SENATOR’S “AVIATION FUND” SCHEME EXPOSED …
Two-and-a-half years ago this website railed on a decision by the executive board of the Charleston International Airport to award its top $211,000-a-year position to a liberal “Republican” S.C. Senator, Paul Campbell.
Campbell refused to resign his position in the State Senate after accepting this sweetheart deal … violating one of the time honored rules of corrupt self-service.
Our view of all this at the time …
It’s corrupt enough that a sitting state lawmaker is “landing” (<– bad airport pun) this gig in the first place, but now he’s going to double-dip? How cozy …
Fast-forward to this month, when Campbell pre-filed legislation related to the State Aviation Fund, a totally non-core function of government which has a direct bearing on his job (a position that now pays $225,000-a-year, not counting benefits).
This fund – subsidized by aircraft taxes – is used primarily to pay for “maintenance, rehabilitation, and capital improvements to public use airports.” This includes providing matching state funds for federal airport improvement grants.
State law currently provides for any revenue from this tax above $5 million to be directed to the aviation fund – and any revenues above $10 million to be split evenly between the aviation fund and the state’s general fund.
If Campbell’s bill – S. 954 – were to pass, however, the existing $5 million threshold would be lowered to $2.5 million and the $10 million threshold would be lowered to $5 million.
Lowering the the thresholds means taking money out of taxpayers’ pockets and re-routing it into this airport slush fund.
Given his position, this is the sort of legislation Campbell ought to recuse himself from voting on … but at the moment he’s the bill’s sole sponsor.
“This stuff can’t get much more brazen,” a critic of the proposed legislation told us.
We concur …
Campbell is making a cash grab, pure and simple. According to the fund’s latest financials, it isn’t brining in much more than $5 million a year – meaning this clever Senator is effectively ripping off taxpayers of $2.5 million by lowering these thresholds.
Oh, and in addition to directly profiting from this glorified theft – Campbell is one of those disingenuous “Republicans” who have been bitching and moaning about how government doesn’t have enough money to fund roads and bridges.
This is yet another example of South Carolina’s elected officials living off the land – enriching themselves at our expense via the abuse of non-core functions.
Campbell should be ashamed of himself … as should any lawmaker who signs onto this legislation or helps advance it when legislators reconvene in January 2016.
61 comments
Why should the mouth breathers in this state expect anything different when they can’t do anything but reflexively vote for anything with an “R” next to it on election day.
Republicans know that as long as they have an “R” next to their name and promise a tax free utopia the dullards in this state will line up to vote for them.
I am sorry to say this but folks like you and probably me are the cause,there is no difference in the two parties. Just because they have an R or D by their name changes nothing. Party Politics are corrupt regardless of what party they are in. Wake up with me!
The agenda for this person is to get Democrats elected. He/she mistakenly thing the label matters. Ignore it.
*thing=thinks
You do know there is an ‘edit’ button right under your comment, right?
When you’re logged in it does, and I’m not.
My goal is not to get Dems elected per se, rather I think people should start voting for Dems and 3rd parties to remind the Republicans that their jobs are on the line if they don’t act with the interests of the people of SC in mind.
As it is now, they can do whatever they want so long as during the election cycle or when they are on TV they “say” they want smaller government and less taxes.
Apparently the average voter in this state is simply to dim to see what is really going on.
Think of it this way, Republicans have been in charge of the House, Senate and Gov office in this state since about 1996. IF they had they answers to a tax free utopia shouldn’t we be there by now? The average middle class citizen has not seen their quality of life improve under Republican rule to date.
“IF they had they answers to a tax free utopia shouldn’t we be there by now?”
95% of Republicans don’t want a “tax free utopia”. SC has the 12th highest income tax rate in the Union.
If Republicans were even for “low taxes” in SC this would not be the case.
So most Republicans are no different than Democrats; and third party candidates have no chance because as you note, most of the public is “stupid” when it comes to voting.
“My goal is not to get Dems elected per se, rather I think people should start voting for Dems”
That’s just a dumb statement.
SC has is the 9th BEST (read lowest) state for taxes in the US –
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2015/04/15/the-best-and-worst-states-for-taxes/
We have lower taxes than FL,NC and GA. 3 of the states better than us AK,WY and ND have mineral and oil income from state owned resources that offset taxes. The fact that you believe taxes are high here calls your IQ into question.
Also, if you are going to quote me post the entire statement – “My goal is not to get Dems elected per se, rather I think people should start voting for Dems and 3rd parties to remind the Republicans that their jobs are on the line if they don’t act with the interests of the people of SC in mind.”
All politician care about is getting and staying elected, give them some fear over this and we might change their behavior.
The Forbes article itself uses a disclaimer that calculating tax burden is “tricky”.
Meanwhile, my EXACT statement hold true and is factual:
http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/south-carolina
The income tax is more relevant because that is the system the middle class and poor has to deal with.
“Also, if you are going to quote me post the entire statement”
Why? What I quoted doesn’t change in context one bit. You said two opposite things within less than 20 words.
