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Education Association: Governor is not getting the point

April 3, 2009 By

The state’s teachers are stepping up their protest to the governor’s refusal of federal dollars to help rescue education budget shortfalls.

South Carolina Education Association President, Sheila Gallagher says her membership is amazed that the governor is not “getting the point” what he is doing to public education,

She says that teachers have a reason to be worried.

“We have the potential of losing three thousand teachers and school employees,” says Gallagher. ” That means that classroom is now going to be a larger classroom. You’re not going to have a class of say, twenty-three. You’re going to add at least another five to the classroom. You’re not going to have the after-school program that many parents are so dependent on for the extra help that their students need. Those are the direct effects.”

The Education Association president says that the governor did not discuss paying down debt earlier in the year.

“The piece that bothers me the most,” says Gallagher, “from his little press conference the other day, he wanted to stress the point of the state debt. Yet, in his budget, the executive budget that he sent over, there is nothing in that budget that deals with the state’s debt.”

The South Carolina Education Association’s membership includes 13-thousand teachers, administrators and education professionals.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government

SLED Director Lloyd concerned about public safety

April 3, 2009 By

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Director Reggie Lloyd is concerned about the impact the refusal of the stimulus funds will have on public safety in the state. Governor Mark Sanford still has not excepted the proposed $700 million that would have a direct effect on law enforcement in South Carolina. Lloyd says he was informed today that it could cost law enforcement agencies across the state up to $40 million which would cause lay offs of public safety officials as well as the likelihood that current inmates could receive early release from incarceration. Lloyd says the agencies most affected by the budget are the agencies that most impact the safety of the public. “If something isn’t worked out, the kind of cuts the budget is going to take in this state will, I think, drastically and in a dire manner affect public safety,” said Lloyd.

“The agencies that are going to be among the ones to take huge hits again are going to be those agencies that directly impact the safety of our citizens.”

Lloyd says if Sanford does except the money, SLED and other law enforcement agencies will be able to maintain their current status quo. He also says it is important that the public understands the serious impact the budget cuts would have on public safety. According to Lloyd, “we’re talking about, not just SLED, we’re talking about probation parole. We’re talking about corrections, We’re talking about juvenile justice.

“It’s across the board. given that situation, I just think that it’s important that citizens the full ramifications of what could possibly happen.”

Lloyd says that he did not want to speak for anyone and their political views but wanted people to understand the serious impact refusing the stimulus funds will have on law enforcement in South Carolina. “I do think that, without those funds in the budget, the impact across the board for state public safety agencies is going to be really bad.

“The impact on us means an impact on local government and local law enforcement in a detrimental fashion.”

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Economy, News, Politics & Government

McMaster positive about “water battle” with North Carolina

April 3, 2009 By

Now that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear South Carolina’s argument to disallow intervenors in the state’s lawsuit against North Carolina, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster says he feels the case is slowly gravitating in a positive direction for the Palmetto State. South Carolina is suing the state of North Carolina for drawing too much water out of the Catawba River, which the states share. Duke Energy, the city of Charlotte, and the Catawba River Supply Project want there positions heard in the case. South Carolina has argued that the two states should argue the case without intervenors which will only make the case more costly and time consuming.

 McMaster says the Supreme Court may ask to hear from two to as many as six parties when arguments on the intervenor issue are presented before the court in Washington, DC. “They certainly will let South Carolina make our argument, but they may not let all the opposition make their arguments. They may figure that some of them are duplicative. There is also a question whether they will let the Solicitor General make an argument. He has filed an amicus brief and wants to argue on behalf of South Carolina.” McMaster says no date has yet been set for the hearing.

McMaster says when all things are considered the Supreme Court works on its own timetable. “The Supreme Court works on terms when they hear cases, when they hear arguments. One, I think, is going to start soon. It may be filled up or they may put us in there, or we may be put off until the October term. We realy don’t know. This is case that’s in the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and they’ll handle it in the Way they see fit.”

 
The Supreme Court  has agreed to hear arguments about whether to let cities and utilities join the lawsuit. It is expected to hear the fundamental issue of the suit later.

McMaster says a number of attorneys and experts in several fields are working on the case on behalf of South Carolina and developing such a case requires a great deal of money. McMaster says when he brought the suit in 2007 he asked the South Carolina Legislature for $1.8 million. “We received $1.3 (million). We’ve almost spent all of that. I’ve asked for $2.2 million for the next fiscal year which starts this summer and we have not yet recieved any of that. of course we have a tight budget and that’s a problem. The House voted to give us about a million dollars, but we need $2.2 (million)  and that’s holding it to a minimum.” 

McMaster says the lawsuit against North Carolina is a case South Carolina must win because water will play a vital role in the future growth of the state.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Environment & Conservation, News

A leading medical manufacturer to open headquarters in Charleston region

April 3, 2009 By
A leading worldwide medical manufacturer is expanding its’ operations to Charleston and making the facility its’ national headquarters.
TRUMPF Medical Systems Incorporated is opening a new facility in the Charleston region in Berkeley County at Cainhoy Park. The new site will eventually open nearly 30 jobs for Berkeley County residents and there are plans to invest more than $5.8 million in the next three years.

TRUMPF manufactures and markets LED surgical lights, operating room tables, ceiling-mounted equipment management systems and patient transport solutions for health care facilities throughout America. Merle Johnson is with the Charleston Regional Development Alliance-known as CRDA, and he says there were various reasons for Charleston being the best destination for the companies’ North American headquarters.

“The workforce itself was a big proponent in finding just qualified people as well as the, ah, port. A lot of their material gets sent here to be assembled as well and it’s manufactured actually over in Europe. The number one reason was just the pro-business climate, not only the Charleston region, but the state as a whole. The state has what seems to be a blooming medical device cluster,” says Johnson.

Johnson says CRDA facilitated the expansion for TRUMPF.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Business, Health & Medicine, News

Fowler running for re-election as Democratic Chair

April 3, 2009 By

Democratic Chair Carol Fowler has announced her intentions of running for a second term. Fowler has been the leader of the party in South Carolina since 2008 and plans on running again in 2010. Fowler says she is proud of whether party accomplished in the last elections saying that in each county, the democrats made strides. “The most important thing is that we’ve picked up seats from the Republicans in the South Carolina House and on county councils around the state and other local offices,” said Fowler.

“I see that as something to build on going into the 2010 elections using the work we’ve already done to help win statewide races.”

She said the party also broke records in fundraising and has updated its technology. Fowler says that her party has made great strides but there is always room for improvement. “We can always do better. I think we’ve done some good work but I think there are organizational things that are incomplete,” she said.

“We still have some county parties that are still not as strong as they should be in terms of helping their candidates get elected. So, we need to work with them and strengthen democrats at the local level.”

She said in each county, the democratic candidates received more votes in 2008 than they during the previous election.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government