DANNY VERDIN AIMS TO PROTECT HIS “FAMILY BUSINESS”
Earlier this year we brought our readers the story of S.C. Senator Danny Verdin, an Upstate lawmaker who filed a bill seeking to outlaw the transport of live hogs in the Palmetto State without proper registration (i.e. an “all clear” form from a veterinarian).
“No live swine shall be transported on a public road within the State unless the swine has an official form of identification approved by the State Veterinarian for this purpose,” Verdin’s bill stated.
Jeez …
Why would he propose such a measure?
Well, as we noted in our report, Verdin’s father and brother are both veterinarians – meaning they are in line to profit from a market for porcine inspection and identification.
Anyway, Verdin is back with another attempt at self-service – sponsoring a bill (S. 687) seeking to crack down on mobile veterinary practices.
“While they are an effective supplement to a pet’s health care, (mobile vets) should not be considered a replacement for the full range of services received at a permanent privately-owned veterinary facility,” Verdin’s proposed bill states. “The availability of follow-up care is critical and mobile clinics are not able to provide that care. The limited use of mobile clinics to focus on basic vaccinations is valuable, but should target underserved areas and not areas where complete and follow-up care is available.”
Um … what?
Verdin’s bill proceeds to go into exhaustive detail on exactly what mobile vets can – and cannot do. Not only that, the legislation imposes bans on where such facilities are permitted to operate in South Carolina.
“Any mobile practice affiliated with, operated by, or supported by a private, non-profit animal shelter or other animal group shall be prohibited from operating within seven miles of the nearest privately owned veterinarian practice,” Verdin’s law states.
Additionally, mobile vets are required to give free advertising to these practices by identifying “the closest local emergency veterinary services facility to the mobile location.”
Wow …
This is shameless. Seriously. We haven’t seen something this overtly self-serving since S.C. Senator Paul Campbell sought to divert millions of tax dollars to the local airport authority that pays him nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year as its, um, “leader.”
Verdin is clearly attempting to manipulate the veterinary marketplace in South Carolina so that practices like the one owned by his family members don’t lose business.
Again, shameless.
Verdin’s treachery was ripped by Karen Martin, leader of the Spartanburg, S.C. Tea Party. We don’t always agree with Martin, but she got it right on this issue.
In addition to highlighting the adverse public health components of this bill (i.e. the decreasing availability of rabies vaccines and preventative anti-worms medications), she pointed out the unfair imposition it places on licensed veterinary practitioners who have already jumped through government hoops to be able to do their jobs.
Her conclusion?
“The dogs aren’t helped, the cats aren’t helped, the taxpayers aren’t helped, the family members who may be at risk from rabies or parasites aren’t helped,” Martin wrote. “Remember, these veterinarians get degrees all from the same veterinary schools, and they all passed the same SC licensing boards.”
Martin also warned of the slippery slope associated with such self-serving overregulation.
“Today … the vets lobby. Tomorrow … who?” she asked. “Do the carpenters hire lobbyists to stop Habitat for Humanity from moving in on their business? Do restaurateurs hire lobbyists to keep Mobiles Meals off the road? Do physicians hire lobbyists to try to shut down CVS store wellness clinics? I guess that all depends on whether Danny Verdin has carpenters or restaurant owners or physicians in his family.”
Amen to that …
Danny Verdin should be ashamed of himself. Not only is this a bad bill, it’s one he has no business sponsoring. In fact, it’s precisely the sort of bill he should recuse himself from voting on – let alone pushing through the legislative process.
43 comments
“but should target underserved areas and not areas where complete and follow-up care is available.”
That truly is shameless. It’s the “anti dog eat dog” rule straight out of Atlas Shrugged.
What a disgusting, crony capitalist pig.
“Do restaurateurs hire lobbyists to keep Mobiles Meals off the road?”
She nailed that one, that was my exact thought.
You better believe it will happen too, probably already has in other states.
Pols love being lobbied for that type of shit because it’s all about the tax collection, and for bureaucrats is a job security issue. It’s a lot harder for government to regulate and tax collect as much from mobile store fronts…which is why they are increasingly popular for people trying to make a living and avoid government regulation.
Those business people that are suffering under the thumb of government regulation and taxation are eager to “level the playing field” because they don’t want to work mobile to compete….and instead of lobbying for a reduction in taxes, which they know they’ll rarely get…it’s easier for them to encourage government thugs to go after the mobile operators.
Sad.
Didn’t area restaurants not want a hot dog stand guy to open up shop on Main Street in Columbia?
If this guy gets riled up his next attack will be on commentators who live or work more than seven miles from Fits HQ — if we say anything negative about him.
Will, please post a photo of this shameless, self-serving dork. My friends have used these vets for years in addition to fixed-clinic locations and given compliments on their services.
Is a shame my friend that these idiots make it more difficult for people to care for their animals.God has instructed us to be good stewards of His creation.
What could be next-partial birth abortions or selling baby parts for profit?What happened to the human race and the valuing of the sanctity of ALL life?
But all Muslim dogs have to be killed. Right?
What do you call an Amish guy with his arm up a cow’s ass?
