By FITSNews || Ready for another round?
The most contentious GOP primary in South Carolina this year isn’t the race for governor or lieutenant governor, it’s the battle for State Treasurer between incumbent Converse Chellis and challenger Curtis Loftis.
That battle will continue Monday when Loftis holds a press conference blasting Chellis for allegedly keeping spotty hours at the office.
“Records reviewed from February of 2009 through January 2010 indicate he worked roughly 11.7 days per month while earning $92,000,” the source said, referring to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). “I’m sure there are a lot of South Carolinians would like to earn $92,000 and only work about 20 hours per week.”
Loftis has previously criticized Chellis for his use of a high-end SUV (equipped with “all the bells and whistles”) instead of a more traditional state-provided Crown Victoria.
By Dreadnought May 10, 2010 at 9:45 am
But I’m sure Deputy Treasurer Scott Maleryck was putting in at least 40 hours a week – even if some of that time was spent doing work for the Republican Party.
By Matt May 10, 2010 at 10:03 am
Can we write in candidates in the primary? I hope so, because I don’t want to vote for either of these jokers. Chellis is a big-government spender and Loftis seems personally sleazy.
By No Name May 10, 2010 at 10:10 am
This race is as important as the Top of the ticket race because the Treasurer has the same power in the only venue that counts…the B and C Board ….even more so as the State faces one case of financial mismanagement\mistake after another.
Few people outside of the inner Cola mafia and the regional heads in the different County GOPS and elected idiots know or even talk about the fundemental control of Cooper and Leatherhaed on the legislature.
Here is hoping Loftis can win the primary battle and then if he does survive the same type of advanced personal destruction that was aimed at Thomas.
Hey Mark ….here is an ad you could run for Loftis…. as opposed to the waste of time and money on Haley…….just support Loftis with an exposure of the BEA and B and C’s conspiracy of stupidity on the State Pension assumptions and ramification for all those State employees.
Good fudiciary law says you have to tell folks when the flow and projection go awry …..so how come we have not heard anything yet.
By RINO Buster May 10, 2010 at 10:15 am
Typical of the Good ‘ole Boy’s. This fella has to go and I mean fast. Poor bookkeeping and great ofice hours. Maybe this RINO and/or DIC will be exposed for the cunt he is.
By Sidney H. May 10, 2010 at 10:23 am
CHELLIS IS A HYPOCRITE. SOMETHING OF LEONA HELMSLEY — REMEMBER HER? OR MARIE ANTOINETTE — REMEMBER HER?
WHAT WAS THEIR ATTITUDE TO THE PUBLIC, “LET THEM EAT CAKE?”
SCREW HIM.
By Brian May 10, 2010 at 10:34 am
Loftis details all of his work on the internet, so I suppose this afternoon we can view the Treasurer’s schedule. Of course Loftis can expect a smear from the Chellis people, but that is par for the course with Converse.
I know Converse is a hunter and fisher guy…and with his governemnt SUV I suppose he has a lot of fun on the taxpayers dime. I think we even pay for his gas while hauling his boat. Niceeeeee.
By Clint May 10, 2010 at 10:42 am
I see Curtis around the state a lot as I am working for another campaign. He is happy and working hard. He gives facts and figures and backs up what he says.
I rarely see Chellis and when I do he is usually sliming Loftis. He is always negative and personal. I don’t know Chellis well but he sure seems like a good old boy that refuses to work for his money.
I think loftis is going to beat him by a bigger margin than most people imagine.
By Groundball May 10, 2010 at 11:34 am
All I’ve heard from either candidate is one sliming the other. I for one am glad that Sanford didn’t have control of the B&C Board. I’m glad that Sanford in reality had no control over anything except public money for personal trips.
Who’s the Democrat running here anyway? Right now he might look pretty good.
By BlueDogBlogger May 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm
The problem is that Loftis may be too conservative. I’m not sure SC is ready to have complete spending transparency and the insiders in the legislature will likely protect their puppet on the B&CB.
By WorkingTommyC May 10, 2010 at 1:23 pm
I saw the press conference. Very impressive. It wasn’t nasty unless someone laying out his case with more professionalism and thoroughness than most lawyers is considered nasty. It was a very effective and justifiable criticism of what is wrong with the current Treasurer’s office and our state government in general.
It was very straightforward, even giving the huge benefit of a doubt to Chellis whenever possible and Chellis still came out looking bad when the facts were shown–mostly in terms of his just not working very hard and being incompetent when it comes to handling proper procedure.
The potential for corruption when $60 million goes missing for a while is HUGE but Loftis did not even bring up that possibility. There was no innuendo, just reporting of the facts.
Rather than go over it point by point, check out these pages:
http://www.curtisloftis.com/may10
http://www.curtisloftis.com/fulltimepay
By SCHotline May 10, 2010 at 1:37 pm
SCHotline PERMALINK
Related: Free-Times Article
http://free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992209084141467&act=post&pid=11861005104212381
Also See: S.C. Treasurer’s Office Lies About Credit Rating
“Please find below the credit rating that shows SC with a double A credit rating…not a triple A. The Treasurer’s office ought to be truthful when they speak. Simple facts like this are damaging to their credibility.” ~SCHotline
http://www.alacrastore.com/research/s-and-p-credit-research-South_Carolina_General_Obligation-783386
By Sam May 10, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I don’t understand how the Treasurer’s office can put out false info and get away with it.