Tax rates are only part of the equation, however. A truer measure to compare one state to another is cost of living, and there are plenty of web sites where you can do this.
We relocated to Nashville from Columbia this summer. So far we have found that:
– Housing is far more expensive (there is a bubble underway here and when it bursts, it’s going to be ugly)
– Auto insurance is much cheaper (our premium went down by about 60%)
– Gas is about 5-15 cents more per gallon
– There is no state income tax or personal property tax on cars. We do have to have emissions testing on vehicles ($10) and the cost to register a car (exclusive of the tax) is $80.
– The state sales tax is 9.25% and there are no local sales taxes, making it effectively the same sales tax rate as in Columbia and Richland County
– A gallon of milk at Kroger in Nashville: $2.79. In Columbia, $3.09
– Power and water costs are about half of what they are in Columbia
– Health insurance and health care is about 25% less than what it is in Columbia
– Property taxes rates are about 1/3 higher here
That is so depressingly obvious that it should be enough to make one swear off politics and voting.
It is tantamount to believing corruption never existed before Republicans controlled the SC state government and it will simply go away if we just install Democrats in control state government or vice versa.
The root of this type of behavior is the apathy of the electorate, everyone loves to wear their team’s jersey and become immune to and overlook corruption in their own club but start hyperventilating and accuse the other side of crimes yet unknown to man when the other side does no tow the line.
As long as politics remains adversarial, which to a certain extent it must be, the problem will persist. You can not truly solve the tough problems without discourse and sometimes dissent.
Explain how Mia McLeod, Todd Rutherford and Darryl Jackson keep getting elected.
Because of the districts the Republicans draw for them to throw a few bones in the black direction while killing off as many white Democratic districts as they can.
If you don’t see the symbiotic relationship between the Republicans and black Democrats, you are not paying attention.
Remember back to the first Amazon ‘no’ vote when the Black Legislative Caucus aligned with the Tea Party…just to demonstrate their power. Then, backed off and voted for it.
Thank you Mr. Obvious.
Ask stupid questions, get stupid answers.
In each of the last two general elections, the number of straight ticket Democrat voters was larger than the number of straight ticket GOP voters.
Yes, I was as surprised by that as you probably are.
Check on Jackie Hayes of Dillon. A House member,Athletic Director,Coach and over School Board and I understand his wife works for government. They spread it out in Columbia like they do in DC. Everyone in government double dips,why do you think state employees are so [powerful?
Course maybe this is legal!
If the LOCAL press doesn’t do it’s job, report on the Jackie Hayes kind of dual/triple/quadruple office holding and file the Ethics Commission request for an opinion as soon as these people announce they are running, BEFORE these scumbags are elected, it’s too late to do anything because the corrupt in-house legislative ‘ethics’ committees will never throw them out.
Can a dual office holding complaint be filed with the Ethics Commission against Campbell as a Charleston International Airport employee as opposed to a complaint to the legislative ‘ethics’ committee? It would be great for a ruling to come down just to say he is dual office holding and should give up one of the jobs…if Nikki Haley’s corrupt appointees to the Ethics Commission have not totally corrupted it.
Really, if this blog or ‘The Nerve’ want to really stir things up in this state, THEY need to file Ethics Commission complaints on these cases. People in every county know people violating this law, but are afraid of the local powers that be coming after them when they start reporting. That’s what holds the local press back. I’ve seen local weekly paper journalists run out of the county over covering the politicians the way they need to be covered. The replacement hires understand that.
It’s been a few years, but the last time I checked the legislative manual, there were at least 12-18 dual office holders in the legislature. Law breakers, every one. Law breakers.
In my county, one town had a mayor who worked for the SCDOR. Some people wanted to do something, but the dimwits wrote then AG Henry McMaster for an opinion – as if an AG opinion on anything means a thing – and, of course, he said it was A-OK. The current mayor in the same town works for First Steps in a neighboring county – that’s dual office holding, too. And, prohibited by SC LAW. People just give up trying to do anything.
In my life, I’ve seen newspaper stories a couple of times when a complaint was made and the Ethics Commission ruling of dual office holding came down BEFORE the election. The candidate was told to choose if they would have to give up their full-time job or the legislature if elected. So, they did not run and kept their regular job.
BTW, elfego, there are NO public employee unions of any kind in this state. They are prohibited by law.
And, if state employees had any power over politicians, you would not have seen SCDHEC and SCDSS gutted during the Sanford/Haley administration and there would have been fewer kids dying for lack of workers and fewer dams breaking for lack of inspectors.
You complain a lot.
If you don’t like complaints, why in the world would you ever visit this blog or any blog?
To the Republican Party:
Screw Trump,Hillary is elected. Read My Lips”-Remember?
The only foreseeable change in the future, for the GOP, is if they elect Trump. If they don’t they will get another do nothing Republican Pres to go along with the do nothing Congress.
A Democrat? Not much difference …in fact, unless we cause real and lasting change the whole thing is a waste of time.
Lets face it, government has been very, very good to a few. Look at this one from Lander. Their President just retired and comes back as a professor making $117,000.00 a year. Nice work if one can get it. I know he is worth every dime.
