This Is for Moye....... St. Louis Cardinals - World Series Champs!!!

Dizzy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith and now Albert Pujols.... Congrats, Moye !

Clyburn vs. McLeod 2006: Same as 1994, 96, 98, 02 and 04...............

I can never get enough of this picture of Clyburn and John Kerry. It looks like Kerry is actually massaging the back of Jim's neck. No wonder Gary accused him of being against the Marriage Amendment!

That was about the only interesting exchange from what I read of their 50 millionth debate against each other. I only read coverage from The Sumter Item, and it was pretty standard fare: Clyburn with his Quality of Life issues (mostly for his alma mater and Orangeburg), and Gary referring to everything as Socialism ....... all I can say is Da, Comrade!

This is starting to be like the 5th Season of American Idol or Survivor.... Been there, done that. Nothing is more boring than watching the same train wreck for the 20th time. Here is my question: Who can the GOP recruit to run for Congress in 2008? My gut tells me that this is Clyburn's last go around. He will shoot for a Cabinet position afetr promising to "deliver" SC to someone (like he did for Kerry in 2004?). If not, he'll cash in his two pensions, and scare a few corporations into giving him a board spot.

If I'm right, the seat will be wide open, so the smart thing is to find the right person now, and get them exposure for two years. Throw out some suggestions, and NO, YOU CAN'T SAY ME!! I don't have the cash to make a serious dent. I have an idea or two, but I'll keep them to myself. Cast the net wide, and let's have out own vetting process...

The Meeting of Two Great Blogging Minds: SC6 and Crunchy Republican Cross Paths!

I was on the campaign trail tonight at a Thomas Ravenel function thrown by organizer extraordinaire, Mary Tepper. Mary and Jed's home is fabulous, and they always throw a good party. I worked my way around , and ran into the Queen of Conservative blogging, Sunny Philips herself.
We chatted about various campaigns, and some of which were a bit disappointing. Needless to say, I think we agreed that the two of us are smarter than a couple pros in the business - although Sunny is the only one who actually makes a living in politics!

This Dirty Campaign Tactic Makes Sign Destruction Seem Tame........

Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale... A tale of absolute stupidity, paranoia and outright lies. You think picking on a candidate's driving record or how short her skirts are is hitting below the belt. Well, welcome to a new low - the Florence County Democrat.

It seems that I have been accused of plotting to entrap my opponent by attempting to have a traffic stop set up on him after dinner last Tuesday. You read right - somehow a Phantom Sheriff's deputy and I conspired to have him pulled over on his way home, in an attempt to embarrass him and improve my chances of winning November 7th. As I have been told by the other candidate himself, he was told by a "reliable source" that a member of the Florence County Sheriff's Dept. named "Lt. Dean" were only stopped because the County Sheriff himself found out and put a stop to it. I called Sheriff Kenney Boone personally today, and he has absolutely no knowledge of any of this.

This runaway rumor in the other camp apparently caused them to decide to go for retribution in the form of a smear campaign. Saturday night, flyers were stuff into newspaper boxes and mailboxes ( a $1000 per offense charge) in Lakewood , Windsor Forest and Grove Park subdivisions highlighting an incident I was cleared in earlier this year. I have 136 of them in my possession, and about 400 more ended up in the hands of residents. So, not only has my opponent's camp (directed or otherwise) engaged in dirty politics, they did it based on a complete and total lie from their own side !

Of course , I was only made aware of this after the flyers were planted. In response , I do have a couple questions... First, do you have any control over "your people"? I see teenagers with better ethics than this bunch. Secondly, why did no one call me during the four days between the 'Road Block' incident and the flyer mess? It's the first thing I did when I found out what happened. Initially, I thought this was a independent act of stupidity, but the more I find out, the more doubt I have.

Next, what will be my response? One word.........Nothing. Try and tar me all you want, but I don't play dirty in campaigning. Maybe you thought my famous "bad temper" would make me do something stupid. Maybe you guys in the Democratic Party were expecting less of a campaign, but "my people" and I are better at it than you, we know the issues, and we're a class act. Will we win? Who knows, but there is no doubt that the 6-3 edge in County Council is in serious danger. Thanks for the juice, guys!

A Free Commercial Suggestion for Ralph Norman, or What Should Have Been His First Ad...

Burgersprattster Sprattsterburger Spratt's Penpal

I've been waiting a while to use the Burgermeister pic again! With 17 days til the Election finally ends, the time has come for Ralph Norman to really hit John Spratt , and hit him hard, or else this race is in big trouble. Here is my suggestion..

Spratt has finally ended his negative ads against Norman concerning Immigration. It was a little annoying after a while, but it was effective. First , it caught Norman looking like hypocrite. Note to staff: If you bring up an issue make sure your candidate is squeaky clean on it. It's effectiveness was evidenced when I was waiting at the Drs. office. It was on, and I heard the man next to me mutter the famous line, " Saying one thing and doing another." When an ordinary citizen finishes your commercial, you've got him.

So, where does Ralph go from here? By spinning the tables on Spratt with his newest ad issue: Social Security. I've said from day one, this is where to attack Spratt as an elitist hypocrite. It's easy, and will fit into a 30 second spot well. Millions depend on Social Security, and Democrats like Spratt and Jim Lieburn, uh Clyburn, go out and scare the heebie jeebies out everyone over 60 by making it sound like Congress is gonna play Russian Roulette with their retirement checks on the stock market. A little truth about investing the fund, and about how Spratt makes his money would work wonders.

The fact is , Spratt is loaded. How much? I don't know, but I do know something very important. Every candidate has to file a financial disclosure statement. I remember because mine had a slew of zero's..Among it are their stockholdings. Spratt's stock portfolio has somewhere between $1.6 and 8.8 Million !! If the stock market is so risky, why is Spratt invested up to his neck in it?? Because he likes taking chances? No, it's because it makes him money, like it would for his constituents. John Spratt isn't depending on Social Security when he retires - he's got a pension, he's loaded and God Bless him. I'm a Republican, I don't hate people for their wealth.

