STATE SENATE OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTS RYBERG AMENDMENT
An effort to boot State Treasurer Curtis Loftis from the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC) was overwhelmingly rejected by the State Senate on Wednesday.
By a vote of 34-10, the Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by S.C. Sen. Greg Ryberg that would have removed Loftis from the panel that he has been aggressively seeking to reform.
The vote was a major victory for Loftis and a huge defeat for Ryberg, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and members of the SCRSIC, a corrupt cabal that’s been pimping “pay-to-play” allegations against Loftis in an effort to keep him from exposing waste, mismanagement and inefficiency on the part of the agency that’s responsible for the state’s shrinking $24.4 billion pension fund.
It was also a major defeat for the editorial board at The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper as well as the paper’s new State House reporter Adam Beam, who has ignored major scandals at the SCRSIC in an effort to go after Loftis on the thinnest of pretenses.
“The Governor, Leatherman, Ryberg and The State Newspaper got their asses handed to them,” one State House observer noted.
Loftis was more magnanimous.
“I am grateful state Senators have stood for taxpayers in a 34-10 vote and recognized that maintaining transparency and accountability on the state pension fund is vital to South Carolina’s economic health,” he said in a statement.
We’ll have a breakdown of the Senate vote soon, but one of the few lawmakers who joined Ryberg in his efforts to remove Loftis was S.C. Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman (RINO-Florence).
Meanwhile Loftis received support from a diverse coalition that included fiscal conservatives like S.C. Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) as well as fiscal liberals like S.C. Sen. Jake Knotts (RINO-Lexington) – one of the few times you’ll see those names on the same side of an important vote.
Since his election in 2010, Loftis has been the state’s top watchdog over this under-performing fund.
He’s embraced specific reforms aimed at reducing the its liabilities, more recently he’s drawn long-overdue attention to the investment side of the equation – decrying the soaring bureaucratic budgets and skyrocketing investment fees our state has racked up as its fund continues to under-perform its peers.
Meanwhile S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s appointee to this board has been in on the scandals – while Haley herself has refused to come out in support of substantive reforms that would limit the fund’s liabilities.
UPDATE: The ten Senators who voted to keep Ryberg’s amendment alive were Thomas Alexander, Kevin Bryant, Creighton Coleman, Greg Gregory, Brad Hutto, Hugh Leatherman, Shane Massey, Greg Ryberg, Luke Rankin and Danny Verdin.
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By RINO February 15, 2012 at 5:26 pm
I watched the vote. It was quite stunning. At one point in the debate, Thomas was at the podium defending Loftis. Ryberg got up and started grilling Thomas about numbers. Thomas wanted to talk about Loftis. As Thomas was making his point, Ryberg suddenly put down his mike and walked away in the middle of Thomas’s response. I don’t like Ryberg for a number of reasons, but he also showed his lack of being a gentleman in the Senate. He needs to take his ball and go home.
By Callie February 15, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Who if anyone is running against Ryberg in the primary?
What are their chances?
How can I help?
Ryberg really should be thrown out of the ball park.
Incidentally, I’ve seen him on TV and he looks like death warmed over.
Now would be a good time for him to leave.
By eric February 15, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Think about it this way.
Ryberg savagely attacked Loftis. He never looked at Loftis. He never acknowledged Loftis. He never gave Loftis a microphone or the opportunity to speak (which he can under Senate rules).
He is a coward. and nobody likes a coward.
By conservative republican February 15, 2012 at 11:30 pm
You folks are correct. Regrettably it’s time for Ryberg to remove himself from the senate or be removed by the voters. Sadly just a few years back, Ryberg was considered a “friend of the taxpayer”. I’m amazed at how quickly a leapard “changes his spots”. Truly amazed and very disappointed. Greg, PLEASE STEP DOWN!
By RINO February 15, 2012 at 5:29 pm
And you will probably talk about Nikki’s letter to the Senate telling them to hurry up and pass the Dept. of Adminstration bill, and stop wasting time, but I loved Senator Ford saying on the floor that Nikki was a dictator. I love SC politics.
By darksied calling February 15, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Ford calling trikki Nikki out on the floor of the Senate, talk about the pot calling the kettle plan literally and figuratively (LOL)
By Cancerman February 15, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Ryturd is a fucking idiot, too bad the people in aiken like a idiot.
By conservative republican February 15, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Cancerman, I agree. However I didn’t see this coming and apparently the voters in Aiken didn’t either. A few short years ago, this senator was literally a taxpayer hero on a number of issues.
