South Carolina’s $30 billion state budget for the coming fiscal year (2018-2019) is a perpetuation of the Palmetto State’s failed status quo – a.k.a. “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” It represents an ongoing commitment to pumping larger and larger sums of money into the same demonstrably ineffective bureaucracies – which of course will yield the same failed outcomes.
Only at a greater price …
What could possibly go wrong, right?
This definitional insanity is no secret – nor is it likely to change anytime soon. It’s what Democrats did when they controlled state government for decades after the War Between the States. And it’s what “Republicans” have done ever since they wrestled control of the legislature a decade-and-a-half ago.
It’s the plantation mentality. With the poor getting poorer.
Of course the current version of the state spending plan that’s careening ever closer toward the desk of state overseer … err, governor Henry McMaster has a problem.
A big problem …
Back in January, this news site wrote in opposition to efforts by fiscally liberal “Republican” Alan Clemmons to pass legislation that would compel South Carolina to formally adopt “the definition of anti-Semitism set forth by the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism of the Department of State in the fact sheet issued on June 8, 2010.”
A mouthful, right? Indeed …
Anyway, this so-called anti-semitism law was pushed by McMaster, who urged lawmakers to get it to his desk ASAP.
They didn’t …
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His bill languishing, Clemmons decided to press Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V and insert his legislation into the state budget as a proviso – i.e. a “law” that is on the books for one year only. In fact, Clemmons’ proviso is currently included in the state spending plan – even though it is, as we previously noted, “a prima facie violation of one of our most basic constitutional rights.”
To which right are we referring? Free speech.
If this budget becomes law, in South Carolina it would become anti-semitic (i.e. discriminatory) to blame Israel for “inter-religious or political tensions” or apply “double standards” to the Jewish State. One would also be anti-semitic if they opposed the existence of the Jewish State or the “right of the Jewish people to self-determination.”
Really?
A host of other statements (i.e. speech) would also be defined as anti-semitic, including “accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.”
Unreal … and totally unacceptable.
To be clear: We have no problem with the Jewish State. We believe Israel has every right to defend itself/ wage aggressive wars as it pleases. All we ask is its leaders stop forcing American taxpayers to pick up the tab for their military engagements.
Whatever you think of Israel, the United States simply cannot afford to keep subsidizing such actions …
But whatever you think of Israel, in the immortal words of Cleo McDowell (a.k.a. John Amos), “this is America, Jack.”
Here, you have the right to believe as you see fit. And to speak your mind as to what you believe.
Or at least that’s what we thought …
This news site has reached out to Clemmons on several prior occasions and offered him our microphone to communicate his views to our readers. He has refused to even respond. Not only that, Clemmons has blocked us on his social media accounts (taking a page out of the Thomas Ravenel playbook).
Our offer still stands, though …
Anytime Alan Clemmons wants to explain how his bill – errr, proviso – is constitution, our microphone is open to him.
In the meantime, though, lawmakers must remove this proviso from the state budget or risk facing a legal challenge our state cannot afford and cannot win. Don’t get us wrong: They have every right to shamelessly pander to the Jewish State, but they have no right to muzzle dissent in the process.
Such censorship is simply anti-American.
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