SOUTH CAROLINA CITY OFFICIAL BLOWS THE WHISTLE ON SECRET TAX
We don’t know much about what city of Columbia, S.C. councilman Cameron Runyan stands for – nor do we especially care whether he wins reelection to his municipal post next month.
Why not? Because we don’t live in the city of Columbia anymore … (and thank God for that).
But in seeking another term to the otherwise insignificant office he holds, Runyan has uncovered an issue of statewide importance – and blown the whistle on it. And while we’re sure he had nakedly political reasons for doing so, the fact remains he has done South Carolina taxpayers “a solid.”
A huge solid.
Last week, Runyan exposed a hidden levy on South Carolina insurance policies that has deprived taxpayers of at least $1.6 billion over the last fifteen years … without them even knowing about it.
That’s quite a chunk of change … to say nothing of the very definition of “robbing taxpayers blind.”
The tax has been around since the 1930s, and for the last thirty-one years it’s been collected by a special interest group that actually takes a cut of its proceeds prior to passing the rest of the haul onto municipal governments.
Millions more are collected at the state level on behalf of South Carolina’s forty-six counties … in fact we submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request last week to the S.C. Department of Insurance (SCDOI) seeking to determine the extent of the fleecing.
We’ll be sure to let our readers know what we uncover …
Anyway, the point is we’d have never known about any of this had it not been for Runyan coming forward with this information. And neither would you …
Runyan may be just another politician. We don’t know – and we don’t care. The fact that one of his current opponents was a former director of the liberal association collecting this levy probably had something to do with his thinking in coming forward – but whatever.
We don’t care why Runyan blew the whistle – we care only that he did.
And for uncovering this statewide scam, we honor him as a taxpayer hero.
25 comments
Man, y’all are going with this AGAIN??? Does Cameron really think the voters are eating this story up or something? Cammy, baby, you’re wasting your money paying for this storyline.
It is actions such as this, implementing a hidden tax, that fuels the dislike and sometimes hatred of professional politicians and their cronies, like Duval. Everything concerning the collection and spending of tax money should be out in the open, not camouflaged. This whole scheme was purposefully set to be hidden and being passed off as “too complicated for the simple taxpayer to understand.”
“Good Job,” on exposing this one.
I’m pretty sure Duvall wasn’t born yet when this tax was created.
Damn facts just get in the way don’t they?
If you were in the organization to which the tax collections were funneled, you just possibly, might be, involved in this scheme. In no way did I imply that Duval was involved in the implementation of this tax plan. The next time, please read more carefully and try not not to read anything into my comment.
Yes, facts get in the way , especially when YOU get bitten in the ass.
Otherwise, thanks for the useless comment.
Why are you trying to smear Duvall for something he had nothing to do, with but putting his name in your post?
Again, reading too much into my comment.
People in the public limelight should be held accountable for what they do. Holding people accountable is not smearing, that is your invalid assumption, not my motivation. It would be a sad state of affairs if everyone looked upon questioning a public official as smearing.
He was in the organization responsible for distributing some of the tax-generated funds.
Re-boot and try again.
What did he do that he needs to be held accountable for? Doing his job with the MASC?
You are becoming more ridiculous and obstinate, just take it elsewhere.
‘…hatred of professional politicians and their cronies, like Duval.’
You smeared him. You called him a crony.
“People in the public limelight should be held accountable for what they do.”
You could provide nothing which he did wrong and needed to be held accountable for.
I think YOU don’t understand your OWN comments.
While I think Runyan has shown he doesn’t really have any principals. Will, I know you are not naive enough to know that Columbia officials have a direct impact on everybody in the midlands. Two easy examples – city of Columbia water and you shop in the city regularly.
Seems as though Runyan is finding his own way, after hopping down off of Mayor Shitwater’s lap.
“Columbia water and you shop in the city regularly”
When they try to trick FEMA (i.e., American taxpayers) into paying for the canal that was destroyed because of operator negligence and incompetence they will have a VERY wide effect.
Give me a fucking break – A Hero
Hell, he is a Cockroach running amok in the Taxpayer’s feed sack and he only outed another Cockroach running amok in the Taxpayer’s feed sack in order to gain an advantage
Calling Cockroach Runyan a Hero is like calling Jeffery Dahmer a Chef
Do you really just come here to call everybody cockroaches, on every article?
No matter what it may be about?
Certainly not Cockroach
Bless your heart
I thought all council members received a participation trophy.
This ‘secret’ has been around since 1930?
Getting rid of it now should do wonders.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
So, you’re saying, as long as the fleecing has been going on for a period you deem long enough, that the fleecing should continue?
Why is it fleecing?
Well, let me put on my captain obvious outfit… if it is indeed a hidden levy, then it’s a part of a swindle.
fleece
fl?s/
verb
gerund or present participle: fleecing
1.
informal
obtain a great deal of money from (someone), typically by overcharging or swindling them.
“money that authorities say he fleeced from well-to-do acquaintances”
2.
literary
cover as if with a fleece.
“the sky was half blue, half fleeced with white clouds”
Ok, first of all Mr. Runyan is the incumbent he has approved budgets that contained these tax revenues before. Multiple times.
Just because everyone in the universe is not aware of it does not make it a hidden tax . There are a multitude of taxes on all sorts of things. Cigarettes, Beer, WIne, admission to entertainment venues like Carowinds, fees for Stormwater runoff, tire disposal, property transfers, etc.
Just because it something FITS or you wasn’t aware of, doesn’t make it in any way underhanded.
Breaking news! Businesses must pay a business license in cities they operate in! All of them! It’s right there on the Business License Ordinance, adopted by City Council(s) all across the state, in public, having voted twice! And there’s a section that incorporates the business license fee on insurance companies too! Wow….
Don’t pop the cork on the celebratory champagne for the Pulitzer just yet.
Yes, what would we do without FITS and his brilliant exposes
Cameron Runyan had a change of heart several years ago At least he knows where he stands I respect him much He’s not too concerned with offending anyone scary for some Not for anyone with nothing to hide
The MASC has some great trips went to Austin recently I’m sure it was much needed