Jul 26 2012

Ryberg: LETTER: Comments wrong and insulting

By GREG RYBERG – Aiken

President Obama recently said that the hard-working, risk-taking and self-sacrificing entrepreneur is not responsible for their own success but that they owe their success to the government. Aside from being insulting, it actually is exactly opposite of the truth.
The hard-working, risk-taking and self-sacrificing entrepreneur is responsible not only for their own success, but also anything and everything that the government manages to do right, which often is not much. The subsidies that Barack Obama received to attend college and law school came from some entrepreneur who either paid their business taxes or employed someone who paid their income taxes or simply donated to the school so people like Obama could go for free.
When Barack Obama taught law school, entrepreneurs paid for his office and computer and salary and benefits. They now pay his salary as president of the United States.
Barack Obama truly would be nothing without the entrepreneurs who have paid his way from the cradle up to now. I don’t expect him to thank them, but at least he should stop insulting them.
Greg Ryberg
Aiken

By Kevin Bryant • Uncategorized •

Jul 23 2012

Veto votes

I voted to sustain all but 2 line item vetoes in this year’s budget and all of the line item vetoes in the capital reserve spending. Here are links to Governor Haley’s Budget veto messages and Capital Reserve Fund veto messages

veto 7 – I voted to over-ride. Pay raise for teachers – People need to realize that teachers would get these raises regardless of this veto. If the veto were sustained, the raises would be funded at the local level. Gov. Haley vetoed this line because teachers were awarded a pay raise with one time money. I don’t agree with this reason, and certainly agree that our teachers deserve a pay raise. Next year the local school districts will need to fund this raise. One of the school districts I represent spent $347,000 renovating their board room complete with an 80 inch flat screen tv. I’m sure funding a pay increase won’t be a problem.

veto 67 – I voted to over-ride. This line uses funds from the National Mortgage settlement to increase the Commerce Department’s closing fund. When folks sign the dotted line to a bank on a mortgage and they can’t make the payments, is it government’s role to help them make these payments or is it better to help them find jobs? I sympathize with those out of work and have found themselves in this situation. However, the closing fund for Commerce will be used to recruit job creators to SC. It is better to cultivate pro-business soil conditions to reduce our unemployment roles.

The vetoes below are ones that several constituents contacted me about:

veto 1 – I voted to sustain. I agree with the Governor in that a commission should not skim 30% off the top for administration. Also, many people voluntarily support the arts organizations with their own money. Arts are a necessity for society, but funding is beyond the core function of government.

veto 50-55 – I voted to sustain. All of these lines were vetoed with a collective message. These non-profit organizations serve a worthy purpose, but they broaden the mission of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Also, these groups represent a small portion of South Carolina’s chronically ill or abused. The victims of sexual assault, kidney disease, hemophilia, and sickle cell anemia are served by non-profit organizations. I supported the Governor on these vetoes, yet have reached out to our local organizations to see if I will support their funding next year. I will also explore the possibilities of funding these needs through a more appropriate agency such as Health and Human Services and/or Disabilities and Special Needs. Also, child protective services and law enforcement have been unfunded for too long.

As always, y’all are welcome to comment on any of these or vetoes ones I have not included.

By Kevin Bryant • Uncategorized •

Jul 18 2012

Independent Women’s Voice on Obamacare

Fellow Patriot,

The Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the Constitutionality of ObamaCare sets a disturbing and dangerous precedent. Their ruling in effect confirms that there are no limitations whatsoever on the powers of Congress.

To use the now-famous example from the oral arguments in this case, if Congress wished to mandate that everyone buy and eat broccoli, the Court has essentially ruled today that they have such a power.

Just as dangerously, ObamaCare takes control of people’s health care decisions out of the hands of doctors and patients and puts them instead into the hands of unaccountable government bureaucrats. By making doctors answerable ultimately to the government and not to their patients, this threatens to corrupt the very foundation of medical ethics.

It is clear that, irrespective of the intentions of those who passed this law, the Act will impair access, increase costs, reduce choice, cripple innovation, and diminish quality of care.

In the wake of this disappointing decision from the Supreme Court, Independent Women’s Voice will continue our efforts to see to it that this deeply unpopular and perilous government take-over of private health care decisions is fully and completely repealed.

It is important to note that the Court’s ruling today isn’t the end of the challenges to this law. In fact, it’s just one of the many Constitutional challenges to ObamaCare, including cases regarding privacy, the conscience exemption, and freedom of contract. And, there’s also the issue of the IRS now taxing employers without Congressional authorization and absent any statutory authority to do so.
The Court’s decision today also reaffirms the importance of The ObamaCare Repeal Pledge.

With ObamaCare having been upheld by the court, it is now even more necessary and important for any and all candidates seeking elected office and all incumbents currently holding office to sign the Pledge and demonstrate to the American people that they are serious about repeal of ObamaCare and willing to be held accountable for taking the necessary steps to ensure full repeal.

Independent Women’s Voice looks forward to continuing to lead the charge for repeal through the ObamaCare Repeal Pledge, as well as being a part of crafting new, patient-centered health care reform that empowers individuals once the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is fully and completely repealed.

Thank you, Heather R. Higgins, President & CEO, Independent Women’s Voice

By Kevin Bryant • Uncategorized •