From Norman's end, it's a can't lose, which is better than some of his other tactics have done. What's the worst that could happen? They find out he has stocks and he supports it for the voters too? Spratt brought it up, now it's time to make him sorry he did. Here's what I see.......

It's a Fact. By 2017, the money going into the Social Security Trust Fund will be less than the money spent, and by 2041, it will be gone. It's also a fact that John Spratt doesn't want to invest the fund in bonds that would earn more money and literally save the Fund . It's kind of odd, considering that Spratt has millions of his own money invested in the Stock Market. Why is it good enough for him, and not good enough for YOU?? Who's Saying One Thing and doing another NOW , John? Vote for Ralph Norman.

I love this stuff!

It's 1968 All Over Again! War, Mike Reino and the Tigers and Cards in the Series....

Here's my World Series pick: Tigers in five.

How to Chase Al Sharpton From Your Town... Two Words - Tawana Brawley!

Without a doubt, this week's most ridiculous story is the one about Chris Rock's Mom getting dissed at the Cracker Barrel in Murrell's Inlet back in May. Not one to miss a photo op (legitimate or not), Rev. Al Sharpton was on hand to blow some hot air on the subject. Of course, if Al wasn't at an adjoining table, I'm not interested in his opinion.

Denny's used to be the place famous for ignoring minorities , but the new target seems to be Cracker(?) Barrel. There is one major flaw in this theory, and i'll get to it later. For those of you not familiar with the story, Chris Rock's mom went to the Barrel O' Crackers , and after getting a table, she was not served or given a menu for 30 minutes. The manager seemed to do his best to make it up to her , offering her the meal for free. Even though Mrs. Rock refused, a gift basket was sent to her later - indicating that she let them know who she was. Well, a mere 5 months later, Mrs. Rock made the long trek from Andrews to Murrell's Inlet to lay the smackdown on Cracker Barrel, with Rev. Al in tow.

If Al is trying to portray Cracker Barrel as a den of rednecks openly discriminating against African Americans, he's got a steep climb ahead. You see, Cracker Barrel discriminates against everyone, because EVERYONE waits at the Barrel!! Has anyone ever gotten into that place without waiting an hour an a half, wandering aimlessly through the Country Store, checking out twenty types of pecan logs. Getting your name called there to eat is like getting paroled or hitting the lottery. Those poor waitresses are serving a non-stop crowd of people who have waited an eternity to just sit, they're bound to miss someone. Mistakes happen. When I go to the doctor, and I get to the waiting room, I know I'm gonna be there a while. So what do I do? I take a nap. I think someone overreacted that day.

My one question is: Where is Chris during all this?? I can picture a 5 minute skit on this on HBO sometime soon. My real hope is that this goes away fast.

Tommy Moore's $500 Million Lie............

Oh wait, that's Bill Parcells... Must have mixed them up in my files. We are now in full swing for the TV ads. Some are good, some are iffy, and then there is The Big Tuna's big lie - $500 Million dollars worth.......

Last year, we exposed the hypocrisy of the supposed "Budget Cuts" to Medicare - where a 7.4% budget increase was described by Democrats as a cut. Now Tommy Moore is graspign at straws with his attack on Mark Sanford's record on education.

Education funding is alot like the half glass of water. Some focus on how much is there, and others focus on what isn't there - then blame others for it, when they themselves have more to do with it than the one they are blaming. Back in the 70's - when Tommy Moore first took his seat in the Senate, the Legislature decided to set a concrete level for the state to fund education at, one that is still used today. For about the first 25 years, the Legislature and Senate - of which Moore is a major cog of - ignored that level.

After realizing that poor education leads to an inability to recruit companies, thereby making unemployment higher, a poor quality of life and higher crime, South Carolina did something about it. Those who say that the State needed to reach that set mark established in the Days of Disco , Lava Lamps and neon Led Zeppelin posters. In three short years, we escaped the deficit trap that kept us from funding education "fully", and that was done with Mark Sanford as Governor. It might seem kinda hard to criticize a record like that, but Tommy Moore's twisted logic has found it..

Moore accuses Sanford of "cutting' the gap between the old benchmark and what was funded, even though funding increased every year, up to the point this year when the amount funded reached the mark for the FIRST TIME EVER ! Sorry Tuna, but when you spend more on something than the year before, it is not a cut.

Here's the funny part. When taking into consideration who has been in Columbia for how long, who is REALLY more responsible for the education cuts? Should we blame Sanford , who's been there three years, or Moore, who 's been there for 28 years!! Tommy, if it's gonna take you 28 years to solve any other problems in SC, I'll pass.

Hey, Who Had the Cameras Running??

It seems that someone from the Morning News was at the debate three weeks ago!
Cameras were running for all the candidates. Luckily, I didn't see it. Want to see me and all the other local candidates? Click onto www.scnow.com and click onto Election 2006, or on the Morning News icon at SC hotline.

Florence Area Candidates Gather at Ebenezer Park..

SC House Seat 63 candidate Kris Crawford had a cookout Saturday at Ebenezer Park in Florence. A crowd of about 200 came out to eat, chat and see The Plaids. Among the guests were US House District 5 candidate Ralph Norman, along with signs for Andre Bauer, Thomas Ravenel and those hard to find Sanford signs. Money was also raised for breast cancer research.

It was a good time, and we all got an opportunity to make new friends, talk issues, and get some signs in yards. Thanks to Kris, Becca and his army of Red Smurfs for the invite.

Fake News Alert: Kanye West Named UN Ambassador for North Korea....

Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has upped the ante in his conflict with President George Bush. Kim announced that he has pulled his Ambassador from the United Nations - and replaced him with Hip-Hop star Kanye West.

