BUT DO ROLLING HEADS REALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
The embattled chairwoman of the Richland County, S.C. Election Commission resigned her post this week – and called for the resignation of the county’s elections director on her way out the door.
Liz Crum, whose commission oversaw last month’s “Richland County Robbery,” stepped down on Monday after telling her colleagues she had “no confidence” in the ability of scandal-scarred elections director Lillian McBride.
Who does have confidence in McBride? Supporters of the $1.2 billion tax hike that passed last month on McBride’s watch amid a flood of voting irregularities. Two years ago, efforts to pass this tax increase in Richland County, S.C. failed by just 600 votes – prompting Republican and Democratic state lawmakers to install McBride (who is all sorts of connected to the tax hike movement) as executive director.
The result? Mysterious shortages (and malfunctions) of voting machines in precincts that voted heavily against the tax increase two years ago – leading to seven hour wait times in some precincts. These shortages and malfunctions result in widespread violations of a state law mandating at least one operable voting machine per every 250 registered voters. Thanks to this illegal voter suppression, the sales tax hike passed by a 52-48 percent margin.
Frankly, every member of this commission needs to go. And so does McBride.
But that’s not the point. After all, their resignations won’t undo the $1.2 billion tax hike that was foisted on voters via an illegal election. And for the record we’re still not buying the “official” report that an equal number of voting machine shortages plagued pro-tax hike and anti-tax hike districts.
Were this true, would we not have heard of massive lines at the pro-tax precincts and not just the anti-tax ones?
Bottom line? No matter how many heads roll in Richland County, it doesn’t change the fact that a massive new tax was imposed via an illegal election. Until the results of that election are scrapped and a new election is held, there is no justice for Richland County taxpayers no matter who steps down.
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29 comments
McBride isn’t going anywhere, and when she does she’ll be screaming racism and discrimination.
,,,,, don’t forget: “ignorance” is a code word
She needs to go to jail for violating 2 or 3 sections of Title 7 Chapter 25 of the SC state code:
SECTION 7-25-190. Illegal conduct at elections generally.
A person who votes at any general, special, or primary election who is not entitled to vote, or who by force, intimidation, deception, fraud, bribery, or undue influence obtains, procures, or controls the vote of any voter to be cast for any candidate or measure other than as intended or desired by such voter, or who violates any of the provisions of this title in regard to general, special, or primary elections is guilty of a felony. Upon conviction, the person must be fined not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
SECTION 7-25-170. Wilful neglect or corrupt conduct by officers other than managers.
An officer, other than a manager at any election, on whom a duty is imposed by this title, except under Section 7-13-1170, Articles 1 and 3 of Chapter 17 and Chapters 19 and 23 of this title, who wilfully neglects such duty or engages in corrupt conduct in executing it is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three years.
colonel, you are way out there with this one. On a funny note, do you guys remember the footage of her reaching inside that blue shirt in some really odd gesture? Almost she wanted to crawl inside that shirt and hide….It was weird to watch.
sorry: “incompetence”
My precinct went for the tax increase, and we had waits of up to 4 hours. We had about half as many machines as 4 years ago. I don’t think that crowd of fools was smart enough to rig anything either for or against the bus tax.
I’m still of the opinion that Richland county is perfectly capable of passing its own absolutely moronic penny tax without the help of bumbling buffoons assisting in the process.
But hey, if Richland county residents aren’t pissed off enough to demand her job, then let her keep it. They deserve her.
Remember, folks! The bus system will be able to expand routes and still be fully funded! They most certainly won’t ask for another penny within the next decade!
It’s not a “penny” – it’s a 1% sales tax.
Do you really think that a penny tax will help an ever-failing bus system? It has been tried over and over again, with very little results. It’s almost as if that bus system is used to generate revenue that never makes it to the bus system. If it did (and taxes were appropriated correctly), citizens would not be asked to vote on taxes to fund it.
It’s ALL a sham.
@shifty henry – CORRECTION – it’s a 1% sales tax INCREASE in addition to the 7% we already pay.
1% in addition to 7% is actually a 14.3% tax increase.
@Taxpayer – you are correct. My bad.
It’s not a “penny” – it’s a 1% sales tax.
Which is a penny for every dollar. Same difference.
Do you really think that a penny tax will help an ever-failing bus system?