The state does not have a AAA credit rating. We have a AA+. That lower rating cost us extra interst every time we borrow money.
The Treasurer has not been audited…if so it is no where to be found on the web. The Treasurer claims the CAFR is an audit, and that is silly, just plain downright silly. When will the reporters get the guts to make Converse show them the audit and show them specfically where it says they audited the Treasurer?
By Lannie May 10, 2010 at 3:38 pm
CAFR is “comprehensive ANNUAL financial report” and not “comprehensive AUDITED financial report.”
CAFRs are NOT audits but rather compilations of data provided to auditors who specifically state in their “cover letter” that their compilations are simply reviews of data presented by management (i.e., a government), and that THE UNDERLYING DATA IS NOT AUDITED.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_annual_financial_report.
CAFRs are famously complex and are based on “fund accounting” that is beyond the comprehension of most CPAs. Accounting professors dread teaching GASB accounting, the rules under which CAFRs are produced.
It takes years and years of experience in governmental accounting to even comprehend the basics of the five “statements” included in a CAFR. GASB standards are exceedingly complex AND major changes are underway now requiring governmental entities to recognize unfunded liabilities differently than before. In GASB circles, this is called “the snake bite” and only recently have progressive governments been changing their accounting software to account for this.
South Carolina’s budgeting and cost controls are in the “stone age” from a GASB standpoint, and Mr. Chellis is not known for his leadership in hiring staff familiar with the new GASB promulgations. The lack of controls apparently is part of the “missing millions” that Mr. Chellis wishes to avoid discussing.
He may be a CPA, but I would not trust him with any organization larger than a hardware store.
By Gen. Longstreet May 10, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Hah! Loftis is flanking the rascal. Well played, young man.
By Dang May 10, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Curtis sounds like the real deal. Quite refreshing considering the other self-serving pols running SC
By WorkingTommyC May 11, 2010 at 9:12 am
Curtis Loftis, from my impressions is definitely real–very down to earth. He keeps things simple, factual–you can tell there’s no real stress level when dealing with him or hearing him speak as opposed to Scott Malyerck, for instance, who is an absolute bundle of nerves.
I say that after witnessing the two of them Monday of last week during a heated exchange:
http://www.atgpress.com/wtc/wtc_056.htm
Loftis seems to approach the current situation with the Treasurer’s office from the perspective of what a responsible adult would do to fix the matter–permanently. Honesty and transparency are simple. The transparency part may require a little more work to begin with but it is an honorable task and well worth the effort and money in order to inform the citizenry.
By southernmapart May 11, 2010 at 10:39 am
Do not vote for the Chellis guy in office. His stupid vote on the Budget and Control Board in February is outrageous when he voted to GIVE an Oconee County developer $5.5 million, plus interest, of our tax dollars.
He voted to approve that our county property tax dollars go to pay off tax-exempt bonds for up to $5.5 million for a busted developer, Neal Workman and his partner Tom Wynkopp on a tax-scamming deal for PointeWest development on shore of Lake Hartwell and includes HighPointe. These properties are brownfields. PointeWest does not have a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION for the cleanup of industrial contamination.
Across the road, HighPointe has a DHEC permit for, but apparently not the funding, to properly build and manage storm water runoff from HighPointe.
Workman is, or was on the Board of Directors for CommunitySouth Bank, which is now under federal consent order requiring that assets be brought in line with outstanding commercial debt. Hmmmm. We’ve got some high-dollar local folks invested with that bank. Hmmmm. Or should we say, that they formerly were “high-dollar” big pockets, whose pockets have been picked. One of our councilmen lives behind the gates with some of the investors. Hmmmm. Wonder if he’s invested in the failing bank.
Another councilman does multi-million dollar grading jobs and had a big job with Trehel (Workman) a couple years ago on another property. Wonder if he ever got paid. Hmmmm. Some say “No” but there is no lien filed. However, just recently a Nevada holding LLC filed for equity interest on the WestPointe property. Wonder if that out-of-state LLC is holding unpaid Trehel liens. The LLC will have to sign off on any money coming through in order for the title to clear. Hmmmm.
Workman and his wife have, in the last couple of months, signed a $2 million mortgage with BB & T on the house they own in Walhalla. The house value is somewhere between $250,000-$350,000. They are not living in the Walhalla house, but reported to be living in Pickens County in The Reserve on Lake Keowee.
There is much more to this nasty story. The point is: Don’t relect that &^%*#@&* in the treasurer’s office unless you want your grandchildrens grandchildren paying off debt he willy-nilly heaps on our shoulders.
By Michael May 11, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Loosing $60 million was enough for me. Now, failure to show up for work. Good-bye Mr. Chellis; enjoy your retirement.
By jack May 11, 2010 at 1:48 pm
No conservative could have voted for the private developer bonds. It is simply irresponsible, and anit-conservative.
Chellis should be sent home but it will depend on how much money he raises from his good ole boy network. It is maddening to think he might buy this elevtion, but the people that want our state treasury are powerful and rich and they often get their way.