Find out more about South Carolina's government at congress.org State legislature page State Constitution State Election Commission website

Talbert Black (Talbert Black Jr) [Message] 234 Hermitage Road Lexington, SC 29072

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For details of our state C4L meeting in September:

Click here and go to Daniel Cochran's beach banter blog.  He provides a good rundown of the day.

Find out who is giving the politicians money:

Click here to find South Carolina elected officials' campaign contribution disclosure reports.  In other words, this is how you find out who is giving them money.

Candidate Questionnaire:

Below is a questionnaire that we all can use as we talk to those who want to represent us in any elected office.  I sent this out to some of the "Liberty Leaders" of our state to forward out to their respective organizations.  It would be great of the candidates started hearing these questions from all over our great state as they travel around campaigning.

 

POLICY QUESTIONS

1 - If you are elected to the office you seek: 

a) what laws will you repeal;  b) what taxes will you reduce or eliminate; c) what government agencies will you shrink or close?

2 - Would you support criminal penalties: 

a) for politicians who violate their oath of office;  b) for bureaucrats who act outside the powers delegated to them?

3 - When did you last read the state and federal Constitutions?

4 - Should someone who has sworn an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, but who then votes to allocate tax funds to programs or departments not authorized by that Constitution, be removed from office?

5 - Can you name any current areas of government operations that are outside the authority delegated to government?

6 - Can you name areas where government might serve the public interest, but where it has no authority to act? If not, is it still accurate to say we have "government of limited powers"? Does this matter?

7 - As a candidate for a state or federal office, can you think of any ways to improve enforcement of the 10th Amendment (the states and the people retain powers not delegated to the federal government)?

ISSUE QUESTIONS 

8 - With regard to jury trials, should judges be required to inform jurors that they have the power, in the sanctity of the jury room, to decide whether a law in question is just, or constitutional? Should schools teach this?

9 - With regard to due process, should judges be allowed to prevent defendants from presenting a defense on constitutional grounds if they so choose?

10 - With regard to the war on drugs, is the war succeeding? When could it be declared a success, the expense of waging it cease, and the tax-based infrastructure surrounding it be decreased or dismantled? If it can't be declared a success, when might it be declared a failure and brought to a close? How do you respond to critics who say the war on some drugs is really just a federal-agent jobs program that provides price supports for the cartels?

11 - With regard to law enforcement, are you in favor of police being allowed to use deadly force when absolutely necessary to protect innocent lives from criminal attack? Do you believe that people, even people with no training of any kind, have less right to defend themselves than the authorities do?

12 - With regard to the right to keep and bear arms, would you support gun laws that would specifically disarm religious individuals, either on the way to or at religious services? Would this be OK as long as all religions were treated equally?

13 - With regard to establishing a federal ID number for every American, would you vote to enable or block such legislation if it were proposed? Which part of the Constitution would authorize such controls over citizens?

14 - With regard to asset-forfeiture laws and policies, describe how these are permissible under the Constitution. If elected, would you do anything to change current asset-forfeiture law?

15 - If elected to the office you seek, would you support legislation to license writers or register printing presses? Would you support legislation to license publishers to help control "hate speech?" Why would an honest writer or publisher object to such a program? If you cannot justify licensing writers, on what basis could you justify licensing gun owners?

A followup module of The Liberty Poll, with detailed questions for reporters to consider for extended interviews, appears next.

The Liberty Poll was developed by attorney Michael P. Anthony, author Alan Korwin and syndicated columnist Vin Suprynowicz.

Contact:  Alan Korwin  BLOOMFIELD PRESS  4848 E. Cactus, #505-440

• Scottsdale, AZ 85254

602-996-4020 Day phone  602-494-9320 Evening phone  602-494-0679 Fax  alan@gunlaws.com

 

Do you wonder why you typically don't hear Liberty Poll style questions on the nightly news? For the same reason the nightly news is so tame compared to the Internet. Why is that? Because broadcasts in America are state controlled (and the web isn't, yet). If you heard broadcast executives agonize over programs that might jeopardize their government licenses, you'd think anew about how free is free speech.

