Category Archives: SC News/Commentary

Rally to restore HIV funding May 25 at State House

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Bambi Gaddist, SCHACCTF Chair
Gwen Bampfield, SCHACCTF Co-Chair

We have been informed by Rep. Joe Neal that once more, health care will sustain another blow. We thought most HIV/AIDS providers were aware that the House have retaliated for losing support of a veto for $20 million in new fees to support the states court system. However, after conversations with several in AIDS leadership we realized that our assumptions are incorrect. This may explain why we haven’t received communications from AIDS leadership expressing concern or proposing strategies to combat what could be interpreted as benign neglect from some of our states leadership.

The State newspaper on Thursday morning spelled it out to the world– so we assumed everyone knew that ALL ADAP and HIV prevention has been eliminated from the House amended budget presented Wednesday. Other cuts include loss of support for state health insurance programs for low-income children, new restrictions on medications funded by Medicaid, and elimination of cancer screenings and kidney disease prevention round out this reality.

We know that the Senate takes up the new House proposal on Tuesday, May 25. Rep. Neal noted that this moment is where the “rubber meets the road.” Either we are prepared to sacrifice today or as I was told, “we can’t come crying later.” Rep. Neal made it crystal clear that we either “show up and show out” or in my words-be prepared to deal with the realities if the House budget amendment passes. I appeal to the Task Force, college students, community citizens to come out on Tuesday, May 25, 9am to noon outside the State House.

We have been told to gather our own constituents once more. We must plead for sacrifices to be made to attend on Tuesday.

We call on all AIDS Directors, Task Force members, faith leaders, health officials, physicians, and community citizens to make the ultimate sacrifice to attend Tuesday morning.

As of yesterday, DHEC says our count is 112 individuals on the SC Wait List. All should be breaking down the doors of the House and Senate.  We hear frequently about advocates and PWA’s in northern and western states who stage rallies in support of HIV/AIDS. We ask that we all make every effort to bring our voice on Tuesday as we proud southerners demonstrate our ability to make a difference in our own lives.

SC prisoners with HIV segregated

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According to Sentenced to Stigma, a joint report of the ACLU and Human Rights Watch released last month, prisoners in designated HIV units in South Carolina and Alabama face stigma, harassment and systemic discrimination that amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.

Only South Carolina and Alabama continue the policy and practice, despite all public health, human rights, and practical arguments against it.

In South Carolina, HIV inmates are forced to wear armbands or other indicators of their HIV status, are forced to eat and worship separately, and are denied equal participation in prison jobs, programs and re-entry opportunities that facilitate their successful transition back into society.

There is no medical justification for segregation, which in fact causes harm that extends well beyond a person’s prison term, and only serves to inflame prejudices against people with HIV. The World Health Organization, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and other experts agree there is no medical basis for segregating prisoners with HIV within correctional facilities or for limiting access to jobs, education or vocational programs available to others.

South Carolina is also the only state in the union to prohibit prisoners with HIV from participating in work release programs, and the ACLU has called for a halt to these policies.

Care about seniors?

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Get off the couch, and get active with the SC Alliance for Retired Americans!

Join us for a casual drop-in May 20, 5–6:30 pm

Modjeska Simkins House  •  2025 Marion St., Columbia

Hear Bob Kearney of the national Alliance for Retired Americans
talk about the most critical issues facing seniors in 2010.

The SC Alliance for Retired Americans needs YOU to help educate, energize and mobilize retirees and seniors in the Palmetto State. Join us, and help protect the health and economic security of South Carolina’s older citizens.

FREE and open to the public! Enjoy snacks, beverages and live music.

For more information, call 803-957-8740 or email becci@scpronet.com.

The new nullification

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By Hoyt Wheeler

Is South Carolina once again taking up the old Confederate cause by attempting to nullify national laws? Nullification was the theory of South Carolina’s John C. Calhoun that provided philosophical grounds for our state seceding from the United States a century and a half ago.

In the past year or so, we have seen a number of actions in this direction.

Most visibly, Attorney General Henry McMaster’s response to the new federal health law. He proposes taking legal action against the federal government to block the federal law’s application in South Carolina — to nullify it. He describes this as defending “state sovereignty.” Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) McMaster has said that although at one time the Soviet Union was the enemy, now “The enemy is Washington, D.C.”

