automatically becomes unquestionable fact. Here’s what Reason Magazine said because I didn’t feel like reading through some academic mumbo-jumbo: “We observe an increase in fatal accidents involving alcohol following bans on smoking in bars that is not observed in places without bans,” the researchers report. They surmise that drinkers respond to bans by driving further to find bars where they’re allowed to light up, either because the bars are in a different jur...
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Allen: Abolishing parole worked in Virginia, would work in SC
2008-04-07 20:52:00
FORMER VA GOVERNOR CREATED BLUEPRINT FOR FUTURE STATES Former Virginia Gov. and U.S. Sen. George Allen submitted a guest column to The State over the weekend saying that if South Carolina followed the model he help implement in Virginia to end the revolving-door prison system created by early-release parole programs, we would not only keep violent criminals off the street, but also curb crime overall. Allen specifically referenced Attorney General Henry McMaster’s plan to completely abolish parole and institute truth in sentencing so that all convicted criminals must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. When President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to abolish parole in the federal system in 1984, he recognized that the existing sentencing and parole system was adding to rising crime rates and was fundamentally unfair to the victims of crime and to the public. This was a major shift in criminal justice policy and served as inspiration for changes I advocated during ...
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Crazy Game of Poker
2008-04-07 16:42:00
26 ARRESTED IN 10-MONTH POKER STING At first I thought this story about a late-night “raid” on a poker game at a Hanahan home was some kind of lame, late April Fools’ Day joke, but it actually happened. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, which apparently has absolutely nothing better to do like fight the real crime, said Saturday they had arrested at least 26 people as the result of a 10-month undercover investigation. The only reason this made news though was because First Circuit Deputy Solicitor Don Sorenson was one of those arrested. The Charleston County Metro Major Case Unit and Charleston City Police along with the North Charleston and Hanahan police departments raided a house on Friday night at 6916 Tanner Hall Blvd. in Hanahan. The house had been set up as a Las Vegas-style casino, Clark said. “There were approximately 26 people in the residence last (Friday) night and they were charged by Hanahan police with unlawful games and betting. T...
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Sorry, Jake
2008-04-04 22:49:00
THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION FROM GYLLENHAAL CAUSES POST’S REMOVAL You may have noticed the disappearance of Thursday’s post revealing the not-at-all top secret locations of homes reportedly procured by the cast of the movie “Nailed.” And if you’re one of the many people who has emailed me or made a comment, I appreciate your concern. But you can stop now. The reason the post was removed was that I received a stern letter this morning from Jake Gyllenhaal’s attorney threatening legal action if I did not remove all pictures of and references to the locations. That’s right, THE Jake Gyllenhaal wanted to sue me… I’m flattered. I guess I never realized he was so sensitive about where he lived. Don’t they have maps to the stars homes readily available on every street corner in southern California? Well, even though I believe that I did nothing wrong and had every right to publish that information, I quickly removed the post and ap...

Beltram suing family
2008-04-04 20:58:00
SPARTANBURG GOP CHAIR TAKES FIGHT TO UNCLE I was always under the impression that Italian “families” handled their “business” in a more “direct” manner, but Spartanburg GOP Chairman Rick Beltram is, for the first time ever, proving me wrong about something. According to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Beltram is suing his former employer — who also happens to be his uncle — for reportedly being in breach of contract, committing “tortious” acts, failing to return personal property and properly compensate him and misreporting profits over a two-year period while he was serving as a consultant for the company. That company also happens to have been started by Beltram’s grandfather Quirino in 1914. Mama Mia! Rick Beltram was president and chief shareholder of the company from 1973 until October 2005 when he sold it to his uncle and the name was changed to Intedge Manufacturing. The lawsuit states that after the ownershi...
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