DANIEL BALLLANDER UNIVERSITYPROFESSOR117,0000117,000
It is amusing to watch the masses as they continue to believe that government works for them. Government works for the rich and powerful and of course they have their people in and around government to ensure that their will is done.
The masses are suckers.
Lies is the air the Republican party breathes.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hHAvrEKomUc/VmyD7czKXII/AAAAAAAAJGE/md6HNLEOtEU/s1600/12376444_10208218221073813_6437268628688263211_n.jpg
https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/12376752_10208218521681328_8395736835875998520_n.jpg?oh=bbb61d5582ab30a582cb6216b2de7c76&oe=571FD56C
euwe, the tired old partisan hack without any ideas of his own.
Except for his ambition to be a 4th rate bitch on a 2nd rate blog, he has nothing.
196 countries duped by science
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/12/proposed-historic-climate-pact-nears-final-vote/
Republicans unaffected.
It would have been cheaper to buy Micronesia.
And level it. Oh, I forgot, it has been…for the last 6000 years.
Why the climate change summit? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnvT2PyKyaY
Max, isn’t it time for your next visit to your phrenologists?
I HATE science.It’s so exact,and all.They’re not fooling the Blogmeister and his minions.
You should love Climate change science. It doesn’t have to be “exact” at all. It doesn’t have to predict anything.
They change the theory to fit the facts after they occur. You can never be wrong that way.
Great article in Dayton Daily News today about 67% of electricity in Ohio is from coal and why this agreement is the end of the Democrat Party in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Hillary might as well not even visit either one of those states.
Dream on. PA and OH will go Hillary. And besides, even if OH flipped, without FL the GOP ain’t got nothin’ – nothin’ I tell ya!!!! Los Latinos no gustan el GOP.
Only need the 25% of the LEGAL hispanics-the ones that work and that aren’t criminals.They ain’t easy to find,I give you that.
Sure thing “Flip from Ohio” –
Tax fraud. The initiation of the exchanges and the requirement for individuals to have health
insurance will undoubtedly lead to efforts to cheat the Internal Revenue Service. The ACA
permits eligible persons to seek subsidies to assist them when they purchase insurance policies
though the new health care exchanges.
Your point? “Flip from Ohio” TTYL – heading to the airport.
Yeah,sure.Remember when NASA faked the ‘moon-landing’?
http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
No, the most convincing deception is self deception.
You pick your science. I will pick mine.
I know which one wins. Grab your floaties Columbia…
Fitsnews 12/2/2015 – “U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is about to be rocked by a “mistress bomb,” multiple sources familiar with the allegation tell FITS. In fact we’re told this explosive rumor could detonate in wide circulation within the next forty-eight hours.”
https://www.fitsnews.com/2015/12/02/sources-marco-rubio-mistress-bomb-about-to-detonate/#KzEKDTiPH8UzJ22i.99
240+ hours ago….
These rumors have been around for a while. People like Marco and myself are plagued by this sort of stuff, being good lookin and all – ha!!!!!
Sad to say this but sc people deserve what they are getting.
You can still cast your vote for your favorite candidate for the Heisman Trophy….. just vote once and be honest!
And place a bet! That’s the ticket…
Derrick Henry from Alabama was awarded the Heisman Trophy…
— thought I’d mention it here
—— you know, just in case you didn’t know
——— or hear about it somewhere else
———— just in case, you know
Of course…I’m not THAT gay.
Sorry about that – I meant to post it as a regular comment, not as a reply to you… but thanks for reading it. I edited it just now to read better.
File federal criminal complaints.
Just another example of the arrogant ruling Political Class they don’t care about R/D they will say and do anything to get reelected then screw the voters.
Hmm…..brazen self dealing..? Well, we wonder just how hard certain SPA ports execs are laughing at Wil Folks after reading this self dealing article. What is more concerning is that Wil Folks has NOT taken facts and verifiable accounts of what is happening in this article here:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_SEAFOOD_FROM_SLAVES_SHRIMP_SHEDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-14-00-39-31
….and how this has impacted our local SHRIMP economy..? Furthermore, stop to think how contaminated raw shrimp could impact BREAST Cancer or other health issues..? All the while, does anyone stop to consider just how much bulk cargo coming through our ports are actually fit to eat …? I would much rather trust a shrimper who lives nearby and has kids that go to the same school than SLAVE labor that has no voice what so ever..!!
Where is Wil Folks on putting this anchor around Mayor Riley, Mayor Summey……..and every CAT at the statehouse…!?
WOW….talk about brazen…….look how this article starts out at the SRP.
http://media.mcclatchydc.com/static/features/irradiated/
Hmm….wonder how profitable some homes are in Jasper…?
Ummmm…Kemosabe…imagine that—the same legislators who grub off of corrupt payday lending and rip down patriots’ flag stealing from taxpayers again!
Right, Tonto—and just so ya know—when we hand them and Flag-Ripping-Joe Wilson and Nikki Haley their heads next year it’s we who’ll have a win-win !!!