Like the tea party crowd with whom he sympathizes, he is confused about what part of the S.C. heritage he’s following. It is not the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag of the American Revolution that he is waving. It is the stars and bars of the Confederacy.

Then there is the current attempt to forestall proposed federal labor legislation by amending the state’s constitution to mandate that all matters of employee representation (unions) be decided by secret ballot. It is currently federal law that an employer has the right to demand a secret ballot election if a union requests recognition. Pending in Congress is the Employee Free Choice Act, which would require an employer to recognize a union upon being presented with cards signed by a majority of employees. Although this bill has some merit, there is little chance of this particular provision being adopted.

More importantly, whatever the merits of the federal legislation, this is a matter for the national government, not the individual states, to decide. As our state legislators well know, in an area of law such as this, where the national government has lawfully acted, state action is preempted. This amendment to the state constitution would be patently unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution.

Nowadays in our Legislature, we hear much about support for the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides simply that matters not delegated to the federal government are left to the states or the people. In principle this is not controversial. However, a number of actions have been taken under its mantle by South Carolina and other states in the past year to assert state power against the federal government.

Our Legislature has adopted a state sovereignty resolution, or 10th Amendment resolution. State Sovereignty bills considered by some states go one step further and declare that the state must take action against federal laws that the state deems to be unconstitutional. The position of our attorney general on the federal health law is in line with these state sovereignty bills.

At a Tea Party rally in Boiling Springs, at which Attorney General McMaster spoke, a pastor from North Carolina described our president as “a proud young man who appears not to have a clue about America’s godly heritage.” A tea party organizer dressed as Tom Paine said: “I’m not calling people to arms, yet. But that may be what it comes down to at the end of 2010.” We have a congressman who shouts at our president, calling him a liar. This is in a national context where a former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, tells a Southern Republican Leadership conference: “Don’t retreat. Reload.”

I, for one, do not see these extreme statements and actions as reflecting the good sense, patriotism and good will of South Carolinians. We can, and should, raise our voices and speak through the ballot to rid ourselves of those extremist public officials who have made themselves a source of embarrassment to our state.

Hoyt Wheeler is a retired university professor and attorney living in West Columbia. His publications include The Future of the American Labor Movement and Workplace Justice Without Unions.

Ultrasound bill taken up in conference committee

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Yesterday, the H.3245 (two-trip ultrasound) Conference Committee started the meeting with a prayer led by Sen. Bryant. In Senator Bryant’s prayer, he asked for guidance, wisdom, and for “a miracle because only a miracle from God will get us out of this conference committee.”

Chairman Kevin Bryant started the conversation with a side by side comparison of the Senate and House versions of the bill. Each side was able to voice their opinion on common ground items which include the effective date, severability clauses and the general concept of a 24-hour waiting period. The more controversial items including where the woman would receive the Woman’s Right to Know information, when the 24-hours clock would start, and an exception for rape and incest victims were debated in length.

Rep. Wendy Nanney expressed her initial intent of enforcing a 24 hour wait for all women even in a trauma. According to Nanney, trauma is the most vulnerable time for women and she is not thinking rationally, therefore a woman needs more time to think about her decisions regardless of rape and incest. Sen. Jake Knotts rebutted her claim by saying he would not be in favor of victimizing a woman for the second time with a governmental regulation.
Rep. Greg Delleney stated the House would not budge on the 24-hour time period starting when an ultrasound was performed.  He also called the meeting a “press conference” for each member. Senators Brad Hutto and Knotts informed the House that if they were not willing to negotiate on the 24 hour trigger than there was no need to continue with the conference committee.

Although Sen. Bryant did set a tentative next meeting for next Wednesday, he is requesting that each member of the Conference Committee work behind the scenes this week to possibly come up with proposals and agreements.

Subcommittee debates discriminatory teen dating violence bill; SC Equality seeks public input

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Yesterday, the Senate K-12 Education Sub-Committee held another hearing on H3543, the Teen Dating Violence Bill. SC Equality, its lobbyist, and allied organizations like Sean’s Last Wish (a member of the SC Progressive Network) were present–with four witnesses who were prepared to present expert and personal testimony in opposition to the non-inclusive dating violence bill.

Although we were not given the opportunity to present our testimony, fair-minded members of the Senate–Senators Joel Lourie and Phil Leventis–gave voice to our position. They acknowledged that the current language of the bill is discriminatory and privileges some relationships over others, and they argued that the bill should not move forward in its current form.