" Sure, his Korean isn't so great, but the guy is a star, and he gets under Bush's skin like nobody I know - he's my dog!" quoted Il. West was slightly less enthusiastic: "I'll tell you, I don't understand a word the guy said, and my knowledge of International Diplomacy is weak. what am I supposed to say? George Bush doesn't care about........ Koreans?? But hey, the check cleared, so I gotta represent."

Premier Il was undaunted nonetheless.... "C'mon! Think of all the cool raps he can make up with my name: I'm Kim jong Illin', If Bush Be Willin', He'll get his Fillin', of Kim Jong Killin'.... Pretty Phat, don't you think?" West had no comment on Il's rapping abilities, or of any musical collaboration wiith him.

This does further heighten tensions between the US and North Korea, but Kim seemed rather flippant about his recent nuclear testing. "It wasn't REALLY a nuclear device..... those ICBM's were really two sticks of dynamite tied to a Roman Candle." And the underground detonation?? "Let's just say lighting a cigarette in an underground bathroom is a bad idea."

Reino For County Council Signs are In !!

Yes, Reino for County Council Signs are now available for yards all across District 3. They are great way to show your support for lower taxes and true represenattion of your neighborhood. If you want one ( or a few more for your friends), e-mail me at reino2004@msn.com

Voice of the Voter: What Really Matters...

In today's Florence Morning News, they released the results of their Voice of the Voter survey. Here are the results:

Local Issues:

1. School Quality

2. Taxes

3. Jobs

4. Managing Growth/ Crime (tie)

6. Parks and Recreation/ Environment.

State Issues:

1. Protecting Children from Sexual Predators

2. Health Care

3. Unemployment

4. Tax Reform

5. Credit Rating/ School Choice (tie)

National Issues:

1. War in Iraq

2. Economy/ Homeland Security (tie)

4. Gas Prices

5. Social Security/ Immigration/ Gay Marriage (tie)

8. Jobs

Well, the people have spoken. Are some issues in the wrong categories? Are some not controllable by elected officials? Comments?

The Baseball Playoffs Are Here....Who Am I Rooting For?

Angry? Me?????

Give a moment or two to the angry young man,
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand.
He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood,
It's a comfort to know his intentions are good.
And he sits in a room with a lock on the door,
With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man

- "The Angry Young Man" by Billy Joel.

Okay, maybe it's time for a little explaining of things. SC6 is not an official website of my campaign. Originally, I did it anonymously, but I was accidentally outed last year. It is essentially a forum for me to express my views on topics - not just political. If I want to chat about football or music or a date I had, this is where it will be. In short, if some of you are looking at SC6 expecting me to talk only about issues pertaining to my county council race, you will be disappointed. I use this to entertain you, but mainly to entertain myself.

Now, onto other things... Somewhere along the line, I've been labeled as a negative, angry person. It's not the first time that I've heard this. Heck, even the lady I've been dating told me that to a certain extent. So, is this assertion correct? No and maybe. After all, how we are viewed is how we are, right? Perception may be reality in politics, but that doesn't make it fact.

I've never had an easy road in politics. This is my second race , and both are seats held by African-Americans. Let's face it , if this were an easy seat to win, someone else would be running for it. I take the hard jobs, because losing is not a big deal to me. The goal is to discuss issues, expose hypocrisies, and end up with a more honest government . If I were satisfied with the job a person was doing, I wouldn't be running - hence, the criticisms. A battery runs on both positive and negative, and there is a lot of negative to run off of in Florence.

Does this make me angry? Not at all... If all we want is someone to blow smoke and make empty promises, be my guest and vote for the other guy - we'll figure out how to pay for it later. I will not lie or promise to get elected, and I sure will not down my family to get sympathy. During the summer, I was attacked from all sides, and I took the high road and just waited for the truth to come out. Having the media report that with as much gusto as they did in attacking me would've been nice, but that is how it goes. So, maybe a little anger is justified....I am what I am - a real person without a front or pretense of any kind.

Maybe if I were a better public speaker, I'd be viewed in a better light. When I get on Council, my strengths will come out: Right now, there is a huge split in Council. Most decisions are made based on who isn't there, and doing an end around in Executive Session. A centrist member whose focus is on what is best for the citizens is sorely needed. Sorry, I have zero tolerance for doubletalk and misrepresntation, so if that makes me angry, then I'm guilty. It's just too bad that it doesn't anger everyone.

I'll work on a kinder, gentler Mike Reino, faults and all...

Santee Inland Port: Back to the Drawing Board , Gang!

Orangeburg County has been kicking this Inland port idea around for awhile, and a plan has finally been presented by CaroLinks, the developer in charge of this project. I've been waiting for this to come out before making a decision, in the hope that the people making this project were a lot smarter than I am.. that they had a magic bullet to actually come up with a sensible, ecenomically sound plan that would satisfy everyone. Well, they're not smarter than you or me I guess. This plan seems to inconvenience even more people, and make the cost of doing business at the port even more costly.

The plan for the original inland port was to still begin at the existing Port of Charleston, where a connector to I-26 or a railway would be built to transport cargo up to the area at I-95 and 301. This might be a good time to mention again that, like Jumbo Shrimp, Inland port is an oxymoron - with emphasis on moron. With every transfer of cargo, additional costs are incurred. So, cargo that ends up in Orangeburg has higher costs than those that come from the Port of Charleston. Costs aside, the port in this form would bring business to an area that depends way too much on the federal government for support. Too bad this isn't the plan...

I refer to the map above. See the blue stuff? That's Lake Marion. Yep, CaroLinks has decided that the best course is to unload at the Wando Terminal instead. From there, they will unload the cargo onto barges and ships the size of European tugboats (whatever those are), where they will unload(again) in Santee. Then they will transport the cargo over Hwy 6 to a distribution center near Hwy 15, where they will be transferred (again) to trucks , and sent to the Main Facility at the US 301/ I-95 Interchange. The rebuilding of the new exit will be $40 million. The Main Facility isn't exactly around the corner from the unloading area either. It will be a 25 mile transport down 301. Doesn't exactly sound like an efficient business plan, does it?

