The “Faker” Chamber Is Served
In Masters of the Universe lore, “Faker” was the evil phantom imposter of King Grayskull – a blue-skinned robotic duplicate of He-Man hellbent on stealing the power of Grayskull for his evil master, Skeletor.
Here in South Carolina politics, “Faker” goes by the name of Frank Knapp, a far left PR practitioner who masquerades as a “small business” advocate – a man who is equally hellbent on stealing the power of entrepreneurship and small business job creation for his evil master, TV personal injury lawyers and their big government backers.
Knapp’s “Faker” organization, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, can be found literally everywhere that small business interests are being debated in this state – opposing them.
In recent months, for example, Knapp has suggested the creation of a new state agency to regulate small businesses, he’s marched with environmental whackos bent on shutting down power in our state, and weighed in on behalf of South Carolina’s TV personal injury lawyers against tort reform – which has a direct impact on small business’ insurance rates.
That last point is hardly surprising, considering Knapp is bought and paid for by the trial lawyers – and considering how he artificially inflates his “Chamber’s” size by co-opting the entire membership directory of the S.C. Trial Lawyers Association … err, we’re sorry, the “S.C. Association for Justice.”
Fortunately, three legitimate business voices are speaking up against Knapp’s ruse – signing a joint letter to several State Senators urging them to see his tactics for what they really are.
Signed by representatives of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and Upstate Chambers of Commerce, the letter reminds these Senators that 90% of their members (i.e. real small businesses) support the provisions of the new tort reform bill.
It’s not the first time Knapp has been called out like this.
Last summer, NFIB blasted his proposal for a new small business regulatory agency, saying that “small business owners don’t want government handouts or another government agency to ‘lead’ them. They simply ask that government not stand in the way.”
True that.
Hopefully at some point, legislators will either stop inviting Knapp to testify before their committees, or at the very least require that he truthfully identify himself – as a schill for the TV lawyers.
Comments
By Pro Small Biz on March 4th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Thank goodness for NFIB, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and Greenville and Spartanburg Chambers for standing up to the trial lawyers’ front group known as the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
The so-called SC Small Business Chamber has been getting away with this type of non-sense for years.
Way to go guys, good for the SC small business community for striking back.
By Do what? on March 4th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
“at the very least require that he truthfully identify himself – as a schill for the TV lawyers.”
It is humorous to hear your righteous indignation and call for Knapp’s self-identification. Are you finally willing to come clean and truthfully identify yourself as a shill for __________?!? Come on, Will? You cry out for truth…we demand the truth from you! Who do you schill for???
By fitsnews on March 4th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
“Do What,”
According to some anonymous posters on this website we work for EVERYBODY, including Warren Tompkins and the TV lawyers.
-FITS
By Red Bank Bar on March 5th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Once again, folks is intellectually bankrupt. Just more Repugnant Party talking points and no substance. Why don’t you give us ONE, just ONE, source for your “lower rates” canard. Easier still, put the insurance execs under oath like they did in Florida. Ask them if their rates will go down when this bill passes. The ansswer will be NO.
And why don’t you tell us about those medical malpractice rates y’all promised would go down when y’all gave doctors a pass a couple of years ago. How much did those rates go down? Oh, not a penny? They went up? Heavens, folks, et al., lied to the doctors, the public, and the legislature? What a surprise!
Mr. Knapp correctly points out that small bidness is most likely to be sued by big bidness. The NFIB is a joke just like folks.
By Get Your Facts Straight on March 5th, 2009 at 10:49 am
RBB –
According to testimony in the Senate today, the Patients’ Compensation Fund is considering a med mal rate reduction between 10-14% because of the reduction in frequency of claims since the passage of med mal caps in 2005.
By RedBank Bar on March 5th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Liar, liar, pants on fire, Get Your Facts Stright:
Tim Ward, an insurance whore, testified there had been a decrease in claims. Well, duh, there’s been a decrease in tort claims for the last fifteen years.
We knew that. There is no crisis and no reason for more of an assault on individual rights. The tort deform bill is dead because Cam Crawford, et al.,have been caught lyin’.
Once again, rates have gone UP every year since med mal caps passed. Not one doctor has seen any decrease in premiums and weren’t decreases promised in 2005?
By Get Your Facts Straight on March 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
RBB
Why personally attack Mr. Ward?
Is that really necessary?
Again, the testimony was a 10-14% rate reduction. Sounds like savings to me.
By Pro Small Biz on March 5th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Recently, Mississippi’s largest med mal insurer, Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi, announced a 20% reduction in medical liability rates for 2009.
Governor Haley Barbour credits tort reform for the decrease in rates.
Caps on non-economic damages produced savings for doctors, hopefully, it will do the same for small businesses.
By Red Bank Bar on March 5th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Au contraire, I was there. He NEVER said we’re decreasing rates. In fact, he said at least a 3 % increase was in order.
Outlawing claims will reduce premiums, but it certainly will encourage and reward malpractice. Bottom line, whose side are you on? Patients injured through no fault of their own or insurance companies?
By Get Your Facts Straight on March 5th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
RBB – Maybe you missed it but Mr. Ward’s testimony was the Patients’ Compensation Fund would recommend a 10-14% rate reduction.
Also, no one is outlawing claims.
Please read the bill before making attacks.
By Red Bank Bar on March 6th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Your parents, your children, and homemakers have no economic value, ergo, under the Repugnant theory of law, no value and no damages, ergo, no lawsuit, no matter how egegiously they’ve been injured.
No doctor should have to be responsible for their actions, right?
By Pro Small Biz on March 6th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
RBB – how much of our parents, children, and homemakers awards do you take in legal fees and “costs” 40%? 50%?
That’s the real issue isn’t it?