 

Speakers at our July 18th state conference are below:

Other gubenatorial candidates will be invited to future conferences.  All will be invited.

Candidate for Governor Representative Nikki Haley

South Carolina Republican Chairwoman Karen Floyd

Candidate for Governor Senator Larry Grooms

Candidate for SC Congressional seat 3 Dr. Mike Vasovski

(Apologies to Mike.  The batteries for the lapel mic went dead in the middle of his remarks.)

Candidate for US Congressional seat 4 Dr. Christina Jeffrey

Kids Learn About Liberty, the Constitution, and Personal Responsibility...In Public School! Posted by Sarabeth Rudd

Posted 10/20/09 Last updated 10/20/09

Yesterday, spoke to about forty third and fourth graders in a local public school about freedom, the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and personal responsibility.

I was pretty nervous as I was preparing because even though I was only planning on sharing the history and the reason for our founding documents, the ideas of personal responsibility, freedom, and breaking away from oppressive government are quite possibly subversive ideas to some schools.

I walked into the school office, and one of the first things I saw was a framed front page of the Post and Courier. Who's in the picture? None other than our Commander in Chief. I stuffed my apprehension down and told the secretary why I was there. She knew who I was right away.

Two students were sent to escort me down the winding hall to the class where I was to speak first. Unfortunately, I misread my own planner and was about twenty minutes late. I thought I was early. I'm not sure if the teacher was cranky because of this, or because she is always cranky. This didn't help me feel any better... but I kept going anyway.

I was pleased to have a room full of kids who would answer my questions and ask their own. I told them the story of "bossy King George" and why we wanted to separate ourselves from England. I had to explain what colonies were, and also what taxation without representation is. I told them about the Constitution and what it says, including and especially the Bill of Rights. They learned that the Constitution is supposed to keep the government from getting too big and bossy like a king. They also learned what a Constitutional Republic is. We talked about the three branches of government. We talked about what freedom is and what unalienable rights are.

The best part was when I told them what freedom means for them. I looked out over a bunch of kids, and told them that because of freedom that have been given opportunity. Freedom doesn't just mean that they can do whatever they want to do. It means they have to take responsibility for their own actions. They have choices to make everyday. They have equal opportunity, but that doesn't mean equal results. Are they going to work hard to get where they want to be and do what they want to do? I said as an example that they might be free to choose to eat potato chips for every meal, but that doesn't make it a good, responsible choice, and it does have consequences. They really understood this.

That is basically what I said to both groups. I stressed so many times to these kids that they have opportunities in front of them. I told them that I had to work really hard to get where I am today, and I am still working really hard. Something else I told them was that I am wanting them to appreciate liberty and not take if for granted because sometimes, you're given something and don't realize what you have until it's gone. I want them to have a head start on appreciating this country and what our founding fathers' vision was. After all, I didn't start caring until I was around 21. Men died and never lived to see freedom so that you (the kids) and I could experience this land of opportunity everyday. These kids also heard that not everything is given to them. In fact, if they learned if they work hard to get something, they'll appreciate it even more.

I also encouraged them to know that even at their young ages their voices are important, and they can make a difference in their community. I explained that using their voice can take the form of letter writing, speaking to their parents and teachers about things that bother them, or even using art to express themselves.

One of the groups got particularly excited about rights, and started accusing their teacher of taking their "right" of playing soccer. Well, I found out that the principal of the school had taken this away from them because of behavior issues. I had the class quiet down and I told them that playing soccer is not a right. It is a privilege and they do not deserve to play soccer. They do however, have the opportunity (I love that word!) to start behaving themselves and listening to their teacher so they can deserve to play soccer. They were then dismissed back to their class.

Overall, they seemed to enjoy and understand what I was talking to them about. I'm learning so much about how to convey these ideas to different age groups. Though the kids seemed more captivated by me as a visitor and someone they could look up to, I hope this means that they really listened to what I said about freedom and their lives. Some of the kids wanted to ask me questions afterward about my writing and whether or not I used to write when I was in elementary school I said, "of course!" and told them the best thing for them to do was to start a journal. That's what I did, and I've been writing for almost as long as I can remember. One of them asked me if when I write a book, will I put his name in the dedication page. I couldn't help but think of how adorable that was. I wanted to spend more time with all of them!