At the same time, it drives a nail right through the heart of Santee's main asset. Tourism. Does anyone want to fish next to a barge, or buy a house and watch the cargo ships go by? I doubt it. Santee has spent decades building it's reputation as a sportsmen's paradise, but if this plan goes through, forget about it. CaroLinks isn't concerned about the lake, and Orangeburg Economic Development wants everyone who is interested to come there. So who is there to stop this plan? Not anyone, really. I wouldn't put pressure on Governor Sanford to block a plan that may help an economically distressed area, but it can be altered.

It doesn't make much sense to buils a port 25 miles south of the lake, then make the path to it go north of the lake. If the connnector to I-26 that was originally planned can be done , it would seem to make the port a fiscally more sensible plan. But sense is not always an overriding factor in the decisions. For the sake of business owners in Santee, and the people who have hundreds of thousands of their money invested in homes on Lake Marion, let's hope so.

This Man Is Why the Democrats May Never Take Back the Senate......

Wake up, Harry! I wonder what he was thinking about when this pic was taken... Please leave you thoughts in comments. If you had any doubt that Harry Reid is the wrong man to lead the Democrats, this week proved it. While the GOP is led by a W., the Dems have their own W, and that stands for WIMP.

After months of wrangling between the Bush Administration and a few GOP Senators (namely John McCain and Lindsey Graham), they finally reached a mutual pact that will address the long overdue issue of detainee treatment of terrorists. What did Harry Reid do? He whined, and he complained, all for the sake of politics.

For years, there has been an outcry from the Democratic leadership to come up with a specific plan for treating the suspected terrorists being held in Guantanamo and elsewhere. While they may like for them to be treated according to the Geneva Convention, the fact is they are not an organized nation or Republic, so they do not deserve to be treated as such. Reid's big problem is that the Supreme Court will knock it down in a few years. I'll trade that possibility for proactively attacking terrorists in the meantime. Yes, the Republicans saw November coming, got down to business and compromised. That is politics, but at least it's politics aimed towards a positive direction - defeating terrorism. Politics that hurts our security at home and abroad is defeatist and un-American.

Perhaps we would take the Democrats more seriously if they were led by someone who has some gravitas - or huevos, whichever you prefer. Dingy Harry has no force behind any of his messages, delivered in that nasaly, high pitched tone. It's bad enough to preach a message of defeatism (I mean redeployment) and concession, but at least counter that message by having a tone of strength. The Democrats were better off with Tom Daschle, or maybe Nevada can hire the guy who played the Senator in The Godfather II. Those would be a step up.

If I have learned one thing, it's that the message isn't always as important as the messenger. It's no wonder the Dems aren't raising money when they are led by Harry Milquetoast.. So here's to another couple more years of Republican majority in the Senate.

Florence, SC : The Most Violent City in America?? C'mon !

Well, we had our annual Crime Statistics survey come out again, and somehow the Greater Florence-Darlington area was rated as the highest crime area in America, followed by Sumter at Number 9. The obvious question needs to be asked: How does this happen every year? There are reasons we may want to avoid, and reasons that aren't quite fair..

The numbers are based on a wide array of crimes, from Murder all the way to Robbery. It is no surprise that Florence would max out in this survey. Petty theft is a big problem in town( see the previous post on the car break-ins). It's pretty simple: we report a lot of crimes here, and the more reported, the worse we look... we arrest people for passing bad checks , for Pete's sake! Per capita stats are more magnified in smaller towns. I might have a reputation for being negative a lot, but there is NO WAY Florence is worse than Detroit or Philadelphia or any major city.

That being said, Florence has a long way to go to get off the list. There are too many areas where crime is high, and some of them are in my district. Maple Park had a rash of nearly 50 car break-ins, done by 2 guys. Together with the City police, they caught the guys and the break-ins stopped. Vigilance and cooperation goes a long way towards solving crime, and a lot of other problems communities face. So, like most statistics, it's not as bad as it sounds, but it's worse than we wish it were.

Okay, I'm Not Dead or Being Held Against My Will.......

Sorry for the long gap in between posts. there's been a number of reasons that I've been on hiatus.. First, I've been campaigning - like a good candidate should! Secondly, my computer ate something really bad, and I couldn't get online or download anything. Thanks to Bobby for curing my Dell's Ills..

So where have I been? Buried in a spider hole just north of Lake Marion!! Just kidding. For a great dramatization of where I was, go to Earl Capps blog - very funny! Labor Day marked the start of the final push for November, so I've been bouncing around the area , getting the message out. Want proof? Here's a pic of me and Karen Floyd at David Beasley's house..









She called me Sweetie... Karen probably just forgot my name. Michael Reese, eat your heart out!

Last Night was huge.. The Florence League of Women Voters had the bi-annual Candidates Forum. It essentially is the only debate the candidates have to make their points and to show what they really know. I think I did a pretty good job, but there's always room for improvement. Funny part is, the Morning News and Channel 13 skipped it. Guess a dozen local candidates in the same room talking about issues isn't newsworthy - unless it's their idea.

Well, now that my equipment is back and working, SC6 should be back in action! Thanks for wondering where I was, and I'll see you soon.

Rest in Peace, Randy and Erika Nash.....

All of my co-workers and I were dealt a shock when we learned that we lost one of our own suddenly. On Labor Day, Randy Nash and his wife Erika died when their private plane crashed outside of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Randy was 34, Erika was 28.

Details are not all in yet, but they encountered some severe fog after takeoff , and upon trying to turn around, their Cessna 150 broke apart and ended in an area so densely wooded that resuers had to go by ATV. They spent the weekend in Virginia visiting family, and to attend Erika's 10 Year High School Reunion.

