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Friday, March 29, 2024 - 10:38 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Since the Presidential Election, most media attention has been  focused on the national scene. I have been guilty of the same diversion. The excitement has been and continues to be at the national level with a new President very different than anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. It is an exciting time for conservatives and a frightening time for Communists, Muslims and advocates of the One-World Government.

Senator John McCain, who plays the role of a conservative to get reelected, told an international audience last week that President Trump is going about destroying 70 years of work done toward building a World Government. The aging former POW was on the verge of revealing his true world-view. 

When Greenville County Council, last week, voted 7 to 5 to pass the largest tax (fee) increase in history, there was no report found in the daily newspaper or on the local television station. It is understood that the current rules would require 9 votes to approve. The County Attorney ruled that they could pass the increase with 7 votes with the County Chairman’s approval.

The Times Examiner had reported that the increase was on the agenda a week before it happened. As a result, except for Times Examiner readers, very few people are aware of the increase a week after it has passed. With this “blackout” by the dominant media, one council member were convinced that it was safe to switch his vote and vote for the increase at the last moment.

The local media has joined with their national affiliates to bash the newly elected President in opposition to every action he takes.

For days on end, there were reports on an Iranian student impacted and inconvenienced by the President’s temporary ban on certain immigrants. The South Carolina Legislature is moving closer to a gas tax increase to maintain roads.

Of course, we need to maintain interest in the national scene; however, we must not ignore local government while celebrating national election victories. It appears that the local county and State officials are taking advantage of the situation by pushing their favorite tax increases.

Plans are moving along on construction of a street parallel to Woodruff Road, allegedly to relieve traffic. Critics say it will result in the opposite.

Without a public hearing or other public input, the Greenville County Administrator is pushing ahead on requesting proposals to sell and commercially develop county property at County Square and build a high-rise office building and parking garage for county offices.

A gas tax increase is working its way through the South Carolina Legislature to increase funding for road maintenance. Allegations of fraud and political favoritism in road priorities and contract awards are unanswered or unresolved; yet the directors of the large organization apparently have a different view.

One of the Directors provided a positive report to the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club last week. He said the SCDOT has been rated by a national organization as one of the most transparent, efficient departments of transportation in the nation.

There are disagreements among the experts on all these tax and fee increase issues at the state and local levels. Taxpaying citizens must get actively involved immediately, or be responsible for allowing their elected officials to tax them unnecessarily or at least without justification.

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