As expected, Sen. Mike Fair rejected this argument and would not accept the bill without the amendment excluding same sex partners. Realizing that this one issue of defining a dating partner is the only thing that is holding up moving this otherwise sound bill forward, the Chair asked if there was a compromise position that could be taken that would satisfy both sides. Senators Leventis and Fair agreed to discuss this further outside of the hearing. Thus, no action was taken on the bill today.

SC Equality (a member of the SC Progressive Network) is fully committed to seeing that a non-discriminatory dating violence bill–one that protects all children equally–is passed. We will continue to aggressively monitor the progress of this legislation, and should another hearing be scheduled, we will have witnesses ready.

These witnesses will be your voice at the hearing–so we need to hear from you. Should we have an opportunity to testify or to speak with legislators individually, it would be extremely helpful to be able to share stories from those who have experienced dating violence, particularly from the perspective of gay youth. If you have had experiences that you would be willing to share, please contact us at info@scequality.org. We will respect all confidentiality.

Can Democrats succeed in South Carolina ?

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By Tom Turnipseed

“Party seeks to redefine itself” was the headline about the state of the South Carolina Democratic Party. The recent article by Gina Smith in The State was an introspective piece that featured opinions by some leading SC Democrats like former SC Democratic chair Dick Harpootlian. Harpootlian was chair in 1998 when Jim Hodges was the last Democrat elected governor. In 1998 Democrats held four of the nine statewide offices after holding all nine in 1986. Besides being more aggressive toward the GOP, Harpootlian asserted that to win again “you’ve got to raise money 24 hours a day”. He said the Party raised and spent $2 million dollars to get the vote out in 1998. The article failed to mention that much of the money spent to elect Hodges came from the video poker industry. Hodges’ subsequent failure to support video poker ended their financial support of him which contributed to his becoming a one term Governor.

In recent years Republicans have successfully appealed to a historic tradition of South Carolinians to rally around a message of racial division, religious fundamentalism, and aggressive militarism. Big money for politics has responded to this message and it’s tough to win against big money. The media and the campaign industry turn political races into money raising horse races. The media makes money running political ads and political consultants line their pockets as well. I ran for several state wide offices against the big money on reform issues, including the 1998 general election when I was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General. The races were close, but I wasn’t elected because I made an issue of how things could be if money did not control every aspect of our daily lives.

Most big moneyed interests do not prioritize or even favor our government providing a good education for all our children, promoting jobs and a living wage for poor and unemployed people, or conserving our natural resources. They want to make as much money as they can as fast as they can, with every tax break they can get. Democrats will not be saved by selling out to large corporate interests, who only want government to help them maximize profits. The Republican Party has been the tried and true champion of corporate America for a hundred years and the enemy of organized labor and better pay for working people. They have been very effective in utilizing divisive issues like race and class.

Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter, a powerful African-American Democrat in the SC House, told The State that working class whites wrongly view Democrats as the exclusive party of African Americans and liberals. She said this has been the legacy of the Republican Southern Strategy which was a planned effort to label Democrats as “tax-and-spend liberals, to say we had no family values, to define us as the party of color ,“ and to spread the word that “…the Democratic Party was not a party that understood or shared white people’s values.” Democrats should be advocates for racial justice. The political power of African Americans was evidenced by Barack Obama’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the SC Democratic Presidential Primary and the overwhelming vote in black precincts for Steve Benjamin, the African-American Mayor-elect of Columbia . African Americans can decide elections in SC and will turn out to vote when they are inspired to do so by good candidates. To the detriment of the Democratic Party , there are no black Democratic candidates running statewide this year.

Phil Noble, head of the SC New Democrats said that education should top the list of political priorities. Not a bad idea, but the SC New Democrats was founded by and has been affiliated with the conservative Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). The DLC supported welfare reform and NAFTA and opposed single payer, universal health care. The DLC contended that the Democratic Party should move to the right on national defense and was a strong supporter of the Bush Administration’s invasion of Iraq in 2003, calling critics of the invasion the “loony left”. Will Marshall, co-founder of the DLC, says Democrats should distance themselves “from the anti-American fringe”.

