JD,
Who really runs the State of South Carolina - see also The Budget and Control Board.
Follow the money folks . . .
- SSHM
sshm,
I agree 100%. Follow the pork....uh...I mean money.
You'd end up with a gang fight....but it would be fun to watch.....
"Bryant has voted to send hundreds of millions of dollars from the state budget to our roads."
The questions I have about this statement are pretty simple:
1.) Was he funding state roads and bridges or county roads and bridges?
2.) Could someone from say, Horry County, argue that providing hundreds of millions of dollars for "our roads" is simple pork for Anderson and not Horry?
3.) How is pork any better if its is brought home by a DIFFERENT member of the Anderson County Legislative Delegation? It all comes from the same pig, afterall.
4.) Isn't pork just an unfriendly term for "constituent service?"
Bryant voted to send hundreds of millions of dollars to the State Non-Federal Highway Fund and to local C-Funds on a proportional basis. The first is prioritized on a statewide basis by the engineering staff at SCDOT and spent according to rank. The second is, obviously, spent by the counties as per their priorities. The point is to avoid the situation illustrated in #2. The problem, of course, is that it ends political favoritism. That's why it lost.
"Bryant, most importantly, has voted to send hundreds of millions of dollars back to the taxpayers . . ."
Still more simple, logical questions here folks:
1.) Above, we can see, according to private-taylor, that Bryant SPENT hundreds of millions of dollars on "our roads," yet "our roads" remain a mess. I'd like to know where that money went - anyone else?
2.) Bryant is for good roads, yes?
3.) The money he voted for, according to you private-taylor, was hundreds of millions of dollars, correct?
4.) Private-taylor, your above quote shows where that same funding, aka "hundreds of millions of dollars," was VOTED DOWN by Bryant in an effort to "send hundreds of millions of dollars back to the taxpayer" . . . SO HOW WAS HE FUNDING THE ROADS, HMMMM?
The logic would be a lot simpler if you'd read the material. I said that Bryant voted to send the money to roads. That effort failed because the porkers carried the day. Besides that, however, revenues to Columbia grew from about $4.7 billion in his first year to $7.1 billion this year. There was plenty of money for roads and tax returns, but the porkers would have none of it.
If you're unhappy that Bryant supported those efforts--funding roads and returning money--lead the charge against him. In the meantime, take a trip to some of the places on the list. You paid for them.
I should blame everyone else for Kevin's inability to build a coalition, is what you are telling me. Again, you have to develop CREDIBILITY and BUILD COALITIONS as a FRESHMAN SENATOR. You can't waltz into the General Assembly, flip the proverbial bird at everyone by telling them they are wrong and expect to accomplish ANYTHING, now can you?
Private-taylor, let me clue you in on what I and a LOT of other moderates and conservatives are unhappy about:
1.) Kevin's utter failure to accomplish ANYTHING in Columbia.
2.) Kevin's on-going mettling in local politics during a contested primary season.
3.) Kevin's "dead horse" post here:
http://kevinbryant.com/2008/06/20/beating-a-very-dead-horse/
Shall I go on?
Remember - what is "pork" to one is necessity to another.
STUPID
- SSHM
I guess you would know what can be accomplished by flipping everyone the proverbial bird. Look at your team's record in the recent primaries.
Look, you don't have to like the fact that Bryant is a conservative. You don't have to like the fact that conservatives carried the day in Anderson County during the recent primaries. You don't have to like the fact that RINOs (no H) face extinction.
But, whether you like it or dislike it, learn to love it, because you're going to have to live with it. And if you want to go on, be my guest.
P. S. - I know that pork carries different connotations for different folks. If you like giving your money to a frog jump, good for you. You're getting your wish.
Can you be more specific inrelationship to which roads were funded under Mr. Bryant's tutelage?
