“WINOS, DINOS, ENVIROS AND RINOS”
|| By TAYLOR BROWN || Last month, the annual Polluters’ Ball (a.k.a. the “Green Tie Luncheon”) was held at 701 Whaley Street in downtown Columbia, S.C. This event is a major fundraiser for the ultra-liberal Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC), which is led by Ann Timberlake.
See FITS previous stories here, here and here on Ann …
As we’ve documented, Timberlake has a history of threatening legislators and supporting losing candidates. However, she still wants to be considered a force in politics in our state.
News flash: Winning matters. In politics, in sports – and in life. Of course Timberlake has been immune to consequences her whole life, so she wouldn’t know that.
Ann is a trust fund commando. Her father was one of the founders of a large distributor chain, and she has always been insulated from true market forces, so she does what she wants with no accountability for results. She and her hubby bilk the environmental movement out of more than $150,000 in salaries per year. She works part time and makes more than $80,000 a year according to documents filed with the IRS.
Her “Green Tie Luncheon” is her crowing achievement. Under the auspices of environmental protection, she takes money for some of our state’s biggest polluters – money she then uses to attack candidates who don’t support her vision for a “green” South Carolina.
Talk about two-faced, right?
Last month’s gathering was (obviously) well attended by Democrats – with uber-liberal S.C. Senators Joel Lourie and Brad Hutto receiving the first awards of the day. Next up was S.C. Rep. Murrell Smith of Sumter, who received recognition for his work on the Pinewood hazardous waste site. FITS has previously written about Smith’s leadership on this issue, so that’s an award I’m not going to criticize.
However, lawmakers talked openly at the event with me about the nefariousness reason Timberlake’s group decided to honor Smith – an effort to curry favor on his influential budget-writing committee after her pet project saw its funding slashed earlier this year.
Hopefully Smith will see through the ruse.
RINO sightings at the event included S.C. Senators John Courson and Ronnie Cromer, and liberal S.C. Rep. Eddie Tallon.
Another liberal “Republican” – S.C. Rep. Gary Clary – also attended the luncheon and looked very chummy sitting with former Democratic education superintendent Inez Tenenbaum. FITS has previously written about how Clary is not trusted by the House Leadership; maybe he is planning to switch parties?
We can only hope …
Also sitting with Tennebaum and Clary was S.C. Rep. Neal Collins – who has some announced primary opposition. Perhaps he’ll be a bit smarter about his future luncheon companions if he wants to retain his seat in conservative Pickens County.
Former attorney general candidate Leighton Lord III was in attendance, too. Lord works for a big local law firm and serves on the board of Santee Cooper, the state’s government-run utility. His firm has never met a polluter it did not like.
South Carolina voters really should see these events for themselves to fully behold all the pandering and brown-nosing that goes on. It’s disgusting – but not enough to make this girl lose her appetite.
The saddest thing about this event? It showcases how Timberlake has hijacked the environmental lobby in our state. As one legislator told me, she is part of the problem because she and her organization have no one working for them who is trusted by the leadership in the S.C. General Assembly.
As a result legitimate environmental issues don’t get the attention they deserve.
That’s disappointing for true conservationists. But as long as Timberlake is able to run her racket, nothing will change.
Taylor Brown is a 20-something Wofford College graduate who somehow got sucked into politics at an early age. She is easily won over with Rush’s fast food, wine, and spirited political arguments.
27 comments
Hey taylor
The saddest thing about this event? It
showcases how Timberlake has hijacked the environmental lobby in our
state. As one legislator told me, she is part of the problem because
she and her organization have no one working for them who is trusted by
the leadership in the S.C. General Assembly
the leadership of the sc general assembly are a bunch of crooks, if they don’t trust them that is a badge of honor. other than that, entertaining rant.
you never post anything that makes a damn bit of sense….
i’m sorry, i can’t use crayons and draw pictures for you, it is’nt in the disqus program
Too true. The legislators trust DHEC . . . to do whatever they say to do or even just hint they want done . . . no matter what the regulations say.
Regulations are for people and businesses that don’t have the favor of some legislators.
Ummmm…Kemosabe…maybe Will Folks and Taylor have a point to
make but they give readers the shivering fits
So difficult to track with the intellectual analogies when
Folks fills the side columns with so many distracting…
….. looking through my scrap papers for my invitation — I think I got one…??
Mega Polluter Santee Cooper Chairman Leighton Lord and DOR Director Rick Reames were sitting together. Reames and Lord were law partners. Taylor, do you fail to mention this because Reames is a Wofford man? Giving a pass to your fellow alum?
Reames is surely wouldn’t be doing the work at DOR for his law partners friends would he? Taylor, you’ve got to do better.
What!?! WHAT? What the heck are you talking about?!? Can you be specific about something other than how much you hate this woman?!?
Who’s paying FITS to hate on Timberlake? That’s all this article is about.
This is probably the most thoughtful and intelligent article by Taylor that I have seen, to date.
The situation she describes somewhat reminds me of that laughable “Champions Of The Environment” bit that WIS used to run. As I recall, school kids would win awards for various deeds of environmental good citizenship they performed. Nothing wrong with that, but the sponsors of the program read like a “Who’s Who” of the worst polluting industries to be found.