For Democrats to succeed they don’t need to raise all the money they can from whomever they can, or shy away from a strong stand on racial justice, or become more conservative on such crucial issues as economic justice and militarism. Democrats should define themselves by working for significant campaign spending limits and by reaching out to everyday people of all races and religions and seeking peace, justice and prosperity for everyone.

Tom Turnipseed is an attorney, writer and peace activist in Columbia, SC. You can read his blog here.

Still, baby, still?

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Some Southern leaders rethink offshore drilling in wake of disaster, but most stay the course

By Chris Kromm

Faciing South

With oil still gushing from the site of BP’s failed Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf — a disaster that’s now likely to eclipse the scale of the Exxon Valdez — some politicians are rethinking the “drill, baby, drill” push for expanded offshore drilling.

But for others — including many leading Republicans and a few Democrats — the message seems to be: “Still, baby, still!”

Facing South took a tally of where key politicians stand in the wake of the Gulf oil disaster:

GULF COAST

The political fallout from the spill has been most interesting in the states nearest to the disaster:

* In Alabama, GOP Gov. Bob Riley is reconsidering his once-staunch support for drilling. In 2008, he said “we need to drill” and found it “astonishing” Congress wouldn’t lift a drilling moratorium. But when asked about his views on Wednesday, Riley said he will have “a completely different attitude” if the state’s efforts to protect the shoreline failed.

* Riley’s fellow AL Republican Sen. Richard Shelby was less reflective, saying Congress should “absolutely” move forward with offshore drilling: “We can learn something from this.”

* Gov. Haley Barbour in Mississippi doesn’t appear to think there’s anything to be learned at all: In an interview with CNN, he downplayed any potential fallout from the spill, saying it’s “not particularly damaging.” He’s still pro-drill.

* Then there’s Mississippi Blue Dog Rep. Gene Taylor (D), who seemed to compare the catastrophe to a school lunch mishap: “What I want people to know is this isn’t Katrina. This is not Armageddon,” he said. “I did this for the Coast Guard many years ago. Yeah, it’s bad. And it’s terrible that there’s a spill out there. But I would remind people that the oil is twenty miles from any marsh. … That chocolate milk looking spill starts breaking up in smaller pieces … It is tending to break up naturally.”

* In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has focused his statements on the immediate disaster response, as has Rep. Joseph Cao (R). But Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) immediately made a statement from the floor: “It is more risky to import our oil in tankers than it is to drill for it offshore, even considering this disaster that we’re dealing with today. Retreat is not an option. … We must continue to drill.” Sen. David Vitter (R) also encouraged Obama to press forward with new drilling projects.

* As for Texas, Gov. Rick Perry (R) drew criticism for describing the disaster as an unavoidable “Act of God” en route to calling to stay the course on drilling.

FLORIDA

What about the battleground Sunshine state and its $65 billion-a-year tourism industry?

* The spill is already making the Florida U.S. Senate race more interesting: Gov. Charlie Crist, after waffling on drilling — and deciding to run as an independent — is now urging caution: “If this doesn’t make the case that we have got to go to clean energy, … I don’t know what does.” GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio said he change his (pro-drill) mind.

* Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek has seized the moment to carve out a clear anti-drilling position: “It’s time to put an end to any and every misguided attempt to drill offshore and put Florida’s coasts and economy at risk.”

* U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D) has been even more strident, swiftly demanding that Obama issue a moratorium on new drilling, and getting a reputation for mocking his “drill, baby, drill” colleagues in the Senate. His GOP counterpart, Sen. Georgie LeMieux, is taking a more nuanced stand, arguing against new drilling until the BP spill is better understood, but still in favor of “safe” drilling.

* Another FL Republican has also come on board for a temporary drilling moratorium: U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller: “Right now, there should be no new drilling, period … until we find out what occurred. We can’t risk another disaster.”

EAST COAST

Plans to expand offshore drilling include the Atlantic seaboard — prompting a variety of responses from coastal states:

* In Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) — who ran on a pro-offshore drilling platform in 2009 — allowed the disaster was “a setback.” but on Monday flew to an industry conference — co-sponsored by BP — to tout the benefits of offshore exploration, saying that drilling could start off the coast of Virginia as soon as 2012.

* Not all Virginia lawmakers agree: Sen. Mark Warner (D) — a previous drilling advocate — said it was “appropriate” for Obama to pause drilling plans. Northern VA Rep. James Moran (D) wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar saying, “Regardless of ideology, this situation should give everyone pause regarding expansion of offshore drilling.”

