The Wire: 1/8/2013

TIPS, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, SNIPPETS

Welcome to the wire!

Today marks the first day the 120th session of the S.C. General Assembly – a make-or-break legislative year for S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, who has struggled to implement her modest proposals the previous two years. Will she get anything accomplished this year? Here’s our prediction: No major positive reforms will be passed this year, while record amounts of tax dollars will be poured into the sinkhole that is America’s most wasteful, corrupt and incompetent state government. In other words, this year will be like any other year …

Nationally, a big stink bomb landed in Washington, D.C. this week as a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revealed  deficit spending will grow by more than $9 trillion over the coming decade – and that’s after the “fiscal cliff” deal.

In sports the University of Alabama claimed its third national championship in the last four years – routing Notre Dame 42-14 in the BCS national championship game. And yes, our founding editor – who has been quite the amateur prognosticator this season – nailed this pic as well.

Take a look …

#fitspick Alabama 41 Notre Dame 16

— Will Folks aka Sic (@fitsnews) January 8, 2013

Missed it by a field goal! Not too shabby …

Also in sports, terrible news for Washington Redskins’ fans as their star rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III likely tore two ligaments in his right knee during his team’s playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

To the wire!

***

SCREWED BY NIKKI HALEY

FITS: Ha! Thank you, Jim Lewis.

***

NIKKI HALEY ON JOBS: CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Nikki brings 644 new, good-paying jobs to Lexington and FITS doesn’t cover it? “Unfair and imbalanced” doesn’t begin to describe it.

FITS: We did cover it. We even printed her agency’s press release.

***

#SCHACKED: GOT YOUR LETTER?

Surely you’ve seen one of these already, but here is the S.C. Department of Revenue’s “You’ve Been Hacked” letter …

FITS: Hmmmmm. Funny how Nikki Haley’s name (which is on every letter that goes out from one of her cabinet agencies) isn’t on this letter.

***

SUPREME COURT QUID PRO QUO

Kudos on your story about corrupt “Queen” Jean Toal. Your story is 100 percent correct. You may need to confirm this bit of information with your legislative sources, but I can tell you the ruling she has agreed to sit on is (SCDP Chairman Dick) Harpootlian’s lawsuit on exemptions to the state sales tax.

FITS: Wow. We’ve heard that a few times, actually. Amazing if true. And yet sadly not surprising …

***
TED VICK IS RUNNING FOR MINORITY LEADER?

The Democrats are running a guy with gun and drunk driving charges for their top legislative post … you should be all over it.

FITS: Ha!

***

SC-1: BEAUFORT LAWMAKER IS “IN”

Your favorite Lowcountry lawmaker Andy Patrick is running for Tim Scott’s seat. His old Rick Santorum buddy Michael Biundo is running his campaign.

FITS: Yup. We’ve mentioned his name in conjunction with this seat several times previously. We’ve also heard there’s an interesting back story here.

***

LEXINGTON SCHOOL SEX SCANDAL

Do some digging. No students are involved (thankfully) but this is a big one. You will want to get ahead of this one.

FITS: We’ll check it out.

***

SCDHEC RESTRUCTURING

Good get on the staff shakeup but you missed the real savings Catherine Templeton has engineered at DHEC. Call your sources. It’s another $50 million you could put into your “pile.”

FITS: We like the sound of that. We’ll make some inquiries. Feel free to send us any info you have, too.

***

LEGISLATIVE INTIMIDATION

Look into (S.C. Rep.) Mike Gambrell and his efforts to intimidate state law enforcement personnel to protect his business. There’s a scandal here.

FITS: A state lawmaker throwing his weight around to protect his own interests? Color us shocked (not) …

***

WHAT BRENT MUSBURGER DREAMS ABOUT

Enjoy this pic of Katherine Webb, girlfriend of two-time national champion quarterback A.J. McCarron of Alabama. Brent Musburger is …

FITS: Sha-ZAM. Good find, friend. Good find.

***

TODAY’S TUNEAGE: “BULLS ON PARADE”

“Line up to the mind cemetery …”

***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To a pair of Palmetto hotties, Ashely Griffith (the future Mrs. Todd Kincannon) and Amy Humphries. Nothing could be finer, people … X2.

 

Don’t forget to tip your bartender …

***

JOIN IN …

Got a tip for us?  Or a comment? Or a question? Submit it anonymously over on our tip line or our contact page … and remember, in addition to your tips we also publish letters to the editor and guest editorials (even anonymous ones) if you’ve got more to say on a subject.

Also feel free to reach out to our founding editor directly at w@fitsnews.com … or via Twitter or Facebook.

***