I didn't know Randy all that long. I've been at Newsome Automotive for 4 months, and Randy came two months before me, but he was a real good technician (not a mechanic), and he was pretty darned funny - I just can't tell you some of his jokes here. Most importantly, he was a real easygoing guy who seemed to be enjoying life - more than most of us do. Flying, jetskiing and riding his motorcycle were just a few of his hobbies. If you would have asked him what would he want to be doing when he died, one of those three would be it..... But my guess is he would ask for a little more time .

I hate to say this, but I've been here before. When I was 25, my buddy Andre was killed in an amateur speedbike race at Pocono Speedway. I didn't see him for almost a year til that Friday. We chatted , and decided to have lunch Monday and catch up - he died the next day. Some of us go our whole early adulthood without events like these, but usually we find an empty chair, or toolbox once or twice.

So what am I trying to say.... Don't fly or ride motorcycles?? I don't know, but I doubt it. What's more important is that we take the time to tell those around us that we appreciate them, because you never know. We might argue, might fight, but we're all a family - in one way or another. Tell someone thanks tomorrow.. As for me, thanks Randy - we miss you already. Let me know if they let jetskis in Heaven....

SC6 Trivia Quiz: Hillary Clinton, Hilary Duff, or Duff McKagan ????

Since we're heading towards a Holiday weekend, let's have some fun. Here's a quiz that combines three of my favorite things: Politics, Women , and Rock n Roll..... Michael Reese, why haven't you thought of this??

Try to guess who did what - Sen. Hillary Clinton , Actress Hilary Duff, or Guns n Roses and Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan...... Enjoy!

Who is a Rocker, who wants to Rock, and who is as hard as rocks? McKagan, Duff and Clinton, in that order...

Who penned a best-selling book, who penned a best selling song, and who penned an album of inane drivel? Clinton (nee Rodham), McKagan, and Duff.

Who had Vince Foster killed? Hilary Duff...

Who played Lizzie McGuire on the Disney Channel? Duff McKagan.

Who had a decade long addiction to heroin? Hillary Clinton.

Who sounds best cranked up to 11? McKagan.

Who sounds best with the mute button on? Hilary Duff.

Who sounds best turned of completely? Hillary Clinton.

Quote: "I'm not gonna stay at home and bake cookies"? Duff McKagan.

Quote: " Axl Rose is an idiot... I would never get back together with him again." Hilary Duff.

Quote: "These Guitars kick ass.... Don't like it? F- off!". Hillary Clinton.

Wait. I think I got some of these mixed up..... Anyway, have a nice Labor Day weekend. Drive safe, and I'll see you Monday!

Caution on the Side of Erring: Florence County Schools Get "Rained Out"........

A quick lesson to the Florence County School Administration. The above map is called a RADAR Weather Map. The green and yellow indicate rain, and the point just east of Columbia where the two roads meet is where Florence is... If there is no green or yellow, it isn't raining. Sometimes it rains, but it doesn't necessarily mean school needs to be cancelled - like today.

Yes, classes were axed at 100PM for Elementary School, and 215PM for Jr. and Senior High today - for nothing. The rain was minimal, and winds have topped out at 20MPH. While it might seem like a stupid decision that didn't affect anybody, I'll straighten that thought out. I work with two other people in my department. When the news came, one of my co-workers had to drop everything and pick up her daughter, right in the middle of our lunch shifts. Since you can't drop kids at daycare early, she had to take the rest of the day off. That left the two of us to cover for her work - it's not her fault, but she never should have left, because as the day went on, it became obvious that Ernesto was pushing East. Then again, I can read a map...........

My guess is that someone at Admin. saw the Thursday afternoon storm, and figured that the extended weekend could be stretched another day. What they don't realize is that when they make dumb calls like this one, thousands of residents - not just the ones with kids- are thrown into chaos over nothing. Thanks Guys!

This just in.............. Classes will be cancelled for all of April..

Katrina , 9/11, and the Hubris of Man..........

As we hit the 1st Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I've been reading a lot of posts and the media accounts. I'll stay clear of laying blame - that's already been done by all the pundits, or at least those with an agenda. However, I have had one overwhelming thought that hits me everytime I listen to everyone's comments: We have no respect for things we can't control...

First, I watched Big Easy Mayor Ray Nagin on 60 Minutes. His "It's taken NY 5 years to fill up a hole in the ground" needs to be looked at two ways. Yes , it's only about 16 acres that were affected, but they did have to sift through 4 or five major concrete and steel buildings, not to mention identifying 3500 bodies crushed to about the size of a quarter each. It takes time. However, he does have a point.... September 11th really was restricted to a small , targeted area, whereas Katrina cut a 90 mile wide swath across the Gulf. This gets me to my main point. America has a real pair of brass ones if we think we can control Nature.

I watched a Weather Channel special on New Orleans and what a Category 3 hurricane could do TWO YEARS before Katrina hit, and it went exactly as they said. Too bad local officials and FEMA don't watch basic cable.. We can build walls and skyscrapers and huge ships, but every once in a while, Nature comes along and kicks our butts to show that we really are NOT in control. So, as a refresher, here is the pecking order for Planet Earth:

Number One: Your Deity of Choice.. Personally, mine is Our Lord God.

Second Place: Mother Nature. And as we know from TV....It's not nice to fool ( or mess with) Mother Nature.....

Last Place: Man.

Sure , we can try to develop chemicals that can stop hurricanes, but against No.'s One and Two, we are basically powerless. Want proof? You need look no further than earlier this Hurricane Season.. Remember Alberto? It was chugging along at Cat.1 speed towards Florida, when a wind shear suddenly and literally stopped Alberto in it's tracks.

I go back to a quote from PBS's "The Civil War". A century and a half ago, man was worried that they woul have to power to destroy the Earth with it's might. We may destroty Man one day, but we never give earth the respect it deserves..The Earth has an amazing ability to destroy or repair itself - we're just residents. Maybe we'll figure it out .........

Florence Council Gives Themselves a Pay Raise - And They Didn't Even Know It!!

