I spent 3o years as a CPA and this report does not pass the smell test. There are unanswered and unasked questions every where. The recommendations for the Comptroller General’s office are rudimentary. These consultants seem to be recommending that the Comptroller’s office engage in the basics of accounting. If they have to be told the basics, what the hell are they doing running the State’s books?
Be Kind Anyway Top fanJanuary 18, 2025 at 12:00 am
It’s my understanding SC tax payers purchased this “independent” review for $3,000,000 and AG Wilson’s office has spent $4,000,000 to date “defending?” SC against a federal probe… Once again, corruption and intentional incompetence yields a windfall for SC attorneys and related professionals.
How about this?
A simple, yet elegant solution…
We’ve been told traditional polygraph testing is not 100% accurate. Well, how accurate is it?
We’ve come a long way since polygraphs were first administered. It’s unlikely ANY testing method using advanced technology could yield WORSE results than the ways we currently screen/hire/elect/fire members of the court and other government officials.
What if we required judicial candidates and state leadership (especially those tasked with managing billions of dollars) to submit to a few simple questions while utilizing advanced tech prior to taking office?
We could ask incumbent judges two simple few questions:
1) Have you ruled in accordance with the Rule of Law to best of your ability and interpretation?
2) Have you ever been influenced to intentionally rule against the Rule of Law?
We could ask sitting state officials one simple question:
1) In the course of performing your duties have you ever knowingly broken the law, or failed to report crime you witnessed?
If these people would not submit to a public, live stream video test, then they could not take office.
We could ditch the sham JMSC, sham audits, sham elections, sham investigations, sham litigations…
At the very least, a threshold test would weed out the truly heinous.
Plus, if we discovered individuals who could game these tests, then we’d be identifying sociopaths seeking office and could therefore attempt to isolate the threat. Maybe sociopaths would avoid seeking these offices? Win-win.
Of course, those currently in positions of power would never agree to such a practical solution, but one can dream.
While dreaming… What if we utilized the same technology based exams throughout the justice system? We would need fewer beat cops and more technicians. This is the future.
Society has technologically advanced. Why hasn’t the system of justice? Some may say this would be too expensive or impractical. I believe those would be the people who profit off the current dysfunctional system.
If defendants knew they could not manipulate the system to avoid accountability, maybe a large percentage would think twice before committing crimes?
We could also let this be the method to determine probation, parole…
One question…
1) Are you sorry for what you did, and if released, do you intend to or believe that you will commit this or other crimes again?
We could ask immigrants:
1) Why have you come to this country? Why do you want to be citizen? Have you committed crimes while on American soil? Do you intend to commit crimes if you are allowed to remain? This could not be more expensive than housing and deporting, and all the other failed protocols.
We could give all our sitting judges the choice: Take the test and retain your position, or decline and resign.
What would our judiciary look like a few years down the road if we weeded out career criminals and attracted honest, hard working individuals to wear the robe?
Side note: Who decided attorneys should write ethics laws? I’m guessing that was attorneys.
We need radical change. By employing new methods, we could restore the people’s confidence in our systems of government. We could restore integrity to positions of authority. We could cut out vexatious litigation. We could protect citizens. We could have fair elections. We would never again lose/gain/lose billions of dollars with the stroke of a pen.
Laurie Quattlebaum Top fanApril 22, 2025 at 7:24 am
It seems completely plausible that an accounting error could have been made and repeated several times to create this situation. But the accountant’s report, riddled as it is with disclaimers and caveats, will do nothing to dispel the public’s suspicion and distrust on this issue. Telling the public there was 1.6 billion dollars sitting in an account and that it should be disbursed among taxpayers, is a genie that won’t be put back into the bottle.
9 comments
You had to have seen this coming.
I heard today from a lobbyist that the investment firm BackRock is behind Senator Grooms and his attacks on the state Treasurer. Payback can be hell.
