County Council … so important!

Here is a great report from our pal Harry Kibler of RINO Hunt about the importance of attending and getting involved at the county level. Tomorrow (Monday) is the August Spartanburg County Council meeting. 4:00 committee meetings, 5:30 general meeting.

Anyone got a video recorder???

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I recently attended the Greenville County Council meeting and the Summerville City Council meeting and they were both very enlightening. After the Greenville County Council meeting I was accused by a Councilman of being a Libertarian and an Anarchist. The Councilman is a well known RINO and just thirty minutes earlier had voted for a property tax increase that he introduced. When I reminded him that the Republican Party Platform calls for lower taxes and smaller government and that he just voted for increased taxes and larger government he was outraged. He adamantly told me “the people wanted the tax increase”. When I asked him if everyone wanted the tax increase he said “the majority wanted it”. This is a great example of why it’s important to know the Constitution. This Councilman thinks we live in a Democracy, were as long as the majority want something, it becomes the government’s responsibility to provide it. Our Constitution is the guiding document for a Representative Republic not a Democracy. There is a huge difference! Under a Representative Republic, the will of the majority cannot violate the rights of the minority; thereby protecting the rights of the minority. A Democracy is where the majority rules. Doesn’t it feel like we are living in a Democracy instead of a Representative Republic?

For many months citizens have requested that Greenville County Council become more transparent in their meetings. Many citizens cannot attend the meetings for various reasons, but still have a right to know what happens and how each Councilman votes on the issues. As you may expect, many on the Council like it just the way it is; if you are not there you don’t know. Well, transparency has come to Greenville County in the form of citizen reporting. I videotaped the Council meeting and will continue to do so until the Council implements greater transparency. From this point forward, I will be at every meeting with my camera and will share the video by way of you-tube over the internet. I do need some help on this. I am not technically savvy enough yet to know how to take a two hour video and break it into ten minute segments in order to post it on you-tube. If you are willing to help teach me this skill I would appreciate it very much.

On August 11, the Summerville Council had the first reading of an ordinance that would make it against the city law to rent to an illegal alien. It was to say the least, a heated debate. With nearly a hundred people attending, opinions from both sides of the issue were presented to the Council from citizens and business owners. There were at least seven speakers from the Apartment Associations asking Council to reject the ordinance because it would make their job harder and cost them profit. One businessman that owns a large apartment community and land that he intends to build another apartment community threatened to sell his property and land and invest in another town if the ordinance was passed. Another landlord called the councilman who sponsored the ordinance a racist who hates Mexicans. Several citizens stated that “Summerville needs the money that these people spend at our Fair”. A Hispanic citizen who claims to have served in Desert Storm said this is not what our soldiers are fighting for. And just for good measure, a person representing the ACLU promised a lawsuit if the ordinance was passed. Several unemployed or otherwise effected citizens spoke in favor of the ordinance and asked the Council to vote in favor of the ordinance. After nearly twenty citizens and business representatives had their say, the Council voted six in favor and two opposed to the ordinance. The ordinance will now go to second reading where I’m sure those opposed will rally their troops to intimidate the Council. It appears that every person that apposed this ordinance had some financial loss if it passed and those that spoke in favor had been personally affected by loss of jobs or crime. Once again, it comes down to who will government represent and protect, the citizens or the businesses that contribute to their re-election. I will be going back to Summerville to witness and video the second reading. If you would like to attend the meeting and support the ordinance please contact me as soon as possible.

Folks, this is where the real action is at. You may have though things like taxes, expansion of government and illegal immigration where only decided in Washington D.C. These issues and many others like the Comprehensive Land Use are being decided right in our back yards at City and County Council meetings. Do you care enough to get involved and speak your mind where you actually have a chance of elected officials listening to you; or, would you like to continue to visit the cesspool in D.C. and “feel good” because you traveled so far to give them a piece of your mind? I would suggest you remember the definition of insanity; doing the same thing but expecting different results. For one last comment about local politics; D.C. may be a lost cause and the Legislature in Columbia, SC may be out on break, but your local government never stops raising taxes, expanding government and plotting how to steal your property. They meet every month. Some can’t get enough of our money by meeting once a month, so they meet twice a month.

August 15, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Tea Party

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