Earlie this week, I attended a meeting for Florence County Citizens in Action, a local tax watchdog group, and Florence Co.'s worst nightmare. The guest of honor was outgoing Council woman Jennie O'Bryan. Like most honest politicians, Jenny decided one term was enough. Dealing with some members of Council eventually took it's toll, and she is takign time of - but she did leave the door open for a return...

During the Q&A, and interesting question came up. "How did Council end up voting itself a substantial pay raise this year?" It seems that the pay raise was jammed somewhere in the nether regions of this year's budget. How much? Well somewhere around 25-35% over the next two years, or 12,500 to 13,500 per year. Pretty good for a part time gig.

The ironic part is that everyone on Council had no idea the pay raise was taking place. O'Bryan, Morris Anderson and Terry Alexander have all said they knew nothing of it. So who did it? We have a pretty good guess, but who knows.... Now , as bad as the pay raise was in itself , what is worse is what the press did - nothing.....

After the word was out about the pay raises, the Morning News and TV 13 killed the story. It was never aired or printed. As someone who has been smeared by these same media outlets, I find it pretty odd that the wouldn't let taxpayers know that their money is being wasted with sneaky, under the table tactics. So, the question needs to be asked.... WHO ARE THEY PROTECTING ???

It's good that we have groups like CIA to watch out for our citizens, but it's sad that they had to pay for an ad (in a competing paper) to let voters know about the waste. If you ask me, honesty in government and the press is seriously lacking in Florence, and the wrong person is leaving Council....

Pluto Gets Dissed..... It's Not a Planet Anymore, but it Does Have a Milton..

Poor Pluto... After 75 years of being recognized as a planet, a group of eggheads in Prague decided that it wasn't. Apparently, since Pluto's axis around the Sun is oblong, and it intersects with Neptune's path, it is now viewed as a a sub-planet, or something like that.. Whatever. All I know is that it seems that half of what I was taught in school isn't true anymore...

As a consolation, we are awarding Pluto a Milton Waddams Award, in recognition of 75 years of faithful service. Accepting on Pluto's behalf.......

Fake News: Rainey-Ravenel Debate Highlights and Lowlights...

Okay, maybe this isn't John Rainey, but I couldn't find a single picture on my trusted Google search..... Maybe John Rainey doesn't really exist. Well, I didn't TIVO the pissing contest, I mean DEBATE, between the two. Frankly, I couldn't care less what they talked about , but this is how I think it went.......Part 1 to Part 12.

Part1- Introductions. A la WWF Wresting, Each of them are called into the room by Michael Buffer, and their honorary cornermen are introduced.

Part2 - T Rav Rolls?? For starters, Rainey asks Ravenel exactly what " rolling " is....

Part3 - Rainey Gets Street Cred. Ravenel explains that he would appear a lot cooler if he referred to himself as " J. Rain"... Rainey's face turns purple.

Part4 - Who's Rep. is Better? Both make their case as to which is better - Wearing the Ring, or being "The Kingmaker".

Part5 - What the Dille , Yo? Ravenel and Rainey spend 2 hours discussing the true origin of the word dilettante. Apparently, it is Aramaic...

Part6 - Stuff that REALLY Matters. Who makes better ettoufee - The Adams Mark in Columbia, or The Mills House Hotel in Charleston?

Part7 - Oh Yeah, The Budget... Rainey and Ravenel agree that the impending debt is somewhere between Zero and a Bazillion...

Part8 - More Stuff that REALLY Matters.. Boxers or Briefs?

Part9 - The Conversation Gets Ugly.. Ravenel gets offended when Rainey asks, "If you like women so much, why did you go to the Citadel?" Ravenel turns purple.

Part10 - Down the Gutter it Goes. The two week run of childish behavior culminates with both men comparing their "junk". ETV cameras are immediately shut off.

Part11 - Boys Will Be Boys. With the cameras still off, "Swordfighting" ensues... Records of who won are sealed and locked in a vault in Fort Knox.

Part12 - What Did We Come Here for Again? Rainey and Ravenel discuss who would have an easier time paying off the impending debt. Both decide that they could eat at Taco Bell once or twice to make up the difference.

Sure, this is stupid, but honestly, this whole affair has been ridiculous. Rainey should have kept his opinion to himself, and Ravenel allowed himself to be lowered to arguing publicly with someone in his own party. It reminded of the time Jim Clyburn sent out a Press Release on Social Security that mentioned me 4 times ( and President Bush only 3 times). The Big Dog's job is to ignore the criticism that comes from those under you. Like I said, I have no idea what went on today, but I hope they patched this mess up. If not, I have one bit of advice.........LET IT DIE, GUYS.........

Fresh off a $4 Million Tax Hike, Florence Co. SD1 Reveals They Have a $6M Surplus.... When Do We Get the Money Back??

Taxpayers in Florence County were dealt another slap in the face when the board of Trustees for Florence School District 1 were informed that they had a surplus in excess of $6 million this year. This news comes on the heels of Florence County Council raising fees and millages to it's citizens by over $4 Million to make up for it's budget shortfall.... This raises the obvious question: Why can't the County gets it's money back, or take it from the upcoming budget?

Now, you might be wondering if this is a first time occurance. The answer is no. In fact, SD1 has over $36M sitting in escrow, which is about twice the amount recommended by the County Treasurer. The District has already allocated spending $3.4 of the overage - no surprise there. So what about the remaining moolah? Here's a novel idea: Give it back to the taxpayers.

Before you think that I'm just picking on the School Board because they have the cash, here's a little math to justify the request. The School District gets about 75% of the Annual Budget for Florence County. Since the County is $4M short, then 75% of that would be $3M. Let them have the $400,000 extra as a bonus for not spending, and call it even. Of course, that will NEVER happen, because we have a fundamental gap between the County and the Board of Trustees here.

