A message from Mark Dear Friends, I just wanted to write and invite you to a roundtable discussion we’re hosting later this week. On the agenda is one of the most serious problems faced by all South Carolinians in the coming years – the state retirement system’s $12 billion unfunded liability. Add to this the roughly $10 billion in health care-related liabilities, and you as South Carolina taxpayers, as well as your children, are on the hook for more than $21 billion in promises made but not paid for. Simply put, our state’s Retirement System is headed for disaster unless we take some fairly dramatic steps to make it financially sustainable. Like Social Security at the federal level – which is already paying out more than it’s taking in, and indeed may be completely insolvent in 25 years – our state has over the last decade stacked up about a billion dollars per year in unpaid-for political promises. Just a decade ago, our state pension plan was basically sound and the system was almost fully funded. As it now stands, we’re $12 billion in the hole and funded at less than 70 percent, with some experts arguing that the state won’t be able to pay out full benefits to state retirees in less than a decade. A finance expert from Northwestern University has even argued that a more accurate total for South Carolina’s unfunded liabilities is not $21 billion, but perhaps twice that or more. In fact, a recent Pew Charitable Trust study ranked our retirement system the 11th worst-funded pension plan in the nation. As the Post and Courier pointed out recently, it’s even more troubling to “learn that South Carolina’s risk ranks well ahead of California when the size of its unfunded liability is compared to its annual revenue.” You can read more by clicking here. Put bluntly, we can’t continue to gloss over this very real issue. That’s why this week’s Retirement System Roundtable is so important – as we will both explore the numbers behind the numbers, and jumpstart a necessary and frank conversation going into next legislative session and the next administration. The Retirement System Roundtable will be held at 10:00 a.m. this Wednesday, October 20, 2010, in Room 252 of the Edgar Brown Building on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. As a fellow taxpayer, I’d urge you to come and be part of the discussion. If you can’t come, I’d ask that you call your representatives in Columbia and ask them what they’re doing to avoid what could well become a fiscal nightmare for South Carolina. As always, thanks for staying engaged, and take care. Sincerely,

cleaned guns, ran 4 miles, took Ethan to Waffle House,  watched football, took some stuff to the thrift store. Great weekend.

Columbia, SC – October 15, 2010 – Facing flagging poll numbers just days before the election, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vince Sheheen has desperately tried to reverse course after a favorable federal court decision and hide his position on the unpopular Obamacare.

Well documented throughout his candidacy, Sheheen has been an enthusiastic supporter for costly federal mandates contained in ObamaCare. And he has been unsupportive of South Carolina’s constitutional challenge against Obamacare.

These Sheheen supported ObamaCare unfunded mandates will cost South Carolina taxpayers over $20 million dollars on January 1st eventually increasing to $1 Billion.

Now, after South Carolina scored a big victory in its federal challenge, Sheheen claims he never supported ObamaCare’s crippling federal mandates and “applauded” the states big win. But the facts prove otherwise.

“Vincent Sheheen is desperate. With flagging poll numbers and widespread public opposition to ObamaCare, Vincent is attempting to hide his support of the radical Obama Democrat agenda,” said SCGOP Chairman Karen Floyd. “But the voters know better and won’t be fooled by Vincent’s slick ObamaCare trick and will see through it come November 2nd.”

Vince Sheheen’s support of Obamacare mandates are detailed below.

Yesterday, Sheheen’s Spokesman said he supports the Obamacare lawsuit decision and opposes its mandates.

Trav Robertson, a spokesman for Sheheen’s campaign, said his candidate also supported the judge’s decision and refuted Haley’s criticism.

“Unlike what Rep. Nikki Haley is saying, we applaud the decision, and we have said repeatedly that we do not support the unfunded health care mandates,” Robertson said.
– Associated Press 10-14-10

Click here to read the full article

But just weeks ago, Democrat Vince Sheheen was an enthusiastic and public supporter of Obamacare’s unfunded mandate provisions…

“There are good things that the law has changed to make sure that college students can stay on their parents’ insurance plan, that health insurance companies can’t throw people off of their insurance plans because someone gets very ill. But you also have to stand up when things hurt business in your state,” said Sheheen. –WYFF 9-30-10

Click here to read the full article

Sheheen has said he supports some aspects of it, specifically allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance through age 25, and barring insurers from tossing people off plans for pre-existing conditions” -Associated Press 9-24-10

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And he supports much of federal health care reform. But Sheheen, a Kershaw County state senator, said if elected governor he would leave the decision to pursue a pending lawsuit over health care reform to the state’s next attorney general. … –The State 8-26-10

Click here to read the full article

….that will now cost the taxpayers another $20 million on top of the $100 billion we knew about.

State Republicans pointed out Thursday the state health insurance plan will pay an additional $20 million this year because of new requirements in the federal health care law supported by Democratic nominee Vincent Sheheen.

The new law allows parents to keep children covered on their plan up to age 26 and prevents insurance companies from canceling coverage for those who become sick. Sheheen said in an August interview with The State that he supported both of those changes. – The State 10-7-10

Click here to read the full article

The critics were right. Tuesday’s Post and Courier reported that the Obamacare Medicaid mandate is projected to cost our state “nearly $1 billion over the next decade, even with the federal government covering at least 90 percent of the cost.”

That obligation is especially daunting during these tough times with state governments already suffering severe budgetary stress. And we can’t wait a decade to start paying up. S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster announced Thursday that as of Jan. 1, the state will owe almost $20 million to comply with the law. – Post and Courier 10-9-10

Click here to read the full article

Here’s a demo of NitroStrike, a new product developed by constituents of mine, Southeastern Fire Suppression Supply in Williamston. NitroStrike is a new, 100% effective and environmentally safe foam extinguisher that puts out fires quickly, safely, and permanently.  With sizes ranging from personal extinguishers, to truck size systems, NitroStrike is the most effective tool available to fight fire….ever.

TLC Story on NitroStrike from SEFSS on Vimeo.

Hey guys, Limit government, lower taxes, reduce government spending.  These were three of the key principles of Reaganomics, principles that brought our country over 20 years of economic growth and prosperity. I strongly believe if our government will simply get out of the way and return to those principles, our economy will come rocketing back. Enough is enough! The American people are sick and tired of the borrowing, the bail outs, the takeovers, the debt and the reckless spending that have been far too common in Washington over the past few years. I’m running for Congress to return conservatism to Washington.  Please help our effort by watching the one minute video below and forwarding the e-mail on to your friends and family. God Bless Jeff Jeff Duncan is a small-business owner from Laurens, South Carolina and is the Republican nominee for Congress in the Third Congressional District. Jeff has been endorsed by the NRA, along with numerous conservative groups for his proven record of fighting against wasteful government spending and upholding the Constitution. www.JeffDuncan.com.