As excited as I am to have made it into the public school system, my heart is heavy, as I wonder if they will truly live in freedom in the coming years. However, this just inspires me to fight even harder and educate even more people.

Tomorrow, I speak to two groups of 5th graders... I can't wait!

Bernanke engineered a 2% tax that starts TOMORROW. Posted by HonestyinMedicine

Posted 10/20/09

What crooks they are in the Federal Reserve! I just learned that starting tomorrow, anyone buying a stock of Brazilian companies will be taxed by a whopping 2% on the purchase! This was evidently a tax that Ben Bernanke dreamed up to cash in on all the investors (who are merely trying to maintain some purchasing power of their money) by investing in countries that aren't backed by the tanking dollar whose currencies are more stable.

I bet Brazil doesn't even get to keep the tax. I bet it get's funneled back to the greedy New World Order Elites and those in the Federal Reserve.  This is OUTRAGEOUS!

I called Congressman Brown's office as well as Senator Graham's office to let them know how I felt about that (and of course that they support NO version of a federal health insurance program that mandates coverage or that has a public option or will change the options currently available. I suggested that if the states in the northeast just did what most states do and established a high risk health insurance pool, we wouldn't even have a "health care crisis". I also suggested that a health insurance policy never saved a person's life but it was the providers that did that. Why aren't they focusing on a voucher program for actual care for those that don't have insurance.  That way we'd only be paying for those needing care, not for those with expensive insurance policies who aren't using them)

But back to what REALLY INCENSES me  is that Congress hasn't even been privy to this this 2% tax on Brazilian investments. I called my brokerage and they didn't even know about it. Not only that but Yahoo Finance is censoring people's posts on the EWZ (the Brazilian ETF (exchange traded fund) message board by deleting anything that is derogatory about the tax or comments about the Federal Reserve.

WHAT A COUNTRY this is becoming. GRRRRR!

We need HR 1207 passed right away and that Federal Reserve can't be audited soon enough as far as I'm concerned.

Please see the related new articles below.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/167537-brazil-chokes-off-foreign-investment?source=ya
hoo

http://seekingalpha.com/article/167536-how-bernanke-has-forced-brazil-to-slap-a-tax-o
n-outside-investors?source=yahoo

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idAFN2042983220091020?rpc=44

S 794 South Carolina Firearms Freedom Act - Get on it people!! Posted by SCButterfly

Posted 10/19/09

Time to start hounding our representatives to support this legislation.  (Talk of bringing back open carry is swirling around also.)  Please make your thoughts known to your reps!!

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/bills/794.htm

S 794

Firearms Freedom Act

TO AMEND CHAPTER 31, TITLE 23 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO FIREARMS, BY ADDING ARTICLE 9, THE "SOUTH CAROLINA FIREARMS FREEDOM ACT", TO PROVIDE THAT A FIREARM, FIREARM ACCESSORY, OR AMMUNITION MANUFACTURED AND RETAINED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL REGULATION UNDER THE COMMERCE CLAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

Sponsors: Senators Bright, Bryant, Mulvaney, Davis, Shoopman, S. Martin, McConnell and Rose
Document Path: l:s-reslb26fire.kmm.lb.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4022

5/13/2009 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Knotts (ch), Massey, Coleman

CCU College Republican's Meet and Greet (Part I - Recall Question) Posted by DanielCochran

Posted 10/15/09

Old news... New news... Lt. Governor candidates speak on "Recall"

For those of you that have already seen this at C4L, sorry for the repeat. For those that have not seen the latest from Mr. "america" and his non-stop hate of everything Constitutional in America here is the report of the events that have taken place this week.

