Interesting read from Appeal-Democrat from Marysville, California

…Instead, Sacramento should look to Florida and even New Jersey, which point the way to substantially reducing health insurance costs with a more market-based approach.
The Florida Legislature unanimously approved allowing insurance companies to sell stripped-down, no-frills policies, exempted from more than 50 state-imposed mandates, including required coverage for acupuncture and chiropractics…

Lobbyists for every conceivable health care treatment have persuaded states to require insurers to sell the whole menu or nothing. It’s estimated that, nationwide, state mandates impose more than 1,900 individual obligations. But Floridians now can shop cafeteria-style, picking and paying for only the coverage they desire, trimming their costs dramatically and getting only what they deem necessary…

Letter to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell

Dear Senators Reid and McConnell:

It is our hope that Democrats and Republicans will stand together to support American Energy Freedom Day on October 1, 2008. On this day, the current prohibitions on oil and gas exploration off the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and in the oil-shale fields of the West will expire, giving Americans the freedom to access their own energy and providing them with relief from sky-high prices at the pump.

We strongly encourage you to allow the expiration of these prohibitions on American energy exploration and production, as scheduled under current law, and we will actively oppose any attempt to extend them. Now is not the time to deny Americans access to their own energy supply.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to ensure a victory for the American people on American Energy Freedom Day.

Sincerely,

Senator Jim DeMint

Representative Jeb Hensarling

Since the beginning, I’ve been telling ya’ll we’ve got to quit spending and making obligations that we can’t afford in the future. I began this blog in 2005 after first being elected. I quickly learned of the overflow of cash comming into the coffers of the state. Instead of spending every penny that come’s in, why not build up trust funds and make one time improvements on our roads?

It’s not a revenue problem, it is a spending problem as I have been telling you this: Here05.04.17, Here05.06.17, Here05.12.14, Here06.21.06, 
Here06.02.09, Here06.02.08, Here06.04.30, Here06.05.18, Here06.05.12, Here06.06.05, Here06.12.07, Here07.01.28, Here07.03.15, Here07.04.30, Here07.04.27, Here07.04.26, Here07.04.24, Here07.04.24, Here07.04.21, Here07.04.12, Here07.05.20, Here07.06.21, Here07.06.06, Here07.08.31, Here07.10.19, Here07.11.08, Here08.01.31, Here08.01.09, Here08.02.20, Here08.02.19, Here08.02.14, Here08.03.26, Here08.03.20, Here08.03.13, Here08.04.30, Here08.04.16, Here08.04.15, Here08.04.10, Here08.04.09, Here08.04.08, Here08.04.04, Here08.05.27, Here08.05.20, Here08.06.19, Here08.06.09, Here08.06.05, and Here08.07.29,

Tax revenue down, comptroller says from the Charleston Post and Courier

COLUMBIA — South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom said Thursday that tax collections fell by as much as 3 percent in July.

Eckstrom said he expects the state’s financial leaders on Tuesday will set aside a state reserve account to head off future shortfalls from a weak economy. And he said he expects the state will set aside money from agency budgets.

Eckstrom said data he reviewed showed that state income tax refunds in July increased by about $27 million from year-ago levels.

You may know of wrac, the ad-hoc committee created last summer by Rep. Don Bowen to draft legislation creating a study to find out how South Carolina can restructure our various agencies into a single entity to manage our water on a statewide basis. Only the good Lord can decide how much water is to flow in our beautiful rivers, creeks, and lakes, so we must be stewards of this water to ensure all interests are satisfied. The committee consisted of Mike Massey (former Lake Hartwell Association President), Rep. Don Bowen, Councilman Bob Waldrep, Janice McCord (Rep. Gresham Barrett), Susan Aiken (Sen. Jim DeMint), Jerry Craft (business associate with Rep. Bowen), Gene Eidson (Clemson University), Tom Allen and myself. The chairman of Agriculture, Sen. Danny Verdin and I felt it would be best to deal with S. 428 by Sen. Wes Hayes (R-York) which deals with withdrawal permitting before we took up our bill. Unfortunately, S. 428 died on the floor, yet I’m confident it will be on the front burner next session.

Here’s our bill:

S 0925 General Bill, By Bryant and Hayes

Similar (H 4393)
A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 3 OF TITLE 49, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO WATER RESOURCES PLANNING AND COORDINATION BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 SO AS TO ENACT THE “SOUTH CAROLINA COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE WATER MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2008”, INCLUDING PROVISIONS TO REQUIRE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE FOR PRINCIPLES ON WHICH SUCH PROGRAM MUST BE BASED; TO REQUIRE ALL WATER WITHDRAWAL PERMIT DECISIONS TO BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM;