PALMETTO STATE VOTERS MUST BE EMPOWERED TO REMOVE CORRUPT OFFICIALS
Five years ago, the “Republican-controlled” S.C. House of Representatives shot down a bill that would have given Palmetto State voters the ability to recall their elected officials.
Aside from a solitary State Senate hearing the following year, the issue hasn’t really been heard from since …
That’s a shame … especially in a state with so many politicians in need of being recalled.
As we have watched the unfolding saga involving S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson (which you can read about here, here and here), the need for recall elections has been fresh in our minds.
South Carolina is one of roughly thirty states that does not allow for recall – although the issue received some attention in 2009 when then-S.C. governor Mark Sanford was busted sneaking off to Argentina to see his Latin paramour, Maria Belen Chapur.
Sanford lied about his whereabouts – telling South Carolinians he was hiking the Appalachian Trail – and an ensuing investigation revealed the married father of four had expended tax dollars in the furtherance of his affair with Chapur.
Do we support recall elections?
Absolutely …
They enhance the democratic process – empowering voters and providing a direct line of accountability. What could be wrong with that?
Former S.C. Rep. Boyd Brown was among the lawmakers pushing the recall provision five years ago, arguing that South Carolinians should have the opportunity to recall any elected official “from the dogcatcher on up.”
We concur …
Unfortunately, empowering South Carolina voters with the ability to recall their elected officials means changing the state’s antiquated 1895 Constitution – which requires a two-thirds vote of both chambers of the S.C. General Assembly.
That’s no easy task – but it’s one we hope legislators undertake sooner rather than later in light of yet another flagrant betrayal of the public trust by one of our leaders.
16 comments
It’s time to flush those turds.
If SC won’t flush the toilet in November why would they flush the toilet any other month of the year?
Why the long part of the story about Chapur. She’s hot.
Yeah, but Mark’s not.
Recall elections, along with referenda and voter initiatives, were key elements of the late 19th and early 20th century Progressive Movement — TR, Hiram Johnson, Robert La Follette, La Guardia, etc. Has anything ever happened in SC which could be tied, even remotely, to the word “progressive?”
You can make all the rules you want, but government will remain THE problem. Those running government will skirt any “rules” you create all day long.
Just the like the notion a government run by rich people will successfully “redistribute the wealth” as Lefty’s delude themselves into thinking, the same goes for Right’s that think if they were solely running government and just “their rules” were enacted that it would solve the problem of self interest in government.
The only solution is to progressively strip government of it’s power over others…hopefully until one day nothing remains, but even if you’re skeptical of the possibility of that being an actual solution, you should at least understand that only when government has no power will it have no ability to harm the taxpayer and no one would care that government is run by the worst of society.
They would be jackals fighting amongst themselves for a progressively smaller piece of the pie while the common man went about his business of trying to be productive without the bloodsucking tick on his back.
That would be truly “progressive”.
Government is unfixable regardless of who is running it. Tear it down, don’t try to “fix” it.
So we just let the roads and bridges crumble, sell our National Parks, return to education by private schools and tutors only, eliminate food inspections, and dismantle national defense.
Okay, sounds logical.
“So we just let the roads and bridges crumble”
No, you privatize them and let the operators fix them, which will end up giving us better road for less.
“sell our National Parks”
They’re not “ours”, they’re governments- and yes, sell them and return the taxpayers some money.
“return to education by private schools and tutors only”
It’d certainly be better than what is offered by most of the state now.
“eliminate food inspections”
Food inspections that still yield food poisoning every year?
“dismantle national defense”
Well, aside from the fact we haven’t had a “defense” in a long, long time…while national defense is always a difficult topic the Swiss get along pretty well with their citizen army/militia model.
But then again, their history of neutrality/non-intervention allows that.
Privatize it all I say. Government is a failure- that’s plain as day.
Silly.
Just a bunch of snide remarks
That’s why no one takes “libertarians” seriously,except themselves.
Because like the above,
They’re not.
“Just a bunch of snide remarks”
Clothed in truth none the less!
“That’s why no one takes “libertarians” seriously”
Except for you, who took the time to respond.
As gov’t fail train picks up speed, people will start to consider anything at some point.(and you know that or you wouldn’t have bothered to respond!)
Recall elections and TERM LIMITS are both needed! Evidently the electorate finds it hard to admit mistakes. Haley and Obama were both re-elected and look at both Wilsons, Eckstrom, Harrell, Peeler, Graham, etc. This crap has to end if the State and Republic are to survive! The “Ruling Class” has had it’s way with the Tax Payers far, far too long!
Well, first you gotta look at the old man…He runs the state. He runs Nikki. He runs Alan. South Carolina is his to do what he will. Root him out and other problems will follow.
Recall elections would be good, but that is not the most important reform needed. South Carolina has 9 elected statewide constitutional officers. I try to stay informed, but honestly, I can’t name more than 5 at any given time. It is too much to ask for the voters to make informed choices about that many offices in addition to federal and local elections.
As much as Fitsnews complains about Haley appointments, at least they can be fired without the complex drawn out process of impeachment or a recall election. If there was a recall of Wilson, I would be surprised if 15% of the voters showed up.
Haley has been on the hot seat over DHEC, DSS and DJJ, but not over Wilson. In all this discussion about Wilson, Haley’s name hasn’t been mentioned except by trolls. Having Haley appoint board members is not enough. There needs to be a clear line of authority and the governor should be able to hire and fire at will.
Fine with me *******As long as you start with Lee Bright and Tom Corbin*****
Break free of the chains your elected public servants want to keep you in. March on the State House … Go to their offices … Go to their homes … .. .Tell them they must obey the masses.
Yo…Will…Will…have a cold one and chill because we gotcha recall coming up this year
And if you’re not a Joe Wilson/Nikki Haley gutless RINO ingrate…you’ve got nothing to fear !!!
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Senators Bright, Verdin and Peeler had the guts to honor
patriots and Southern heritage by voting to KEEP the flag
And there are 20 House members with steadfast loyalty whom
Tea WILL support and about whom we can brag
Those patriot House members are Bedingfield, Burns, Chumley,
Corley, Delleney, Hardee, Hill, Johnson and Kennedy
Then Loftis—Moss (both D.C. and V.S.), Nanney, Putnam,
Simrill, Spires, Stringer, Taylor, Thaylor—and let’s see
White makes twenty and that is plenty of reason to get out
and vote this year and beyond that let us just say
Legislators’ names YOU DON’T SEE HERE…let us make it crystal
clear…need to be UNELECTED on election day !!!