By Ben February 15, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Conservative Republican, Surely there are young, energetic republicans with character (remember that?) and new ideas willing to take on this old man. Like fruit, he has gone bad with age, and it’s time to get rid of him. Clean the pantry. Feed the citizens. Bring new help into the kitchen.
By Strange February 15, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Verdin and Bryant both voted ‘yea’ (i.e. to not table the amendment/the wrong way).
By Strange February 15, 2012 at 6:07 pm
whoops meant to write ‘no’ instead of ‘yea’ on that last comment.
By BradWarthenSucks February 15, 2012 at 6:08 pm
How is Ryberg on this committee? The people of SC have repeatedly voted against him and don’t want him in charge of their money, yet we find him on this committee.
By BigT February 15, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Sanford and Ryberg remind me a lot of each other…
They think they are Smarter than all of us…and they have no respect for anyone…They have no idea of how other view them…
Both are pretty disgusting personalities…
By Ken E. February 15, 2012 at 6:53 pm
I’m beginning to think my senator Greg Gregory is just another Haley stooge. Really disappointing.
By conservative republican February 15, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Ken,
I understand and share your confusion. Please get the word out to the folks in Aiken. I’d help but am in the Lowcountry.
Good luck friend.
By jimlewis,owb February 15, 2012 at 7:10 pm
This is Adam Beam I would like to speak to Nikki
What, I’m sorry. I would like to speak to Governor Haley
What’s that, she is not available
Could you ask her to call me
Oh, you won’t
Will she be available later
OK, when it freezes over I’ll call her
By Soft Sigh from Hell February 15, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Is there the slightest possibility that the full senate will reject Ms. Templeton’s confirmation? (If that is the proper term.)
Is there any doubt or uncertainty still in the air or is it a done deal at this stage?
By Ima February 15, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Soft Sigh, DHEC staff can only hope so. Especially the staff at the North Charleston office. I can only imagine how they’re preparing to learn to love the sublime aroma of juniper berries. Well, perhaps not. PTT has no need or want to even come into that office.
By Fish in the Brandy Sniffer February 15, 2012 at 9:42 pm
SSFH — I believe “Skype” Templeton is de facto confirmed — that the full Senate will bless the unanimous Committee vote. Imagine the life of Skype. Not having take your first skype ’till 10 AM, after carpool, espresso, and yoga, then taking lunch from 12 to 2 with friends poolside, then carpooling in the afternoon, skyping in the late afternoon, your secretary helping to catch all the flack in Columbia.
Skype oversees legions of hapless Columbia-based bureaucrats, her Flak Catchers, whose jobs are reduced to taking abuse — “mau-mauing” — from legislators, the media, the public and Skype herself when she’s had a few.
Word is that Skype being in Mt. Pleasant, her Columbia-based flak-catchers smile pathetically, allowing their tormentors to indulge themselves in this rage and abuse.
I understand DHEC morale is low, and the staff sees the Skype process as a farcical but useful expedient, condescending toward the resentment of these Skype-tormenters.
This week one mau-mauer appeared up at DHEC and handed over ice-picks, switch-blades and straight-razors that he said were taken from gangs, in exchange for payments from Skype to keep peace with “the main man” — Gov. Nathan Deal.
By Billy K Mulligan February 15, 2012 at 8:18 pm
When Ryberg doesn’t get his way politically he tries to have you arrested on trumped up charges. So everyone lookout! Also – His daughter is on Greenville City Council and lives in the Senate District that Thomas represents. Thomas now has four challengers so look for the Ryberg clan to exact some revenge on Thomas in the Upstate.
By conservative republican February 15, 2012 at 11:37 pm
I agree with you on Ryberg, but Thomas is generally a “rino” and it would be a blessing to SC for him to be gone.
By gray fox February 15, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Some of those 9 other Senators voting with Ryberg to remove the Treasurer are frauds. They claim to be for transparency and reform and yet vote to eliminate the one accountable member of the retirement panel. They are showing their true colors on this key issue.
By Cartman February 16, 2012 at 5:30 am
Ol’ Ryborg can eat the corn out of Beam’s ass any day.
By Qball February 16, 2012 at 10:32 am
Ryberg is NOT gay. He tried it and didn’t like it.
By Billy-Bob February 16, 2012 at 7:43 am
Ryberg = Capetbagger
By STFU February 16, 2012 at 2:37 pm
The retributions from this are so varied as to be difficult to track, but it is not over by half.
By Kelly February 17, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Many of us at the commission, the staff, are rooting for Loftis. We have seen what goes on and he represents the new way forward.
It is a good thing.