February 10, 2012

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Court rules against “I Believe” plates

November 10, 2009 By

A federal court ruled Tuesday that a Christian license plate is unconstitutional. The “I Believe” specialty plate features a yellow cross and stained-glass window.

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie said in her ruling that the license plate was unconstitutional because it violates a constitutional ban on establishment of religion.

The measure was brought up in the South Carolina statehouse after similar legislation failed to pass Florida lawmakers.

Groups including Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee challenged the plate. Judge Currie ordered the state to cover the legal expenses of those groups.

Americans United Executive Director Rev. Barry Lynn says that some South Carolina officials appeared to want to use religion as a political football. [Read more...]

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

BEA: Revenue projection down, unemployment likely to worsen

November 10, 2009 By

It was not a pretty picture painted by the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors Tuesday. State government faces yet another drop in revenue this year, according to projections. This fiscal year ends June 30th, 2010. The Board is now projecting a two percent revenue drop, $5.75 billion to $5.619 billion.

Board Chair John Rainey says a meeting with leading economists a couple of weeks ago revealed that none of them were optomistic about the current state of the economy.  “There was not one who was optimistic,” said Rainey.  “Most years we have some that are optimistic, some pessimistic, and some who fall in the middle.  At that meeting there were all pessimistic and their numbers were pretty much the same.”

Rainey says there is a general concensus that the real unemployment rate is around 20 percent–meaning the posted rate of 11.6 percent, with the addition of those residents who have given up, and those who are underemployed. Rainey says that “real unemployment” figure on the national level is 17.5 percent.

Rainey says employment picture will likely worsten:  “At least one economist felt that the real unemployment rate will grow to 24 percent by June and that the Unemployment Security Commission’s posted figure will be about 13 percent by then.”

Rainey says unemployment in South Carolina is definetly growing, not standing still.  And he says the drop in funds which the state has available is major.

“We’re down from $7 billion plus, down to $5.6 billion, which, unless things change, will be the figure for the next fiscal year,” said Rainey.  “That’s almost $1.4 billion, a hugh decrease.” 

Rainey says even though there has been a loss of productivity throughout the workplace, corporate earnings continue to improve.

“So you’ve seen companies where there were four people working in a department now getting along with three people,” said Rainey.  “That has caused productivity to go up, because you have fewer people producing the same amount of goods and services.  There’s not much incentive for corporations to hire those people back as long as the people they kept are producing as much or more as before they made the layoffs.”

Filed Under: Business, News, Politics & Government

Health care bill closes Medicare “donut hole” in coverage

November 10, 2009 By

AARP South Carolina says that health care reform must include closing what is known as the Medicare “donut hole.”The Medicare drug benefit, known as Medicare Part D, created an awkward gap in benefits, explains Teresa Arnold of AARP South Carolina.

“You would pay a premium, pay for your insurance, but the coverage would only go up to a certain amount and that amount changes every year. I think right now it will pay up through $2,700.  But then for $2000 or $3000 you are stuck in what they call the donut hole,” says Arnold.  That is where coverage resumes.

Arnold says this gap in coverage is a top issue for the AARP, which has endorsed the Affordable Health Care for America Act.  “We want the coverage to be all the way through,” she says, “and in H.3962, they do eliminate the donut hole by 2019.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News, Politics & Government

Identity theft through “Mailboxin” is federal crime

November 10, 2009 By

An activity described as “mailboxin’” has landed three defendants in jail. Described as stealing checks and personal identification information to open bank accounts, obtain checks on the new accounts and cash them at area merchants, “mailboxin’” is a federal offense.

Holly Sturkey, age 32, of North Myrtle Beach, Brandon Ramon Ledesma, age 24, or Gallivants Ferry, and Wayne Michael Scupp, age 41, of Pelion, were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter and to commit bank fraud. The defendants were sentenced to 12 months, 15 months and 18 months respectively, and were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,463.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, News

Securing accurate population counts important

November 10, 2009 By

The nation’s next census count is in 2010 and a number of minority groups and communities have expressed a concern about a possible undercount. The federal government doles out over $400 billion dollars a year for schools, health care services, scholarships, and other services to various communities and groups based on population. An undercount could cost a community or group their fair share of government allocations. The concern of an undercount was discussed at the recent state wide Native American Conference at USC in Columbia. Chief of the Catawba Nation Donald Rogers, whose Catawba name is Red Cloud,  says his tribe has an advantage in that it is the only federally recognized tribe in the state. 

“We kind of have a heads up on some things becuse of all the national and regional meetings I attend with other tribal chiefs across the Southeast. There is continual awareness of the census and opportunities for us.”      [Read more...]

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