Seems that Mr. "america" was having a town hall in Greenville, South Carolina this last weekend when he started going on about the "angry white man" party he is a member of in the political world. When some of the crowd shouted out that the party has not totally lost its founding principles of Yes to the Constitution, Yes to personal Freedom, Yes to fiscally sound government, and YES to a strong sound dollar, he exclaimed that the party will not be lost to the "Ron Paul" group. Has this fellow nothing better to do with his time? Oh, he did co-author a NYT piece to support John Kerry and the Tax & Cap Act which should raise your electric bill some $1,700 to $2,500 a year depending on which study you read. But the love between the South Carolina Senator and the Senators from Mass. seems to go back for years and the last time he shared a love-fest stage with a Mass. Senator seems he stuck his foot in his mouth then too.

A question I asked every Lt. Governor candidate at last night's CCU College Republican "meet 'n greet" was, "With one of the recent Senators from South Carolina, that is in Washington, claiming to be Mr. america's Senator and not just the Senator of the citizens of South Carolina, and his recent op-ed piece with the Senator from Mass. in his support of the $2.4 million lose of personal income and some 23,500 plus jobs to South Carolina due the Tax and Cap Act - where do you stand on allowing the citizens or the folks in Columbia starting a "Recall" process to put representation back in Washington that will be for South Carolinian's interest?" (yeah it was a long winded question) (Press Release that prompted this question here).

Mr. Ken Ard was at a disadvantage being the first Lt. Governor candidate to be asked this question because he did not have the time to think of a response that the other two gentlemen had, but he answered it fairly well with a reply that expressed his desire to even get in the political realm revolved around true representation of the citizens and his continued desire to provide an environment of business development in regards to making South Carolina more employer friendly.

Mr. Bill Connor was in clear support of a "recall" process to have Washington Representatives actually representing the citizens that elected them to their positions.

Mr. Tim Scott being the last of our Lt. Governor candidates addressed my question at this end of his speech before I could ask it again (*smile*). He stated his total support of States Rights within our Federal Government, and the process of "recall rights" should be in place to remind the folks in DC that we are their employers.

The candidates for District 1 South Carolina's House of Representatives were not asked this question directly because that was really outside of their position's responsibility.

Mr. Tom Keegan (representing Mr. Henry Brown Jr.) expressed that our District 1 representation in the US House has been along conservative value lines some 91.3% with Mr. Brown. Mr. Keegan shared his views that we should not be picking apart the party from within when we have such a strongly organized opposition party in place now in Washington.

Mr. Carrol Campbell III did not directly touch on the "recall question" in his presentation; however, he did express the "insanity or repeating the same actions over and over and expecting different results" in regards to what takes place in Washington. He started his speech with the reading of the Republican Creed and then explained how our party has wandered from these principles when they get elected to positions in Washington.

Mrs. Katherine Jenerette was our final candidate to share with us last night, and she was very clear on the "recall" issue and added that the repealing of the 17th amendment would not be a bad thing for the American citizens either. She expressed that in 1913 our Federal Government took from us the right to our freedom of income and charity as well as the State's lose of control over Senators in Washington with the 17th amendment's passage.

I will add that our first candidate Ms. Kelly Payne was not asked about the "recall" issue because as State Superintendent of Education that is far removed from the realm of responsibilities of the position she is campaigning for in South Carolina.

[Originally posted at Beach Banter]

Rep. John M. Spratt now a cosponsor of H.R.1207, ‘The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009’ Posted by Kevin Smith

Posted 10/15/09

On October 13 Rep. John M. Spratt of South Carolina's 5^th Congressional District became the 302^nd member of the U.S. House of Representatives to sign on as cosponsor of 'The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009'. We commend Congressman Spratt for recognizing the will of his constituents by joining, to date, 302 other members of the House to pursue this very important and needed legislation. Hundreds of petitions were signed and delivered by his constituents. Thank you for all of your work and support to send a solid message of clarity to your elected representatives. Now that Rep. Spratt has signed onto H.R.1207 please telephone his offices and thank him for his support to this bill. It is our hope that H.R.1207 and the Senate companion bill S.604 will move forward without obstructions. Telephone Rep. John M. Spratt today and thank him. Washington office  202-225-5501, Rock Hill office 803-327-1114, Sumter office 803-773-3362 and Darlington office 843-393-3998.