Somebody forgot to tell S.C. Superintendent of Education candidate that this is an awful time to raise money for a political race.
Frank Holleman, a Greenville attorney who served as chief of staff to former democratic Gov. Dick Riley (one of several failed “education” governors we’ve had), raised an impressive $210,000 during the fourth quarter, according to documents his campaign filed Wednesday with the S.C. State Ethics Commission.
Holleman has $173,000 on hand, and appears to have received about 20% of his contributions from outside the state of South Carolina.
That matters not a whit to us, obviously, but some people meticulously track that sort of thing.
On the Republican side, three candidates are currently in the race – Furman University professor Brent Nelsen, Dutch Fork High School teacher Kelly Payne and Newberry College President (and former Army General) Mitchell Zais.
None of them have released their financial disclosure information yet, but are required to file reports within the next week.
The stakes in the race are obviously quite high.
In spite of record funding increases, a recent report showed that South Carolina’s overall graduation rate (61%) remains among the worst in the nation – which is consistent with our state’s declining SAT and ACT scores. On top of that, another report showed our state’s rural graduation rate (52.3%) ranks as the worst in the nation.
We don’t know how bad it is for minority students (because South Carolina is the only state in the nation that refuses to release its minority graduation rate), but we know that national data shows a growing achievement gap between white and black students in South Carolina, which is even more troubling considering our “best and brightest” are falling further behind their peers, as well.
On top of all that, the state’s Education Oversight Committee recently made a move to “dumb down” the state’s academic standards to make it look like more students were passing the state’s assessment exam.
Where does Holleman stand on all of this?
Like current Superintendent Jim Rex, he’s paying lip service to “reform” but steadfastly opposes policies that would actually bring it about.
Nonetheless, he raised a boatload of money during a financial quarter than many Palmetto analysts are predicting will be one of the worst in state history when all the dollars are counted.
By sclawboy January 7, 2010 at 10:08 am
Holleman is the real deal. He smarter than all three of the GOP hacks, er, candidates combined, including Professor Brent “I don’t care what office, just elect me for something” Nelsen and the president of a local tech school. He has the knowledge and experience to get things done.
By Matt January 7, 2010 at 10:33 am
It helps Holleman that a lot of the Democrat donors may be undecided on which way to go on the governor’s race…thus leaving them no one else to give to except Holleman. Also a lot of folks in the Democrat Party esp. in the Upstate have been waiting for this guy to run for something for a while. The Supt. of Ed. race may be the only other marquee race in the general other than governor.
You can’t get more status quo on the issue of public education than Holleman though.
By HUH? January 7, 2010 at 10:40 am
He is going to need a lot more money if he is running on a platform of “four more years” of the Inez/Jim failure machine!
By Genomic Repairman January 7, 2010 at 10:47 am
Why the hell would anyone in SC want this job other than the paycheck and ego boost. Our educational system has been circling the drain for the past two decades and throwing money at the problem is not helping. I guess the one bright spot is that they can’t make it really that much worse. And WTF is up with not releasing minority graduation rates?
By Georgia Bulldozer January 7, 2010 at 10:49 am
sclawboy,
If by “real deal” you actually mean “ambulance chaser,” you would be spot-on with your analysis of Frank Holleman.
You think that clown is smarter than Nelson? LOL.
Keep trying, hack.
By Pickens Senior January 7, 2010 at 11:19 am
How much involvement did Holleman have with HomeGold Financial and Carolina Investors? The Wyche Law Firm represented both companies while they were squandering away millions of dollars of retirees’ life savings.
By sclawboy January 7, 2010 at 11:44 am
Bulldozer,
I’ll speak slowly so you can understand.
Holleman is an attorney but is not an ambulance chaser, a term typically reserved for those who represent injured persons trying to blame their woes on someone else. This is not what Holleman, or the Wyche firm, does.
Holleman was magna cum laude at Harvard Law School, which means he is probably pretty smart and a hard worker. I like Brent Nelsen, and he is intelligent, but I think Holleman is a smarter man and is more suited to lead the public education of this state. Brent has never been involved in public education professionally like Holleman has.
Oh, and Brent is heavily involved in a denomination (PCA) that won’t let women do anything. I have a problem with that.
By stimulus guy January 7, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I don’t think the lawyers at the Wyche firm are ambulance chasers GB, unless you think that any lawyer that has ever represented a plaintiff is one.
By Billy Bob January 7, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I wish I knew more about what’s wrong with our educational system, but I don’t, so all I can say is something is seriously wrong somewhere. The top priority of the next State Super should be to find the answer to my question. I’ll bet none of those running know the answer. Hell, if anybody knew, it would be a good start!!
