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wjhamilton29464
Member since Jun 2, 2009
Latest Review
Recent Comments
Re: “Charleston County considering a switch to paper ballots”
I've participated in the elections where scanned marked paper ballots were used in Florida, under the supervision of a Republican controlled election commission and there was no problem with them. Everyone was satisfied with the new system, which replaced a system similar to ours which was junked after weird results were noted in several elections. That system replaced the old butterfly ballots in Florida.
After six years of disputed results, Florida was determined to end the problem and they did.
Keeping a set of printers operating while supervising voting is no minor undertaking. They'll malfunction. One scanner/tabulator/safe can serve dozens of individual voting stations, which at that point only have to be simple cardboard privacy screens on tables. The current machines are now decade old relics and compatible parts are no longer available. There is absolutely no reason not to go to a fully verified, failure proof system.
Re: “Charleston County considering a switch to paper ballots”
I've seen scanned paper ballots used in Florida, where they gave up on the touch screen machines after some very questionable election. People marked them in simple, card board table top booths, so time wasn't a huge issue. Then they were scanned. Valid votes got tabulated and dropped into a safe at the bottom of the scanner. Ones with problems like casting two votes for one office were kicked back and the voter got to try again with a new paper ballot. Whatever happened, all the hand marked ballots were locked up and safe for recount. Our touch screen machines aren't secure and can't be verified. There is absolutely no way to know what voters were ever cast on these machines in any reliable way. That realization is creeping through the SC political system despite the hostility of elected officials and both political parties. Republicans win on these machines, so they're OK with them. Democrats are afraid if people understand what is really going on that they'll stop bothering to vote. Increasing numbers of people don't bother to vote. South Carolina keeps them because we're cheap and because doubt in the mind of voters reduces turnout in disfavored groups.
Re: “Anatomy of an IRS shakedown”
The issue is what does the organization do? We all know it's primarily a political organization. the IRS is doing it's job. If it wants to give up its quest for non profit status and file as a political organization, where it's donors will be a matter of public record, it will have no problems. The problem here is that our politics are being taken over by organizations which get huge secret donations through this loop hole. This group wants this status so people like the Koch brothers can pour money into it without the public knowing who is paying for it. Competing groups, including conservative groups, who reveal their donors and actually operate on money donated by their members, including their county Republican party will be at a huge disadvantage. They don't have to pay taxes on the money donated to them, they just have to file returns and disclose who donates. The people making donations know if they donate above a certain amount, that their names and basic information will be disclosed. They can't deduct the donation on their taxes. That's all.
The Charleston County Democratic party files tax returns and disclosures year after year. You can't deduct the money you give to the party. If you give above a certian amount, your name is listed in the reports. We support candidates. We work to influence legislation. We're not a charity.
Time to grow up tea party.
Re: “Is Anne Frank's Diary pornography?”
There are editions of this book available without this content, which the author apparently didn't want to have published. I understand the book is old and it takes controversy to get headlines, but it was a valuable document before. It's fun to run this through the mill of media commentary and controversy, but now every school district in the country has to deal with the collateral damage. I'm not sure it is worth it.
Re: “Mark Sanford's victory is a triumph of ideology over decency”
For the record, my family landed in South Carolina in 1696, fought the Indians in the Colonial era, with Francis Marion in the Revolution, with the Confederacy in both major armies, built churches, schools and towns and has compiled a centuries long record of community leadership in education, civic life, culture and public health. My father pioneered marketing Charleston as a tourism and real estate destination in the 1960s and 1970s. I was born here, grew up here, graduated the honors college and law school at USC and have lived here as an adult, homeowner and community activist for 27 years since college Graduation. I therefore am, for what it is worth then and now, a South Carolinian, and I am as qualified as anyone to judge the character of a public figure which I have always understood, as was explained to me by men like James B. Edwards and other prominent "conservatives" to be an essential component of community and political leadership.
I am perfectly aware that Mark Sanford is not the first elected official who has stained the public trust here and elsewhere and failures can be found in both parties, however Sanford has not merely violated the standard, he has now redefined and lowered it.
I will not accept this. You may and more people did than did not.
However what I encountered on the street where I was doing political work for the loser was a rising attitude of disgust for the process and the candidates that can only make the next election even more bitter and unproductive, no matter who wins.
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Oak Steakhouse
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Web site advertising, sign on door, and telephone message says hours are 7 AM to… -Jim McKelvey
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This is truly the tastiest Chinese food in recent memory. After 10 years living near… -drval
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Phuong Restaurant
Yes! -Paul Cheney
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School of the Arts tweet exposes Charleston County Schools' hypocrisy
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Charleston County considering a switch to paper ballots
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Re: “North Charleston Picture House”
You'll see a wide variety of films here. Wierd, amazing and most interesting locally produces shoestring budget independent stuff. You can make a movie for 5 thousand bucks now and often that's better than some of what the studios grind out. You'll never know if you don't come to the show.