Funny one I ran across:
A “heads up” for those men who may be regular Home Depot customers.
Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping.
Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic.
Don’t be naive enough to think it couldn’t happen to you or your friends.
Here’s how the scam works:
Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as
you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your
windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of
their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.
When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say “No” and instead ask you
for a ride to another Home Depot. You agree and they get in the back-seat.
On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the
front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals
your wallet. I had my wallet stolen November 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the
15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th 29th. Also December 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th,
16th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again
this upcoming weekend.
So tell your friends to be careful.
P.S. Walmart has wallets on sale for 2.99 each.
100 +++
So what is the answer? With the Amish guy.
mechanic ..!!
That’s funny.
Happy?
Still pretending to be a Christian I see…
“Do restaurateurs hire lobbyists to keep Mobiles Meals off the road?”
Probably has been tried before. I think all of Mankind has a corrupt dictator gene in their DNA screaming to get out. Some are more successful at suppressing it than others.
“Do restaurateurs hire lobbyists to keep Mobiles Meals off the road?”
Um, yeah. In Horry County, the restaurant lobby went nuts when “gut trucks” and mobile restaurants started popping up. I can’t remember the details, but the county either outlawed them outright or regulated them essentially out of business. The market backlash caused them to back down, I think. Crooked ass people…
Illegal immigrant pigs? Not on Trump’s watch! LMAO!!!
Q: What do you get when you cross a frog and a pig?
A: A lifetime ban from the Muppet Show studio.
Q: Who is the smartest pig in the world?
A: Ein- swine
Q: What do you call it when you cross a dinosaur and a pig?
A: Jurassic pork!
Q: What’s the treatment for swine flu?
A: If you have swine flu, you need oink-ment.
Q: What do you call a pig with a rash?
A: Ham and Eczema
Good ones!
But I thought Republicans favored less government?!?!
Danny is my Senator and he is plain awful. I was hoping we would elect a flagpole as it would be smarter and more pleasant.
This is awful. Where will pogo go for his healthcare if this passes?
Kenny will providing healthcare soon.
My dog votes no to this bill.
Buffee agrees 100%.
An elderly lady phoned her telephone company to report that her
telephone failed to ring when her friends called – and that on the few
occasions when it did ring, her pet dog always moaned right before the phone rang. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile elderly lady.
He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber’s house. The phone didn’t ring right away, but then the dog moaned loudly and the telephone began to ring. Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:
1. The dog was tied to the telephone system’s ground wire via a steel chain and collar.
2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.
3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the phone number was called.
4. After a couple of such jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate on himself and the ground.
5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.
Which demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning.
You’re great Henry, love it, thanks.
Thanks, that one is cleverly crafted — requires a higher than average IQ to appreciate!
I do not suck dicks. Move on.
I polled my three dogs today. HollyBelle, Ellie Mae, and Hercules, all three agree. They hate the frigging Vet, no matter what.
Buffee agrees, but she wants all political vets to get out of office asap. She thinks it is a inverted lobby that favors individuals for personal gain. I agreed with her, nothing new other that BULLSHIT.
Did you ever walk into a room and and forget why you walked in?
That’s how dogs spend their lives.
What is it with Laurens County? They have one of the most sordid sheriffs in the state, Rick “I screw everyone” Chastain, and now this Verdin guy?
At least the local taxpayers aren’t having to pay for abortions for anyone other than Chastain’s hoes.
The veterinary industry is evolving like many other industries. Veterinarians worry when a Mobile Vet parks his truck down the street from the vet hospital. Personally, I think there will be enough business for all of the vets. There are more pets per capita than ever before and people spend more money on pets than ever before. Mobile vets do one thing and only one thing which in vaccinations. There is no time for a physical exam or to talk about behavior issues or preventative medicine. If they were smart The Association of Veterinarians would form partnerships between the Mobile Vets and the Animal Hospitals.
Swine can carry disease. He is asking for a certification of health, I presume, for the swine. As a hunter, I can tell you there are wild hogs everywhere. They are a nuisance tearing up the land and they are dangerous to humans. Some people do hunt them and eat them. So we need to make sure swine traveling through the state are not disease-ridden. And by the way, wild hogs are not native here. Unlike deer which were imported to S.C. many years ago by DNR, wild hogs exist only because they got loose from pig farms. So what’s the harm in getting the State Veterinarian to issue a health certificate for swine traveling through the state?
Did you stop reading after the first paragraph?
DNR did not import deer into SC. There were some reintroduced into the upstate, but these were caught in the Lowcountry.
I think the pig transport law was to possibly cut down on the intrastate movement of hogs for release to the wild, exacerbating the wild hog problem.
Nope. They did not break out of pig farms. Hog hunters raise piglets and turn them loose to advance their sport.
Perhaps nowadays . But it was by accident that wild pigs originally populated the state.
Then the wild pigs discovered that it was safer to become politicians…..
Wouldn’t preventing live swine from using the roads prevent the House and Senate from convening in Columbia?
the potential profit on high volume vaccine inoculations is incredible. that is probably the real reason this bill has been introduced.