By Georgia Bulldozer January 7, 2010 at 1:29 pm
sclawboy,
Holleman is your typical overwrought, liberal, Ivy-League-lawyer jackass, and he doesn’t deserve to be elected Greenville City dogcatcher.
This is directly from the Wyche, Burgess, Freeman & Parham, P.A. website:
http://www.wyche.com/attorney-bios/frank-s-holleman-iii
“Frank Holleman’s practice is concentrated in the area of litigation. He represents corporations, small businesses, individuals, non-profit organizations, and government agencies as plaintiffs and as defendants. He has handled a wide variety of cases including, by example, matters dealing with corporate law, intellectual property, copyrights, contracts, arbitration and mediation, probate law, personal injury, insurance, real estate, employment disputes, professional practices, antitrust claims, products liability, civil and criminal investigations, election law, and education.”
Personal injury?
Oh my!
By sclawboy January 7, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Bulldozer,
Are you Karl Rove? Way to focus your entire argument on one obscure and out of context fact.
Try this on for size (from the same website, of course):
“Representative Matters
Numerous major copyright suits brought in courts throughout the United States for architects and designers, resulting in settlements totaling millions of dollars.
Lead trial counsel for defendant in federal trademark trial, resulting in jury verdict in favor of defendant on counterclaim and attorneys’ fee award, totaling over $3.7 million.
Defense of a large estate against a will challenge, resulting in summary judgment in favor of the estate and affirmance by South Carolina Supreme Court on a legal point of first impression.
Obtaining preliminary injunction against a copyright infringer, in favor of licensee of architectural copyright.
Serving as special referee in a case dealing with a dispute between shareholders in a closely held corporation. His decision was upheld by the S.C. Court of Appeals and the S.C. Supreme Court.
Obtaining transfer of a patent dispute from U.S. District Court in South Carolina to California, working in conjunction with a major California law firm.
Obtaining settlement for company that had suffered significant losses because of defective products provided by an international corporation.
Securing a preliminary injunction in favor of a landowner, preventing violation of restrictive covenants.”
By Kevin January 7, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Dear Georgia Bulldozer,
If I understand your logic correctly, if one graduates from Harvard Law School–or any law school, for that matter–and serves the country in the office of the United States Secretary of Education, he or she should not be elected to office if he or she has, at one point in his or her career, litigated a personal injury matter, whether on behalf of a plaintiff or a defendant. Is that right? Thanking you in advance.
Best,
Kevin
By Georgia Bulldozer January 7, 2010 at 3:31 pm
sclawboy,
“Oh, and Brent is heavily involved in a denomination (PCA) that won’t let women do anything. I have a problem with that.”
Would you still have a problem if I substituted “PCA” for “Islam”? My guess is no. Bigot.
P.S. I’m flattered by the Karl Rove comparison.
By Andrew January 7, 2010 at 4:27 pm
FWIW, Kelly Payne is a member of a PCA church too.
By Matt January 7, 2010 at 6:10 pm
So the Presbyterian Church in America doesn’t allow women to be ministers. Last time I checked, neither does the Southern Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic Church or Greek Orthodox. But of course no one from any of those religions have ever been elected in SC.
By BIN News Editorial Staff January 7, 2010 at 6:24 pm
All this means is Howie’s latest voucher scam check to sic(k) willie cleared the bank. There is no doubt that Howie is also sending new checks to Voice for Voucher Clowns, South Carolinians for Irresponsible Voucher Scams and other voucher scam supporters. We know whoooo you are.
The good news is that vouchers are dead in S.C. All Howie’s horses and all Howie’s voucher clowns can’t put Humpty the Voucher Clown back again.
Vouchers are dead in S.C. lord Jakie has spoken. It is so!
Notice the lower case “l” in lord. Get over it. Jakie is the man!
By Political Angel January 7, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Rumor has it that Mick Zais has been anointed by SCRG ala Howie Rich & friends.
By TJ January 7, 2010 at 8:33 pm
It isn’t that crazy that he raised this much money. Dems in SC know this is the only office they really have a shot at. All the big folks maxed out for him. And despite years of dismal failure…. they think the voters will choose a Dem for this office again?? It isn’t that hard to connect the failed system with the party that has held the office for so long.
By Matt January 7, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Political Angel: I find that hard to believe, unless either Zais has evolved his position on vouchers/choice–OR Howie Rich/SCRG is willing to back a candidate who is less than pure on vouchers/choice.
Zais is already on the record in the campaign in saying he is against statewide school choice through tax credits or vouchers, only supporting it in test cases.
By BottaBing January 7, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Of course, that’s what our state’s failing education system needs! A low-level hack from the Clinton administration…
By votar January 8, 2010 at 1:56 pm
The highly-regarded Wyche firm has really deep poducts.
Most of the boys there drive lexi and sport Ivy-League credentials.
$210 K is chump change for those boys-even in this economy.