Transparency Press Conference Held in Myrtle Beach
South Carolina Policy Council President Ashley Landess held a press conference in Myrtle Beach on Oct. 1 with Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, and Surfside Beach Mayor Alan Deaton, to commend the two cities on their transparency efforts.
Landess said the cities all over the state that are putting spending online are proof that transparency is not only possible but not so hard.Eckstrom said that government transparency is an opportunity to address citizens'' lack of trust in the government.He also pointed out the ease of putting local government spending online, mentioning that the excuses that officials used in the past for not going online with spending are no longer valid.
See the video below for more on the transparency press conference
What is Government's Proper Role?
Policy Council President Ashley Landess spoke at the Myrtle Beach Conservatives for a Responsible Government on Sept. 24.
Fifty people attended the event, where Landess discussed a number of state issues, including:
Here is a clip of some of the points brought up in the discussion.
Nothing in the foregoing should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder passage of any legislation. Copyright 2009. South Carolina Policy Council Education Foundation, 1323 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.
"Famously Hot" Billboards Burn Taxpayers for $500,000
Bryan Cox August 13, 2009
Richland County taxpayers purchased 29 new billboards along the state’s Interstate highways last month to promote Columbia-area businesses as part of the area’s “Famously Hot” advertising campaign. The ads went up at a cost of $500,000 and will remain in place for a year, according to the S.C. Hospitality Association.
The campaign is funded entirely through a two-percent state surtax on hotel rooms as well as a Richland County surtax on hotels and prepared meals.
The campaign’s proponents apparently miss the irony that taxing hotels and meals drives up the price and actually makes it more difficult for these businesses to compete.
Why America Should Avoid Europe's Mistakes and Reject Government Healthcare
Bryan Cox August 10, 2009
European Parliament Member Daniel Hannan became an overnight internet sensation earlier this year when a YouTube recording of his speech criticizing Europe's massive government spending and record debt levels were the most viewed video for two days running and have received more than 2.4 million hits to date.
That speech made clear that higher public spending, tax increases, and record borrowing in the current economic crisis have placed Europe on an unsustainable path that big-government supporters refuse to acknowledge. Hannan's comments sparked international debate and offered a stark warning to the United States if lawmakers continue their path toward bigger government and more spending.
Last week, Hannan spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Washington and warned how government-run healthcare would be a disaster for the United States. Thanks to the Heritage Foundation for allowing us to share his comments with you here.
Cash for Clunkers a Clunker for South Carolina
Geoff Pallay August 7, 2009
Congress has recently approved extending Cash for Clunkers by appropriating another $2 billion to the program. While it has been deemed popular in the mainstream media because the original $1 billion was used up quickly, the program is in fact a detriment to South Carolinians.
Multiple car dealerships in South Carolina have reported that used car prices are already extremely high because of a diminshed supply of both new and used cars.
In fact, some used car prices are close to that of new cars. Which therefore begs the question: why are we destroying perfectly drivable cars when the used car prices are so high? In simple economics, when price is high, it is unwise to decrease supply – that will only drive up cost to the consumer.
North Myrtle Beach Fee Policy May Violate State Law
Bryan Cox August 6, 2009
North Myrtle Beach officials began charging citizens for copies of public records last month without first determining whether the fees are permissible under state law, according to documents obtained by the Policy Council via the state Freedom of Information Act this week.
Public Information Officer Nicole Aiello stated the city does not possess the requested document in response to the Policy Council’s request for paperwork explaining how the city calculated its fees. State law prohibits public bodies from charging more than the actual cost of producing records, which since the city concedes it never determined raises the question whether the city’s fees exceed the amount allowed by law.
Without any documentation to justify actual costs, fees imposed by the city appear arbitrary and would violate state law if they are in fact excessive, said Columbia attorney Jay Bender. ', '
To have charges pulled out of the air reinforces the notion that citizens are discouraged from seeking information, said Bender.
As of July 6, North Myrtle Beach began charging 25 cents per page for copies, 35 cents per page for color copies and a dollar per page for oversized documents that exceed 10 pages. Citizens are also subject to a $25 charge per hour for any request that takes more than 15 minutes to fulfill. The city manager has authority to waive these fees at his discretion.
City Manager John Smithson previously said the intent of the policy is to discourage broad requests by citizens who seek information just to have it without having a specific question. The city plans to apply fees selectively when a request would take a large amount of time, according to Smithson.
Taxpayers already pay the $50,000 annual salary of a city employee devoted to making public records available, yet Smithson justified charging citizens again due to what he described as a significant increase in information requests related to an April wildfire. That fire burned more than 100 homes during a week-long blaze and has sparked intense scrutiny of decisions made by city officials.
The city produced copies of 15 Freedom of Information Act requests it claims are related to the wildfire. The documents mostly request what appear to be nearly identical information including telephone logs as well as copies of videos, photographs and audio recordings of city communications that once copied could seemingly be duplicated multiple times with minimal effort.
Smithson said North Myrtle Beach has no plans to put its public records online, as nearly a dozen South Carolina municipalities have voluntarily done during the past year. Making information freely available online serves the public while also reducing work for government employees, according to Anderson County Council Chairman Eddie Moore.
Anderson County became the state’s first county to post its financial records online in March. Moore said once citizens can obtain documents online they no longer need to call government officials with requests. This generates significant time savings for staff while greatly improving transparency. It’s also virtually cost free.
We just exported the reports we are already keeping and posted it to the county website. Putting it online didn’t cost a dime, said Moore.
Nothing in the foregoing should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder passage of any legislation. Copyright 2009. South Carolina Policy Council Education Foundation, 1323 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. Visit the Policy Council Facebook page at www.facebook.com/scpolicycouncil or Twitter at www.twitter.com/scpolicycouncil.
North Myrtle Beach to Charge Taxpayers for Public Records
Bryan Cox July 14, 2009
The North Myrtle Beach City Council adopted a new policy July 6 imposing fees on citizen requests for public records. The change comes despite the city already employing a full-time public information director whose job includes answering these inquiries. Taxpayers must now effectively pay twice to obtain copies of city records they have an absolute right to review.
According to the city's new policy, citizens must pay 25 cents per page for copies, 35 cents per page for color copies and a dollar per page for oversized documents that exceed 10 pages. Citizens are also subject to a $25 charge per hour for any request that takes more than 15 minutes to fulfill. The city manager has authority to waive these fees at his discretion.
News & Events 
Richland County taxpayers purchased 29 new billboards along the state’s Interstate highways last month to promote Columbia-area businesses as part of the area’s “Famously Hot” advertising campaign. The ads went up at a cost of $500,000 and will remain in place for a year, according to the S.C. Hospitality Association.
Congress has recently approved extending Cash for Clunkers by appropriating another $2 billion to the program. While it has been deemed popular in the mainstream media because the original $1 billion was used up quickly, the program is in fact a detriment to South Carolinians.
North Myrtle Beach officials began charging citizens for copies of public records last month without first determining whether the fees are permissible under state law, according to documents obtained by the Policy Council via the state Freedom of Information Act this week.
Taxpayers must now effectively pay twice to obtain copies of city records they have an absolute right to review.