While most of the county works to squeeze every penny, the School Board seems to be an advocate position to milk cash for the District . As the tax increase was being discussed, the School Board was busy authorizing over $800,000 in pay increases, including bonuses for new hires. This then left County Council the enviable job of choosing between tax increases and layoffs. It wasn't a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing - it was the left hand knew, but it didn't give a damn.....

Why should voters care? Two reasons. First it's YOU'RE MONEY, not theirs. Secondly, it can get worse. My opponent was on the School Board, and is still employed by School District One. If you can't see the hypocrisy of approving budgets of the department that you directly work for, you might be blind. Then again, we let Builders and Real Estate Agents on the Zoning Board. County Council needs to be made of citizens with no ties to the money, not a council full of conflicts of interest.

Now, don't read this and think that your school district isn't pulling a similar stunt. Wor dis that 20 School Districts across the state have jacked up millages also. Why? The Tax Reform is scary the heck out of them. Yes, we all fear change, and the shift from Property Taxes to Sales Tax funding has left a giant unknown for schools. Sure, it may not be real, but it's the perception that they might fall short that has bureaucrats scared. Florence may be the first case of a glut of cash, but my guess is that it's silently going on statewide..... A nice rainy day fund.

Media Gets the Wrong Eddie Johnson.... He's Lost his Reputation, But He'll Have a Milton..

" A Good Name is like a fine perfume."

Ecclesiastes, 4:1

This week, we focus on the Media's role in getting facts straight, and the effects it has when they don't do their job for the sake of selling papers or making headlines.. Our winner this week is former NBA All-Star and , from all reports, good guy Eddie Johnson.

Johnson played 17 seasons in the NBA, mostly for the Phoenix Suns. Johnson still lives in Phoenix, where he hosts a radio show, and does a lot of community work. From all accounts, Johnson is a fine example of a guy who gives back to his community. Well, all that good was almost wiped out by an onslaught of incorrect media reports that charged him with a heinous crime.

It turns out that there is ANOTHER Eddie Johnson, who was a former NBA All-Star ( he played for the Atlanta Hawks ), who is about the same age. This Eddie Johnson was arrested this week in Florida for an alleged sexual assault on an eight year old girl. When the story broke, all the media outlets apparently did a Google search, and the Phoenix Eddie Johnson popped up. Nevermind the fact that he lived 2500 miles away from the crime, and that he is 6 inches taller than the Eddie Johnson arrested , various outlets printed the wrong Eddie Johnson's photo and bio nationwide. Don't believe me? Pull it up now... there is likely to be a disclaimer from the previous error.

Sure, the error has been corrected, but the damage has been done. Remember Richard Jewell? It's been ten years since the Atlanta Olympics bombing, and that man's reputation is still tarnished. Take my word for it, being a public figure has a price. The media is quick to jump on you , but slow to admit that they screwed up when things show otherwise.

The Red Swingline stapler is on it's way to Phoenix, and maybe an apology to Eddie is in order too. Have a nice weekend, and get back to those TPS reports!

SC Democrats Make Their Own Gift Bag: A BMW with Michelin Tires, and a Widget !

In response to Gov. Mark Sanford giving a gift bag to his fellow Governors that included items not made in South Carolina, only sold here, SC Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin unveiled a new plan. After Tommy Moore wins the seat from Sanford, Erwin promises that future SGA events will include items only made in the Palmetto State. However, his plan has hit a few snags involving cost....

"We want to have a fair mix of items made in South Carolina, but items that people would still want", quoted Erwin. "I'm not trying to politicize this,...... but I just don't know any other way." In keeping with the Made in SC Theme, Erwin plans to give each of them a new BMW z4 Roadster Convertible (Made in Greer) , equipped with Michelin Tires ( also Greer). "We thought about using Honda ATV's (built in Timmonsville), but we weren't sure where they got the tires from."

When informed that the State Party only has enough cash on hand for about 2 or 3 of them, Erwin was undaunted.. "Looks like we'll need the taxpayers to do a little 'Investing in Government'. The Shrimp and Grits Bag is getting a little played out - we ain't going that route."

As an added incentive for the party faithful, the SCDP will distribute a set of Widget Razor Kits to it's members. The reason? Bumper sticker removal.... "We've been getting a few complaints about our members continually having to replace the stickers every two years for the latest slate of "Supercandidates". This will show we care, and it will make the job easier. I suppose we could recruit better candidates, but this is simpler."

Campaign 2008, The Battle of the New Yorkers: Pataki vs. Giuliani .....

Many of the prospective Presidential candidates for 2008 have been visiting our great state lately. This month, two of them have made time, leaving the Empire State to enjoy our beautifully hot and opressive summer. New York Gov. George Pataki and Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are touring the Palmetto State, raising money and making contacts for 2008. Many voters here don't know much about either of them, so I'll drop my two cents in to try and help you out....

Back in 1994, Mario Cuomo was running for his fourth term as Governor, and everyone had just about had enough. The state Legislature was trying to enact the death penalty for about the 12th straight year, and Cuomo singlehandedly vetoed it every time. Taxes were taking a front stage on everyone's minds, and tuition costs just doubled overnight. Almost everyone wanted Cuomo gone, but who would run against him?

George Pataki had no name recognition, and he wasn't a big city politician, but aided by the ABC (Anybody but Cuomo) vote, and a well publicized endorsement from Shock-Jock, Howard Stern , Pataki stunned everyone and beat Cuomo. Gov. Sanford, please take note of that.... Pataki is like Sanford in a few ways: He is not a fantastic speaker, he is relatively quiet and unassuming. You genuinely feel that Pataki is a decent guy , trying to do a good job. However, Pataki differs from Sanford in that he is more of a compromiser, he's more liberal socially, and he will spend more in a month than Sanford will in a year...... He seems to be kicking around the idea of a 2008 bid right now, and that isn't a good idea. If Pataki is really running in '08, he needs to start raising cash now, and help out some people in '06.