* In North Carolina, Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) — who’s held a study-and-see approach to drilling — merely said the disaster “emphasizes the importance of making sure that any drilling off our coast would be safe.” Sen. Kay Hagan (D) was similarly non-committal, saying “we need to understand what went wrong and we need a comprehensive plan.”

* NC’s Sen. Richard Burr (R), a member of the Senate Energy Committee — who falsely claimed that “there wasn’t a drop of oil” spilled in the Gulf during Hurricane Katrina (there were at least 124 spills) — has been silent since the spill. But just weeks before the disaster, Sen. Burr went on CNBC to criticize Obama for not moving fast enough on offshore drilling.

* Unlike many in his party, beleaguered South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) already had “serious reservations” about offshore drilling, even writing to President Bush in 2008 pleading for him to “protect the coral reefs.” He’s been quiet since the Gulf spill.

* Others in South Carolina appear unfazed: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) said halting offshore drilling after the Gulf disaster would be like halting space exploration after the space shuttle Challenger explosion.

SC Retirees Must Keep Sharp Eye on New Spending Panel

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A new federal commission is meeting for the first time today in Washington, and Julie Harbin, president of the South Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans (the newest member of the SC Progressive Network), is encouraging retirees in the Palmetto State to pay close attention in the coming months.

The panel, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, is a bi-partisan group charged with recommending ways to lower the federal debt. US Congressman John Spratt serves on the Commission, which will offer its recommendations in December.

Harbin fully supports the goals of the Commission, but is deeply concerned that some are urging the panel to recommend changes in Social Security as a way to reduce the federal deficit. “If the commission takes a thorough and honest look at Social Security, it will see one of our nation’s greatest success stories. Social Security has helped generations of retirees stay out of poverty. South Carolina’s retirees want to make sure that Social Security remains strong for our children and grandchildren,” Harbin said. She noted that for over 25 percent of retirees, Social Security is their only source of income. With an average monthly benefit of only $1,164, she said that Social Security is, “a tenuous lifeline for many seniors.”

Harbin said that Social Security did not cause our large deficits. Since 1983, American workers have paid enough Social Security payroll taxes to accumulate a $2.5 trillion surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund. But between 2001 and 2006, Washington gave away $2.48 trillion in tax cuts.

To help retirees better follow the panel’s work, the Alliance for Retired Americans has written the Commission to urge that its work be conducted in open, televised sessions and that it hold field hearings across the country to listen to public testimony.

SC Alliance for Retired Americans President Julie Harbin.

Calling all SC political junkies

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Tired of politics as usual?


Don’t miss the SC Progressive Network’s Conference April 10!

Booker T. Washington Cultural Arts Center
2611 Grant St., Columbia SC

FREE and open to the public!

Join us for the SC Progressive Network’s 14th annual spring conference, beginning with non-partisan policy work and ending with political action. This year, we have candidates from our own ranks running for office. Given these politically charged and challenging times, this promises to be a lively day of talking politics. We need YOU at the table!

AGENDA

11 am: Registration and light lunch (RSVP for lunch required by4/8/10. Pay $10 on site. Please let us know of any dietary restrictions.)

Noon-2:30pm: Progressive Network Education Fund meeting. If your organization is part of the Network’s nonpartisan coalition, your organization has a seat on the board and should be represented. Remember: this is YOUR organization. It is only as strong as you make it.

  • Network Co-chairs Rep. Joe Neal and Donna Dewitt will review our policy struggles and lead a discussion on sharpening our strategy and tactics.
  • Network Director Brett Bursey will lead a workshop on “Corporations and Democracy.”
  • “Jobs With Rights” organizer Ken Riley, President of the Charleston longshoreman’s union will present the campaign’s plan to fight SC’s anti-worker laws.

3-5pm: Progressive Voter Coalition meeting. SC ProVote is a political action committee of individual Network members and allies. ProVote supports candidates, regardless of party, that support our values of a just and inclusive democracy.

  • We’ll hear from candidates seeking our endorsement, target races and refine strategies and tactics.
  • We’ll discuss Progressive Caucus plans for the state Democratic Convention April 24.
  • Political consultants Carey Crantford and Wil Brown will lead a session on effective messaging of campaigns.

For more information or to RSVP for lunch, call 803-808-3384 or email network@scpronet.com.