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Cigarette tax bill debate draws out in Senate

May 5, 2009 By

Thursday morning, debate will continue on a state cigarette tax hike, as the Senate Finance Committee wrestles over how the money should be spent. At issue: an amendment to set up a tax credit for businesses who don’t cover employees–plus offer insurance to people at highest risk of going without insurance.

The amendment is sponsored by Orangeburg Democrat John Matthews.

Clarendon’s John Land prefers use the almost $150 million in cigarette tax revenue to work within the existing programs, drawing down another $450 million.

Land insists, “We could increase our eligibility standards for the existing programs at no additional administrative expense. The mechanism and the machinery is all out there, ready to take these dollars. We can cover people who have neer ever been covered in South Carolina before with a good policy of insurance. Our hospitals, our doctors could be paid more. Our druggists could be paid more. We could have one of the best systems anywhere in the country.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature, News

Clyburn defends his daughter’s appointment to FCC

May 5, 2009 By

President Barack Obama last week announced intentions to nominate Mignon(like the steak) Clyburn of South Carolina to one of five spots on the Federal Communications Commission. She is the daughter of U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina’s sixth congressional district.

Congressman Clyburn defends his daughter’s qualifications for the appointment, saying there is no foundation to criticism that other appointees are more qualified and have law degrees. He says even the Commission Chairperson is not an attorney.    “I don’t  know where that foolishness came from.  The chairman is Michael Cox.  Where did all that come from that you need to be a lawyer to serve on the commission?  That’s a little bit bizarr to me.  She’s a person who is 47 years old, ran a newspaper for 14 years and served on the Public Service Commission for 11 years.”

Mignon Clyburn has served on the South Carolina Public Service Commission, the state oversight body for private utilities, for 11 years. The General Assembly elected her to the position in 1998. She chaired the commission between 2002 and 2004.

The Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over investor-owned electric and gas utility companies, water and waste water companies, as well as telecommunications companies and hazardous waste disposal.

For 14 years prior to her election, she ran a weekly newspaper in the Charleston area called the Coastal Times.

Congressman Clyburn says Mignon was appointed by the President, who was well aware of her qualifications.   “What do you have to do to be qualified?  You run a business for 14 years.  You serve on the state commission that does the same thing as the FCC for 11 years and chair it for two years.  And you also chair the National Association of State Public Service Commissions.  She seems to be more qualified than most people I know.” 

The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications. The five members of the F.C.C. must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate for five-year terms. One of the five members serves as chairperson.

No more than three commissioners can be members of the same political party and none can have a financial interest in any commission-controlled business.

Filed Under: Business, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

York County Senator pushes for tougher payday lending legislation

May 5, 2009 By

The South Carolina Senate is preparing to debate legislation to further regulate the payday lending industry. The House failed to take up the Senate proposal last year, but this year the House passed a somewhat watered-down version.

Republican Senator Wes Hayes on Tuesday afternoon encouraged senators not to back down, but to push for meaningful legislation.  “If what the industry is telling us is true, that the average borrower uses payday lending eight times a year, and they’re worried about being limited to 17 loans per person per year, does that tell you something about payday lenders in this state, where they’re making their money?  They’re making  their money by people who borrow more than 17 times a year.”  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Legislature, News

McMaster ordering website to clean up its act in South Carolina

May 5, 2009 By

The website that features a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements known as Craiglist has come under fire from South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster. McMaster has sent a letter to Craiglist CEO Jim Buckmaster stating that the website has until Friday May 15th to remove sex-related ads from its South Carolina web sites. McMaster says a number of prostitutes in the state are using the sites to solicit customers.

McMaster says he is among 40 state attorney generals who Buckmaster entered into an agreement with in November of 2008 to install safeguards to his website to combat unlawful activity. McMaster says as of yet no action has been taken, so he is warning Buckmaster and any other members of his company involved that if the website is not cleaned up, they will be subject to investigation and prosecution.”They would be charged with prostitution, but they could be charged with aiding and abetting prostitution, or conspiracy to solicit prostitution as well as decimination of obscenity because some of the personal sites are highly offensive and as obscene as they can possibly be.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Stimulus funds to generate improvements for public housing in S.C.

May 5, 2009 By

The Recovery Act funding provided through HUD’s Public Housing Capital Fund Program is effectively doubling the Department’s annual support of local housing authorities to improve their public housing stock. Nearly $3 billion in stimulus funds are now available to make improvements to public housing units nationwide. South Carolina’s share amounts to $35.9 million. Director of Public Housing for HUD in South Carolina Larry Knighner says the funds are sorely needed to make improvements to the public housing in the state. There are 42 housing authorities located in South Carolina.

According to Knightner, 60 percent of the funds must be spent in the first two years of the program, the remaining 40 percent must be spent in the third and final year of the program. Knightner says improvements to housing units will be made with the main theme being energy efficiency.”There will be cabinet replacements where needed. There will be energy efficient water heaters that will be replaced in units, along with toilet and shower head replacements that are energy efficient. Also to be done is the re-roofing of buildings and the installation of energy efficient stoves and appliances.”

Knightner says security lighting will be added in many of the public housing areas throughout the state. Securities cameras will also be added in selected housing complexes.

Knightner says input from residents is an important part of the HUD Capital Fund Program. “One of the requirements of the Capital Fund Program and the recovery money is that housing authorities will consult with their residents to talk about the amount of money that is received, the uses of the money that can be administered, and many of the housing authorities met with their residents and actually received comments back from them.”

Knightner says the funds will not only mean that public housing in South Carolina will receive much needed upgrades, but the overall infusion of the funds in the overall state economy cannot be overlooked.

Filed Under: Economy, News
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