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Although I doubt I’ll be supporting any Democrats in November, I strongly support their right to run for office as I made several attempts to change the double standard of filing requirements. The County Council district I live in is not affected by any of these races, but I encourage qualified folks to participate in these petitions. Remember, you’re not bound to vote for anyone on these petitions, it simply gives them the opportunity to have their name on the ballot.

Independent Mail: ANDERSON — Several would-be candidates who were booted from election ballots this month are getting some help from the Anderson County Democratic Party.

The party has opened its offices this week to gather signatures on three petitions aimed at getting former county planner Jeff Ricketson, minister Mike Vandiver and Tri-County Technical College student Joshua Johnson back on the ballots in time for November’s general election.

All three men are registered Democrats and filed earlier this year to challenge three Republican incumbents for their seats on the Anderson County Council. Ricketson, Johnson and Vandiver were among nearly 200 candidates statewide who were removed from ballots after the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that they had failed to properly file ethics forms.

In case you don’t want to navigate in the cumbersome SC Ethics disclosure, here’s our recent report. Many thanks to the supporters of our positive message of reform!
188 Claremont LLC 05/14/2012 1,000.00
A & V Diversified 03/17/2012 250.00
American Services 02/18/2012 500.00
Anderson, Ban & Vicki 02/18/2012 100.00
Barinowski, Clarence & Sylvia 03/03/2012 250.00
Barnett, Larry 03/03/2012 50.00
Bigwood, Bryce 01/20/2012 50.00
Black, Gloria 03/03/2012 50.00
Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC 03/24/2012 500.00
Brock, Lester and Diane 05/28/2012 100.00
Bryant, Craig 04/13/2012 100.00
Bryant, Tyler 04/15/2012 300.00
Bryant Pharmacy and Supply 04/20/2012 400.00
Bryant Pharmacy and Supply 04/20/2012 400.00
Carithers, Marshall 02/18/2012 200.00
Circle Creek Holdings 01/21/2012 500.00
Cobden LLC 05/14/2012 1,000.00
Cole, Ronnie 03/03/2012 500.00
Compounding Pharmacy 05/28/2012 25.00
Coolcal LLC Prof. Corporation 05/14/2012 1,000.00
Croft, Debbie 02/18/2012 100.00
CVS Caremark Corporation 01/27/2012 500.00
Dokupil, Michael & Susanna 05/28/2012 1,000.00
DTR Company, LLC 02/18/2012 250.00
Duke Energy Corp. PAC 05/28/2012 500.00
Electric Cooperative Help Org 02/18/2012 250.00
Electric Cooperative Help Org 05/28/2012 250.00
Ercolin, Mario and Sue 02/10/2012 100.00
Ercolin, Mario and Sue 03/17/2012 60.00
Farago, Paul 05/14/2012 1,000.00
Fireworks Association of SC 05/08/2012 500.00
Halford, Marjorie 03/24/2012 100.00
Hawkins, Fletcher 05/21/2012 50.00
Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. 01/14/2012 100.00
Jordan, Henry & Pat 04/21/2012 500.00
JPM Trucking 01/30/2012 500.00
K12 Management Inc. 05/28/2012 500.00
Lamb, Tracy D. 02/13/2012 640.88
Lawrence and Brownlee Agency 05/21/2012 300.00
Lindley, Charles 05/08/2012 300.00
Lovinggood, James 02/18/2012 250.00
Manufactured Housing Institute of SC- 2004 primary debt 01/25/2012 1,000.00
McGuire Woods 05/14/2012 500.00
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. 02/02/2012 1,000.00
Miller, John & Julie 03/24/2012 500.00
Mobley, Hugh Hubert 05/14/2012 250.00
Moorhead, Kelly 02/18/2012 25.00
National Bank of South Carolina 01/21/2012 500.00
Negley, Diana 02/18/2012 50.00
Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough 05/08/2012 500.00
Newman, Everette & Beverly 01/05/2012 250.00
Newman, Everette & Beverly 03/17/2012 300.00
Nipper, Paul 02/18/2012 100.00
NW White & Company 01/14/2012 250.00
Outdoor Advertising 03/03/2012 250.00
Palmetto Leadership Council 05/28/2012 1,000.00
Pearson, Bill and Barbara 03/17/2012 25.00
Pearson, Bill and Barbara 04/21/2012 25.00
Phillips, Grady & Ann 04/24/2012 100.00
Phillips Staffing 02/18/2012 250.00
Piedmont Natural Gas 04/21/2012 250.00
Porter, Michael and Lynn 03/17/2012 100.00
Pruitt, Forrest and Melissa 05/21/2012 100.00
Ross, Michael and Nancy 05/21/2012 100.00
Rowland, Larry & Emilie 05/21/2012 200.00
S.C. Soft Drink Assoc. Inc. PAC Fund 05/28/2012 500.00
Safelite Fulfillment, Inc. 01/14/2012 1,000.00
Sands, Jeremy 03/17/2012 25.00
SC Association of Convenience Stores 05/14/2012 500.00
SC Good Government Comm. 05/08/2012 500.00
SC Pharmacy Association 01/28/2012 500.00
SC Propane Gas Association 01/14/2012 500.00
SC Staffing Association 02/17/2012 225.00
SCANA Services, Inc. 05/28/2012 250.00
SCAPA-PAC 05/08/2012 1,000.00
Schor, Robert 05/14/2012 1,000.00
Silver & Silver 05/14/2012 1,000.00
Smith Drug Company 04/21/2012 100.00
Smith-O’Quinn, Kelley 05/28/2012 250.00
Snipes, Dan 03/17/2012 50.00
Spear, Bert & Tina 05/08/2012 250.00
Spinksville LLC 05/14/2012 1,000.00
State Farm Agents and Associates Political 05/14/2012 500.00
Taylor, Joe E 05/28/2012 500.00
Terry, Gerald and Mary Alice 04/21/2012 200.00
The Vista Room 05/28/2012 531.50
Time Warner Cable 01/14/2012 250.00
Ulrich, Wayne & Jean 03/17/2012 25.00
Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund 05/28/2012 1,000.00
Varner Resources, Inc. 02/18/2012 200.00
Walden, Joe 05/14/2012 150.00
Ward, Jim 02/18/2012 250.00
Wardlaw, Ray 02/17/2012 100.00
Whittle, Mack 02/17/2012 250.00
Wright, John & Nancy 03/17/2012 200.00