Let us dig a little deeper. Senator Bryant serves on the following committees in the S.C. Senate: Finance Committee, General Committee, Labor,Commerce & Industry, and Medical Affairs. according to the South Carolina General Assembly Online Legislative Online, this magnanimous senator sponsored 8 Bills in the 116th Session of the General Assembly 2005-2006 including the following S-0290,S-0529,S-0949,S-0997,S-1090,S-1101,S-1304,S-1453 of these eight bills only one passed. Non of which had anything to do with roads. Moreover, this senator is not interested in Commerce nor Industry, his prime concern is to divert money from public scholls to home schools so that housewives can be paid to teach their children. In the 117th Session of the General Assembly this emaculate senator proved himself unworthy of elective office by sponsoring even more defeated laws. Twenty- eight bills and resolutions with twenty- one defeated bills and resolutions failing. One resolution was in recognition of his father and mother for thier 50th wedding anniversary. Wonderful! When has Mr. Bryant gone to Anderson Economic Development to determine their needs or aspirations for Anderson County. Model yourself after Former Senator T. Ed Garrison and bring home the bacon, model yourself after The Late Senator M.E. McDonald and modernize your county, model yourself after Senator Billy O'Dell,Former U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings,The Late Great Strom Thurmond,Glen McConnell, Butler Derrick,do something besides playing the Barry Goldwater, Lee Atwater, Jim Crow, David Dukes games.
Stupid,
Bryant is going to have some help in the Senate this year as the Conservative caucus grows with the addition of Tom Davis, Phil Shoopman, Mike Rose, Shane Martin, Lee Bright and maybe a couple of others. Now, the Democrat and liberal Republican majority coalition won't be able to just run over the conservatives, they'll have to bring them to the negotiating table.
Conservatives have redeemed Anderson County and we're on our way to redeeming the state as whole.
Bryant isn't smart enough to figure out that if you take the politics and dumb ass politicians out of education, let the teachers actually teach rather than making them teach a test, and also let admin permanently expel the bad apples, most of the problems in the education system would correct themselves. Yes, it really is that simple, but people like Bryant would rather punish the kids and the schools for the state and federal government's mistakes and shortcomings, and the worst thing about it is that he would try to make himself look like a hero while screwing over the kids...
If you really want to fix education, give tax breaks to parents whose kids do well, punish the parents of the failing kids for being the failing parents they are.
Lee,
I thought you told everyone here you were not going to take things for granted, nor shrug off Meadors. It would appear that your very next post is anything but. Again, you ASSume that Bryant is going to be returned to the Senate and that he will again hang out at the Policy Council Office, er, Senate Chambers 3+ days a week.
For the record Lee, those folks you listed would be classified as ultra-conservatives in Columbia. Did I mention the fact that they are also a super small minority? Idealogs don't get work done in Columbia, nor do they survive in the long term.
- SSHM
Ryberg (5th term), Grooms (4th term), Verdin (3rd term), Campsen (2nd term), Bryant, Mulvaney, Davis, Rose, Bright, Shoopman, Massey and Fair (4th term) all carry the conservative (no ultra needed) banner. That's over 25% of the chamber and four chairs.
That light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train. Watch out.
Ryberg is his own man - a businessman first and foremost. I would hardly call him "a member of the ultra-conservatives," more likely a cross-over voter when needed.
Fair - Tied to the Bob Jones crowd and is the effective albatross of the group. He never met a social issue he didn't want to legislate to or around - hence the albatross monkier.
Grooms - Circle the wagons and protect the Governor Grooms? Read on: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/feb/29/senate_shies_from_sanford_probe32212/
Verdin - Well, it would be nice if someone would support his campaign. According to his April 10, 2008 Campaign Disclosure Form, he received MORE MONEY from COLUMBIA than his OWN DISTRICT. Hmmm . . . Oh, that money ... lots of PACs
Campsen - Mr. Compromise is one you count in your ranks? Well now, it's time to remind folks why Campsen is known as Mr. Compromise. I'll let George Will tell the story . . . read: http://www.newsandopinion.com/cols/will121699.asp
The light at the end of the tunnel may very well be a freigh train - but one has to finish building the track if you expect that train to go anywhere.
- SSHM
You really have no idea what you're talking about, but of course we learned that during the primaries. These characterizations are nice figments of your imagination. Ryberg a "cross-over" vote--cross-over from where? Fair an "albatross"--what does that mean (nothing)? Grooms protecting the governor--from what? Verdin doesn't even have a race. A 1999 article on Campsen-that's the best you can do?
Keep on blathering, the train is coming.
I didn't mean to abandon our discussion of the many attributes of our ultra conservative politicians. I was busy at the Anderson County Democratic BBQ, where we heard from candidates for State,County and National offices and the Minority Whip the Honorable Jim Clyburn. They all expressed the same hopes for government once more to become "of the people, for the people and by the people. What a great celebration for a patriotic holiday weekend.
Gov, Sanford was voted worst Governor in the US and now is on the short list to be elected to the second most important elected office in our fair land. One of your fellow Republicans in the State Legislature said "At least we would be rid of him". I am afraid I don't agree with that sentiment, but it might take the Republican "ticket" right down the drain where it has taken us for the past eight years. We now have $$$$$$$$$$ in debt. Aren't you "conservatives" concerned about that?
How much more wrath can those two oil barons inflict on the the citizens of our fair land. I will tell you! They want to tie up all the oil that we have by issuing leases on all the possible sources that exist. There are now sufficient oil leases in place that have never been drilled to occupy their greed and our rapture with all things that require energy to enjoy. We couldn't even refine any oil that could be found for more than ten years.
Alternative energy sources are the answer. Write, call, e-mail you representative to vote NO on this proposed legislation.
. . . and your knowledge of state funding there private-taylor was less than stellar, as the white-plains-drifter pointed out in not one but TWO threads. If you knew ANYTHING about how Columbia operates, you wouldn't just brush me off - but then again - that is what works for you.
God forbid you are proven wrong twice in less than seven days, right?
Let me break out the box of crayons for you private-taylor . . .
Ryberg is a FISCAL CONSERVATIVE that will vote on SOCIAL issues when he must. It is certainly not something he is in active pursuit over.
The rest of the motley fools you reference are known to be STRONG SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES. Yes, the type that will take a hard legislative stand on Abortion, Gay Marriage, Evolution vs. Creationism, etc. etc.
Yes - your ship of fools would like to blur the lines between church and state to such a point that the line no longer exists. That's not very LIBERTARIAN of you, now is it? It's much more THEOCRATIC than it is anything else.
It's also why Sen. Fair has never really done anything in the State Senate. As for the albatross, I suggest you go back and re-read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and understand the actions of both Fair and Bryant when it comes to legislating health issues.
When you take on large-scale issues with a significant degree of flippancy, not unlike the albatross, the act ends up undoing the man. Such is the case with Bryant and the exodus of moderate and conservative Republicans from the ranks of the ACRP.
I'd give you more of a clue, but I'm not sure you'd know what to do with it if I gave it to you.
- SSHM
Petunia,
Did you get the chance to ask His Dishonor Jim Clyburn how much of our money he has spent lately making sure that his friends and family have jobs?
SSHM,
I know you'll never admit it, but you're dead wrong on this. The conservative caucus or "Common Sense Caucus" as Will Folks calls it in the Senate is composed currently of Bryant, Grooms, Campsen, Verdin, Massey, Ryberg, McConnell, and Fair. In the fall, they will be joined by Mulvaney, Shoopman, Shane Martin, Bright, Davis, and Rose. That's 14 out of 46, not exactly a "super small minority." Also, there are others who like to ride the fence who might jump to the conservative side like Larry Martin, Cromer, Alexander, Thomas, and Hayes. The conservative side that I'm speaking of does distinguish itself with social issues like you're trying to say. Everybody in the SC Senate is socially conservative including the Democrats. There is only one openly pro-choice Senator, Brad Hutto. The conservatives caucus is different from the rest of the "conservatives" in the Senate because they are fiscally conservative and believe in pro-growth tax policies and making our state more efficient by moving its structure into the 21st Century.
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