Larry Grooms may be the dummest guy in the State House. Ever.
I spent 3o years as a CPA and this report does not pass the smell test. There are unanswered and unasked questions every where. The recommendations for the Comptroller General’s office are rudimentary. These consultants seem to be recommending that the Comptroller’s office engage in the basics of accounting. If they have to be told the basics, what the hell are they doing running the State’s books?
Agree with your statement!
I see new elect cuNextTuesday Heather Bauer wants to impeach Treasurer Curtis Loftis. I doubt she is .001% as honest as Mr Loftis is.
I bet Blackrock will be funding the Larry Grooms campaign for congress and the Steve Goldfinch campaign for Attorney General.
It’s my understanding SC tax payers purchased this “independent” review for $3,000,000 and AG Wilson’s office has spent $4,000,000 to date “defending?” SC against a federal probe… Once again, corruption and intentional incompetence yields a windfall for SC attorneys and related professionals.
How about this?
A simple, yet elegant solution…
We’ve been told traditional polygraph testing is not 100% accurate. Well, how accurate is it?
We’ve come a long way since polygraphs were first administered. It’s unlikely ANY testing method using advanced technology could yield WORSE results than the ways we currently screen/hire/elect/fire members of the court and other government officials.
What if we required judicial candidates and state leadership (especially those tasked with managing billions of dollars) to submit to a few simple questions while utilizing advanced tech prior to taking office?
We could ask incumbent judges two simple few questions:
1) Have you ruled in accordance with the Rule of Law to best of your ability and interpretation?
2) Have you ever been influenced to intentionally rule against the Rule of Law?
We could ask sitting state officials one simple question:
1) In the course of performing your duties have you ever knowingly broken the law, or failed to report crime you witnessed?
If these people would not submit to a public, live stream video test, then they could not take office.
We could ditch the sham JMSC, sham audits, sham elections, sham investigations, sham litigations…
At the very least, a threshold test would weed out the truly heinous.
Plus, if we discovered individuals who could game these tests, then we’d be identifying sociopaths seeking office and could therefore attempt to isolate the threat. Maybe sociopaths would avoid seeking these offices? Win-win.
Of course, those currently in positions of power would never agree to such a practical solution, but one can dream.
While dreaming… What if we utilized the same technology based exams throughout the justice system? We would need fewer beat cops and more technicians. This is the future.
Society has technologically advanced. Why hasn’t the system of justice? Some may say this would be too expensive or impractical. I believe those would be the people who profit off the current dysfunctional system.
If defendants knew they could not manipulate the system to avoid accountability, maybe a large percentage would think twice before committing crimes?
We could also let this be the method to determine probation, parole…
One question…
1) Are you sorry for what you did, and if released, do you intend to or believe that you will commit this or other crimes again?
We could ask immigrants:
1) Why have you come to this country? Why do you want to be citizen? Have you committed crimes while on American soil? Do you intend to commit crimes if you are allowed to remain? This could not be more expensive than housing and deporting, and all the other failed protocols.
We could give all our sitting judges the choice: Take the test and retain your position, or decline and resign.
What would our judiciary look like a few years down the road if we weeded out career criminals and attracted honest, hard working individuals to wear the robe?
Side note: Who decided attorneys should write ethics laws? I’m guessing that was attorneys.
We need radical change. By employing new methods, we could restore the people’s confidence in our systems of government. We could restore integrity to positions of authority. We could cut out vexatious litigation. We could protect citizens. We could have fair elections. We would never again lose/gain/lose billions of dollars with the stroke of a pen.
One can dream.
It seems completely plausible that an accounting error could have been made and repeated several times to create this situation. But the accountant’s report, riddled as it is with disclaimers and caveats, will do nothing to dispel the public’s suspicion and distrust on this issue. Telling the public there was 1.6 billion dollars sitting in an account and that it should be disbursed among taxpayers, is a genie that won’t be put back into the bottle.