Benefits of School Choice

AFFORDABLE
School choice lets parents use their own money to direct their own children’s education. It also encourage the direction of private money to support low-income and disabled children. This year, the Senate passed a budget with over $8 billion in local, state and federal funding for traditional public school districts. Bonds and other monies add another $2 billion to that. The maximum revenue impact of the tax credits and deductions in H.4894 is set at $37 million, or less than half of one percent of the public schools’ budget. More importantly, these types of program are proven to actually save money, since the size of the scholarships and deductions are so much less than per-pupil spending in the traditional public schools. Lost in the talking points against H.4894 is the fact that most state spending for K-12 education is not “tied” to the child, so traditional public schools still collect most of the money even after a child transfers out of the school.

ACCOUNTABLE
Schools answer to parents and students when families are free to make choices among them. As a state, we’ve come to confuse indicators with accountability. Too many parents receive complicated school report cards from the state but are unable to act on the information because they can not select a different school for their child. Even the terms of these so-called “accountability” tools for public schools have been muddled. Now failing schools are not called “F” but “At-Risk.” Parents who enroll their children at nonpublic schools can, at any time, transfer them out. Critics of school choice have also confused accreditation -something that many public schools receive from the state as a mater of course- with quality instruction and student achievement. School choice is the ultimate in accountability because answer directly and immediately to the parents who children are enroll at them.

ALL READY WORKING IN OTHER STATES
Eight years ago, reasonable people could disagree about what might happen if South Carolina passed School Choice legislation along the lines of House Bill 4894. Today, that is not the case. Real world experience trumps speculation and hearsay. Today there are active school choice programs in two-‐dozen states. We know from the actual experience of states that have enacted the programs most similar to H.4894 that school choice is affordable, accountable, and already working. We know these programs are widely popular with parents; that they reduce long-­‐standing gaps in access to educational options; and that they spur innovation and competition among all types of schools, public and private. We know that school choice does not siphon money from traditional public schools, so there is no so-­‐called “trade off” for this myriad of benefits

You ever heard the saying “Throw a stick in a yard full of dogs the hit dog is yelping”

South Carolina taxpayers have spent $112,769.29 in the last 3 & 1/2 years to the nations number one abortion provider, Planned Parenthood for Medicaid services: (total funds – State and Federal) 2009: $15,122.43; 2010: $31,714.27; 2011: $45,908.76; 2012 YTD: $19,933.83

These expenditures were for services other than abortions, however, it is troubling that any taxpayer dollars go to this organization.