Rudy Giuliani....... When I was young, I didn't like Rudy. Back in the 80's, when he was fighting the Mafia with the Attorney General's Office, I thought he was arrogant and overly ambitious. In short, I thought he was bit of an A-hole.... But 20 years changes people a lot.

I liked Ed Koch when he was Mayor - he was liberal, but he didn't take any crap. Well, Koch was gone , and David Dinkins was at the helm, playing Tennis and providing leadership that lacked, well...Leadership. Think of Ray Nagin, just older. Rudy Giuliani was just what the doctor ordered. He cleaned up Times Square, and made New York a great place to visit again. Crime wasn't tolerated (Maybe with some mistakes and criticism), but he made New York stand tall once again. Then came 9/11....

Did anyone, President Bush included, instill confidence more than Giuliani on 9/11? I don't think so. He went straight to Ground Zero, rolled up his sleeves and kept us all informed, without sugarcoating it.. Yes, he is a social liberal, and I wish he had more experience in International Affairs , but most Governors have no experience in it either. What Rudy has been doing is building a team, and raising cash for himself and his supporters. He is definitely in it in 2008 more than Pataki is at this point.

I like both Pataki and Giuliani, but Rudy just has more guts.. The President doesn't necessarily have to be a nice guy - he needs to make the tough decisions. he needs to inject change. New York City is a completely different place , while New York State still has alot of the same problems as 10 years ago. My mind isn't made up, but Giuliani is near the top of my list.

Breaking News: Rainey Mistakenly Meant to Call T-Rav a "Debutante"

A hastily prepared news conference was put together today by GOP Bigwig, political kingmaker and Uber-Everything John Rainey. In it, Rainey claims that he was misquoted in a recent article by Dan Hoover - one in which Hoover said Rainey called GOP Treasurer Candidate Thomas Ravenel a " dellitante"...

Rainey said that he meant to say that Ravenel was a "debutante". "I mean, he is such a Ladies Man, that anyone should know why he's running - for the Chicks. Going to cotillions are just an extension of the inevitable." There is no evidence that Ravenel has been to a cotillion since his days at The Citadel. However, Ravenel is rumoured to still be single, and he hasn't officially be debuted by his parents.

When informed of the meaning of dellitante ( a person who pursues a position with no intention of completing it), Rainey backtracked a bit. "Well, I guess that would be appropriate too. There is a certain amount of commitment to a person running for office. I can only support Thomas if he is willing to hold the office for 36 of the next 40 years... I'm not saying that I'm supporting Grady Patterson, but........".

Treasurer Patterson was unavailable for comment, due to it being "Naptime". However, Lapdog Trav Robertson wasted taxpayers dollars by discussing politics during work hours.. Said Robertson, " He's Successful, Rich, Handsome, Hip, and women like him.........Yes, I'M JEALOUS!!!!"

Thanks to John Rainey - my new Muse! SC6 is back!

SC6 Salutes Florence' s Own, Harry Carson !

This was a big week for the Pee Dee, as Florence native Harry Carson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While everyone talks about his stats, let me talk about what I know about Harry Carson...

In 1976, I became a Giants fan. I was 8, and I watched a game between the Giants and the 49ers. The Giants won, and and I was hooked. Little did I know that game was only the 3rd win for the G-Men that year. It was Carson's rookie year, and I can tell you one thing - the Giants were quite the crappy team for a long time. Carson was a bright spot for a truly bad franchise.

Well there are two things I remember most about Harry Carson: First he, was INTIMIDATING with a Capital I... The pictures I see of him now make me laugh a bit, because in his peak, with the 70's Fu Manchu, he scared the life out of opposing runners...

Secondly, the man was a quality guy. in his 13 seasons, I don't remember a scandal or even bad word regarding him... That was Lawrence Taylor's job! New York is a hard place to be a sports star. The fans expect alot, and they'll call you out wherever you are - ask A Rod. Harry stood tall and that's why he is so revered by Giants fans.

So, congratulations to Harry Carson - no Milton award for you!

Hotwire and Delta Screw My Friend for $400..... But At Least She Has a Milton Now..

In keeping with the tradition of the Milton Waddams Award, we recognize someone who was screwed by a Big Company, just because they could. This one might make you wonder if some companies actually give a damn about customers at all...

By buddy's girlfriend , Jean, had to fly to Nashville for a convention, so she called Hotwire.com to book a flight. She booked a round trip flight from Wilmington ( about 2 hrs from Florence). However, she found out after that she needed to leave a day earlier, so she called back to try and change flights. Well, Hotwire told her to kiss off, and she ended up having to buy an additional one-way to Nashville. Not a big surprise, but it doesn't end there.

Since she wasn't getting on the first flight, Delta would not let her pick up the tickets for the return flight. Delta's excuse was that Hotwire technically owns the tickets, so she was SOL. In short, the airline that actually flies you there has no control of letting you on the plane! So, after all was said and done, she ended up buying TWO round trip tickets for the one trip.

Sure, maybe in hindsight, she should have just shown up a day late in Nashville, but I haven't seen a case of a company rooking someone this badly in a while. Hotwire should be ashamed..

VH-1 Guilty Pleasure: MTV's First Day.........

Flipping through the channels tonight, I ran into some thing that is a must see for Children of the 80's like myself. VH-1 Classic is airing videos from the very first day of MTV. Yes, it's been 25 years since MTV first aired on August 1, 1981. Like I told Michael Reese recently, I am now officially a member of the Old Farts Club!

It's a pretty interesting watch to see crappy videos from dogshit bands like Bootcamp and Ph.D. (?), and to see a pre-Armani Robert Palmer dancing across a xylophone in "Looking for Clues". For those only interested in politics, try a Google search for Mike Campbell.... You don't get the Lt. Gov. candidate - you get 10 pages of the guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

No, 1981 wasn't a banner year for rock, but it was a nice trip back , remembering what I was doing the summer before 8th Grade... Time to go, I gotta figure out my Rubik's Cube - one of these days!!