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SLED Chief calling for mandatory protection of governor

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Governor Mark Sanford is taking action to report his actions from here on, sharing his schedule with the public and press on a regular basis. 

The governor chose not to use his police escort 38 times last year, and 39 times so far this year.   SLED Director Reggie Lloyd is calling on state lawmakers to make the governor’s police protection mandatory, as well as the protection of anyone else for whom the General Assembly feels that it’s appropriate.   

“We  need to provide strong protection all the time,”  said Lloyd, “not just when the protectee decides it.” 

Lloyd says the escort detail is necessary because these are dangerous times.

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

Sen. Davis:”I may be called on to make a grave decision”

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Beaufort Senator Tom Davis looks on as SLED reveals findings

Governor Mark Sanford’s longtime friend and former staffer Tom Davis attended SLED’s announcement that the governor’s travel records were clean. Davis says that his role, this time, was as a legislator. He says, ” As a legislator, I have a duty to the people of Beaufort County to make sure no laws were broken. I have a duty to look into the matter as best as I can and to determine firsthand what the facts are. I may be called upon to make a grave decision or an important decision at some point in time and it’s always been my policy to check things out for myself. ”

Davis says, as far as that “grave decision” goes, he has been meeting with other public officials and the state attorney general about the governor’s ability to lead.

“When you are gauging the capacity of a statewide elected official to discharge his or her official duties, I think legislators have a duty to come up and listen to the facts for themselves and not get swept up in a mob mentality,” says Davis. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Interest, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

A SC culture reaching for sustainability

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

sweetgrass basketsThe South Carolina coast is filled with West African culture. One of the most prominent is the Gullah Geechee culture that is known for its sweetgrass baskets and rice, serving a huge role in the Lowcountry.

“In our kitchen, through the crafts that we see, and those who are partakers of psalm, of storytelling, of sharing history, of building boats, building nets, making baskets, these are all tenants of Gullah Geechee history and culture, and a key reason of why this Corridor was established was to protect this, to interpret this, but also to insure its substainability in the future,” says Gullah Geechee Coordinator Michael Allen.

 Allen says the Gullah Geechee Corridor, which is an opportunity for a partnership between the culture and the community, stretches 12,000 square miles from Wilmington, NC to Jacksonville, FL. Congressman James Clyburn of Charleston established the Gullah Geechee National Heritage Act in 2006, creating an open window of opportunity for the heritage.

“It is a National Heritage Area, but one of the responsibilities after its creation is developing a management plan, which will set the tone, and character, and movement for the next 10 to 15 years,” says Allen. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Human Interest, News

State Forester says Forestry Commission needs funding

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

image-photo.weather.comThe April wild fires that burned nearly 20,000 acres of Horry County land are still smoldering, but under control. Recent fires in the area sparked a response from the South Carolina Forestry Commission, and State Forester Gene Kodama sent a letter to an editor calling for South Carolina residents to prepare for more wild fires. Kodama says the Forestry Commission is always prepared, but the economy makes it harder.

“What has happened is that the equipment that we have is aging very rapidly, and this year; for example, we have essentially zero money to replace. To maintain an adequate fire fighting force, readily available, fully functional, and safe, you have to replace aging equipment as you might expect, and what we have scheduled is to replace those units,” says Kodama.

Kodama says budget cuts are hitting the replacement cycle of these units- a bulldozer and a plow. Right now, there are 166 units across the state, but if the Commission continues to not get funding, and the units grow old and unsafe, causing harm. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Environment & Conservation, News, Politics & Government

Further Sanford investigation could open Pandora’s Box, “moral feeding frenzy” in statehouse

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

After a review of Governor Sanford’s travel records, SLED officials say they found no laws broken. That investigation was called for by the South Carolina Attorney General, who did not call for a special investigator to help him.  But Democratic leaders are calling for other investigations.  

State lawmakers can form an investigative committee and hire a special investigator.

James Underwood, a distinguished professor emeritus at the USC Law School and an expert on constitutional law, says the legisture also has the ability to appoint a special investigator.

But he says the question is what will lawmakers define as misconduct in office, if the governor actually conducted official business on his trips.   “Say he spends the bulk of his time doing government business but has a sexual encouter during his off hours.  Are you going to say that constitutes misuse of government funds?”

Underwood says pressing the issue just because the governor did what he wanted to on his off time while on a business trip would open up a “Pandora’s box” in the statehouse.   “If you start prosecuting people for that, you’re opening a real Pandora’s box and you may end up prosecuting all kinds of people who do government business but then go out and spend a few hours on a fling of some sort.”

Underwood says such an investigation could lead to quite a commotion in the statehouse, and a “feeding frenzy.”  “Who knows, when you start that sort of thing, how far it will go.  You might develop a feeding frenzy of moral uprightness that would bring a lot of people into the orbit of those investigations.  They might think they can close the Pandora’s box once they’ve opened it, but who knows?”

Former Attorney General charlie Condon says McMaster has the option of a special prosecutor, and should consider that option, since McMaster is running for Governor. It’s obvious that if further investigation without that special prosecutor finds wrongdoing, and Sanford is forced from office, then Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer would become Governor, giving him a possible headstart above other candidates, like McMaster. McMaster said he has faith in SLED’s thoroughness.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government