It seems like the main reason this website criticizes Ann Timberlake is jealousy. It’s unbecoming. 150k plus an allowance from a trust fund is not all that much.
It always fascinates me to look at the people that are “environmentalists ” The uber rich who are well heeled telling the general working types how to live and what to do. If they had to come down from their ivory towers and do something it might change some attitudes. This brings to mind the guy that ran against Nixon in 72, can’t recall his name right off, but when he lost out at politics he actually started a business and later, after reality set in, became a conservative. Like the most law and order conservative is a liberal that has been mugged. That reality thing id hell. LOL
Such total garbage. Environmentalists, come in all income brackets; and very few are uber rich (i.e. Koch rich). Most work regular jobs in addition to advocating for the protection of our environment from polluters on the side; and they don’t tell anyone what to do. They lobby for the regulation of pollution. Furthermore, it has nothing to do with telling the general working type how to live and what to do. The general working type, i.e. the average citizen does not pollute to any significant degree. Of course you might feel differently if your neighbor up the hill was dumping lead based paint into the stream that runs into your property, but that really is not a major problem, and if that happens to you most environmentalist would be fine with letting it continue if that’s what you want.
So who are these horrible lazy tree huggers trying to get to stop polluting? Why the uber rich of course. The Koch rich. The Duke Power rich. The people who want to dump more pollutants into our air. The people who want to dump more carcinogens into our waterways. The people who want to dump coal ash in our lakes. The people who think smog in the air, dying fish in streams and carcinogens in our soil are the smell and taste of money. The people who do not give a shit about the general working type and whether he dies of poison or chokes on his polluted air. Because, well because they are uber rich and they can just move to wherever they want if the local environment is fucked up.
And if you don’t believe that these folks make a difference look at pictures of LA in the 1970s and today. Look at pictures of the NY skyline in the 1970s and today. Look at the pollution levels in the Savannah River in the 1960s, when the pollution was killing all oysters and shrimp for hundreds of miles and today when their numbers are growing again.
But people like you don’t give a crap. Its not about the “working man” he is just cannon fodder. Its about buying into the ideology sold to you by right wing talk sights and mega industry. Because hey, left to their own industries would clean the air and water for us.
Hell, there were even thermal inversions over Greenville in 1975………
Granted a lot of progress has been made and I have been directly involved in it (been making shitty water fit for reuse and drinkable and hazardous chemicals not hazardous since 1975…..) Due to advances in technology, the question can be asked just how clean do you want to make stuff? Getting rid of 95% of the bad stuff is not too difficult, it’s the other 5% that’s a bitch.
I earned two degrees in the environmental field back in the 70’s (WAY before Ms. Brown was even born)
Which begs the question…
What have you actually done to better the environment Ms. Brown? I know, you sit on your butt and write about how conservatives have all the answers to every fucking problem. Well since it probably doesn’t involve printing ink and paper that’s a start at being “green” (how I hate that word in that context!!)
Tell me the last time you wore a tyvek suit and a respirator in 90 degree heat Ms. Brown…
Then come back and write about the environment…………….and what you have done to make a difference
Sweetie, I shouldn’t respond, but I will. My parents started and owned a recycling company, patented many items that are still used to reduce pollution, and I care DEEPLY about our environment. Don’t think that just because I have an R next to my name that I don’t care about the earth. Don’t be that dumb.
you must be very lonely, Rs in sou kalina don’t allow that line of thought, if you want to start a fight, just murmur global warming in a room full of tbillies.
“Getting rid of 95% of the bad stuff is not too difficult, it’s the other 5% that’s a bitch.”—- This is what I am talking about. The environmental wackos can’t be satisfied with 95%, it hasn’t hurt the economy enough, The cost per % goes up exponentially past the 95% level. Why bother ? Just like the coal fired generators. The scrubbers have taken care of , like you say, 95% of the pollutants. What good is done by putting them out of business for the 5% ?
You have revealed that you don’t really know what you are writing about. That guy that ran against Nixon in ’72? Can’t think of his name, but you have a story to tell about how he quit politics, etc, and became a conservative!
C’mon; give us a name.
Pay him/her no mind…..he/she is full of elephant shit (which I have been told is EXCELLENT fertilizer BTW)
Sadly the symbol of the Republican party may very well be extinct in Africa within 25 years which is probably around the same time the Republican Party will suffer the same fate (if not sooner as evidenced by the dickheads calling themselves the “freedom caucas” fucking up every single thing they lay their hands on).
I feel sorry for the elephants and not a bit sorry for the hard right republicans that “Rouge’ fancies him/herself to be…..
The members of the freedom caucus can actually read and understand the Constitution. What is wrong with the others ?
George McGovern
Who paid for your ticket, Taylor?
I did.
what about the pollution coming from your typewriter Taylor?
Love the tit shot. I didn’t even realize you were holding up a program until I read some of the words in your story.
Little too much jewelry though.
#notastalker
#alittleperverted
This was the worst Green Tie luncheon in its history. I heard its because Ann;s staff is terrible since no one wants to work for her. They need a serious revamp. Can we get someone new in there to replace her? US actual environmentalists give a damn here