Shit no, I was being sarcastic. Come on, people!
@Smirks – big difference in everyone tossing in a penny and everyone paying higher sales tax. And yes, I get your sarcasm. Of course, this will not solve the bus funding problem. I see the city buses less than 1/2 full. Why not get smaller buses? Or even just buy a car for every 4 pp who ride the bus!
I’m interested in Liz Crum’s real reasons are for resigning. Probably more back room dealings going on that we may hear about later. More commission members may do the same thing.
I’m wondering if potential lawsuits are part of her reasoning. Also if the sales tax vote is challenged to either force a new vote or to put it on the ballot in two years. That would be two years of messing with this entire issue.
I agree. Liz Crum is a dyed in the wool old time Democrat whose primary allegiance is to Jean Toal and her posse. There is more to this resignation than Crum just losing confidence in Lillian McBride. If she ever had confidence in McBride, then Crum was more stupid that previously believed. This story is not over.
What do 99% of openly and brazenly corrupt municipal and county governments across the US have in common? Thaaat’s right; you win the golden crack pipe.
The world has been entertained by the Three Amigos, the Three Stooges, the Three Musketeers, the Three Blind Mice, the Three French Hens, the Three Little Pigs and the Three Tops.
Then we have Richland County’s Three Constipators ( Jackson, Howard and Clyburn), who are so full of shit that even Ms. Crum finally realized that if she stayed around there was no chance she would ever see a plate of chicken salad again.
Black woman gets Hired, immediately gets a 20,000 Raise…to $90,000…
She hires 2 65K each bureaucrat-connected assistants to do the work…
Election comes, they ALL F*^k up…and a $1.2 Billion Tax increase, the State newspaper shilled for, gets passed…
Black Woman is defended by the Modern-Day KKK Wizard, Jim Clyburn…she’s NOT Fired…Keeps her job…
That, my Friends, is Liberalism and Racism…
And it is the Epitome of Obama, and it’s going on in the Federal government, and all across the country…
And there are way too many reasonable people, who Grin like Idiots…and take it…thinking it makes them good people…
….. you’re on to something there
Lord help me. I caught myself agreeing with T.
As stupid as you sometimes are, you nailed this one.
Templeton gets hired, gets big bonus, hires four assistants at $400,000 to do her job while she stays home. Got it! Great day in South Carolina (no matter your race) as long as you’re Republican…
The ironic part of this entire occurance is that the “useful idiots” were on the side of raising a tax that they would actually have to pay!
What do you get when you mix inexperience, incompetence, and an old, complicated computer system ? A Richland county election.
If you boys think you have been played, and machines were intentionally not used to disenfranchise your vote, what are you going to do about it? Sure, you can threaten to sue and naively hope some magical federal agency will swoop in and save the day.
But seriously…
The simple answer is you need to push for paper ballots. If you look around the world, you won’t see countries and states that use paper ballots standing around in line 4 to 7 hours to vote.
You’re right, Mr. Fudd. I saw the Japanese election on TV recently. The Japs, who are the Kings of electronics, were all dropping paper ballots into a slot in box. No problems.
Incompetence is expected – in fact, in state and county government, competence is seen by co-employees as a threat, and will be punished or thwarted. This is the nature of government, black, white or green.
As a resident of Richland County, I will shop on line, or in Kershaw or Lexington. I already reduce tips by the amount of the hospitality tax when I eat out. So there.
Essentially, the black voters of Richland County voted to raise their own taxes. Fine with me. They also play the lottery – excellent.
Miz Lilly is too stupid to have engineered this intentionally. She needs to go, in addition to the people on her staff who lied to Steve Hamm.
Mia has it right. The rest of the Richland County delegation are weak minded or covering their own butts. Glass houses. Miz Lilly must know something.
Agreed Miz Lilly was someone’s puppet. Mia McLeod(who also happens to be a black woman) will hopefully have the balls to pursue this further. Move over ‘Good Ol Boys’ both black and white!
If this was a white chairwoman and her actions led to any blacks having to sit in line for 5 hours to vote the DOJ would be down here with National Guard on the streets. Al and Jesse would be on the state house grounds claiming slavery is back in SC. But since its a black woman the usually Richland county freeloaders are coming to her defense. Glad I don’t live there.