We're having a party!

THERE WILL BE MUSIC, DANCING, DOOR PRIZES THROUGHOUT THE EVENING...A BIG PARTY FOR THE WORKING FOLKS OF ANDERSON, ABBEVILLE, AND GREENWOOD COUNTIES!

DATE: 2ND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH... COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND!

TIME: 7 PM TIL 10 PM

PLACE: DALTON HALL, HWY 81 S. From Anderson, it's just past the Owens-Corning Fiberglass Plant on the Left. Look for the Balloons, Banners, and ORTIZ for SENATE Yard Signs

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WILL BE SERVED @ $1 EACH. NO ALCOHOL SERVED!

We'll be having FREE Drawings for Door Prizes about every 1/2 hr-45 minutes!

ADMISSION: Admission to the event will be, minumum, 1 Canned Food Item per person. We will be collecting canned goods to help those Working Families that have been laid off or lost their jobs due to the economy, etc.

Let's have some fun and join in the First Annual October Laborfest Celebration for Working Families!

Mark it on your calendar now.

Be There... or Be Square...

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

For more info. call or e-mail me. Thanks!

I was called on 08-27-2008 at 16:28 hrs. by someone who identified himself as Stan Welsh (I may not have his name spelled right, but I spelled it as it sounded) who told me he had a radio program on WAIM on Saturdays, and that Billy O'Dell was on his program last week so he was inviting me to be on his program this coming Saturday.

I thanked him for the invitation and for doing the right thing, since the FCC requires equal time for candidates, but I declined the invitation, explaining that I do not support "hate radio" stations and that I furthermore don't support those businesses who advertise on "hate radio" stations.

He made the invitation, in compliance with FCC rules.

I declined the invitation, in compliance with my principles.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

We had a wonderful T-BOSS meeting this past Monday, Aug. 25th. This time we had the meeting at Matty's on Main St. in downtown Anderson. We had a small group show up this time... about 10 people total... but that was actually pretty good, considering the weather and the fact that some of the regulars at the T-BOSS meetings were tied up with some of their other community volunteering responsibilities.

The two main topics of discussion were having to do with the "Something Big" that some of us have been telling some others recently.

1. VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE... We have a really great plan for a specialized, high-energy, high-results, proven Voter Registration Blitz that we discussed at the prior meeting. According to past performance history and the venue(s) planned, we are hoping to register over 200 new voters in one single weekend! If you wish to be a part of this fabulous, planned strategy, please contact me and be sure to leave a phone number so I can let you know when the next Voter Registration planning committee meeting will be. We could use about 5-6 more enthusiastic volunteers to make this Voter Registration Blitz a huge success!

2. HUGE "LABORFEST" GATHERING BEING PLANNED FOR SC WORKING FAMILIES!

This is right up my alley, especially since I have plans and a very realistic goal of helping to attract and create a Minimum of 50,000 new jobs for South Carolinians over the next 4 years... if I get elected!

This LaborFest will be a FREE EVENT for working folks to celebrate South Carolina's working families! We'll be having plenty of Beach Music, dancing, Lot's of Door Prizes to be given away throughout the night, and even some fun and exciting games!

We just unveiled these plans, so we are currently working on getting the date and times coordinated. Keep checking this BLOG regularly and I'll be posting more and more information on this event throughout the next few weeks! And, get ready.... Star Spreading the News....

Contact me for more information on this event.

We're getting ready to have a BIG PARTY!!!

Next T-BOSS Meeting will be announced soon, as well.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

The next T-BOSS Meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 25th at 7 pm in downtown Anderson. The main topics for brainstorming will be:

1. VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE... We have a BIG ONE planned for the last weekend in Sept!

2. INNOVATIVE GRASS-ROOTS CAMPAIGNING STRATEGIES

3. SOMETHING REALLY BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER! We'll be coordinating volunteer efforts for SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

Call or e-mail me for location and further details.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

Yep. I didn't realize that I would be saying the "I told y'all so" thing so quickly regarding the recent blunders made by Councilpersons Waldrep and C. Wilson relative their obsession with power.

Their continued obsessive/compulsive actions are paving the way for costing us... the taxpayers of Anderson County, more frivolous legal expenditures. And though the proximate causation behind this whole ordeal places the resposnibility on the two council persons in question, I also predict that the hate radio group will twist things around and blame the causation on the Administrator.

According to the Anderson Independent-Mail, "Administrator asks court to stop interference by 2 Anderson County Council members ... On August 5, the lawsuit says that Waldrep said in a public meeting that “he intended to suspend the county’s finance director as soon as the newly elected council members take office.”

“Defendants’ actions are unprofessional, embarrassing and intimidating to county employees,” Bloodgood said in the motion, saying attempts to harass and intimidate would continue without court intervention...." (08-14-2008, reported by Pearce Adams).

I cannot speak for all the other un-proven accusations and allegations of malfeasance, since nothing has been proven and only inuendos have been uttered in attempts at character assassinations so far, but it is starting to look like that in this particular matter of the County Administrator filing Court action against Waldrep and C. Wilson, there seems to be plenty of a preponderance of prima facie evidence favoring the Administrator whereby he should prevail.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

Recently, I was paid a visit by a female yellow lab. She was walking out on Hwy 76 (Belton Hwy... with a traffic count here of about 25,000 - 30,000 vehicles per day) while I was sitting in the breezeway drinking my morning cup of coffee.

I went outside in the front and got her to come to me so that she would not get hit by the on-coming morning work traffic. She had a collar and what looked to be a rabies tag, but she was muddy and dirty and she had yellowish discharge coming from her eyes, so it appeared to me that she had been lost or something, and out on her own for at least a few days.

I figured she was hungry, so I called in through the front door and asked Amy to bring me some dog food and some water. When I put out the dog food and water for her, she gobbled up the food and drank most of the water, giving me the impression that she was quite hungry and thirsty.

I couldn't turn her back loose, since there was a high risk that some vehicle on the highway might hit her, so I got her to come into the side yard behind the fence while I called Animal Control. Animal Control had an officer here about 20 minutes later. I told the officer that she was pretty friendly, and so he took a few moments to pet her and meet her. Then we walked her to the truck, the animal control officer wrapped a leash around her muzzle, saying that was a precautionary measure in case she would try to bite while we lifted her into the truck and into the cage. The two of us picked her up together and she went right into the cage without incident. I pointed out to the officer that she had probably been out on her own for a while, being all dirty and having the yellow discharge coming from her eyes. I told him I had wiped her eyes a couple of times already and she was still discharging, so she probably either had some upper respiratory infection or something else and that she should be quarantined from other animals. I also pointed out how she cowered when someone went to try to pet her, mentioning that someone may have beaten her in her past. I then suggested that if they found the owner, to be sure to check things out since some folks that have pets do abuse their pets and sometimes a pet will take advantage of an opportunity to run away.

The officer said he would note those things and said that he would place a 14 day hold with a note to see the officer before releasing.

I hope that she simply wandered off and got a bit bewildered and that she is found by her owner.... but only if she has a good owner.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

The next T-BOSS meeting has been scheduled for Monday, August 25th.

I initially planned it for the 18th, but there were some folks that were unable to attend on the 18th, so I moved it to the 25th.

This is an ORTIZ for SENATE campaign strategy planning meeting whereby a group of interested persons gather together and brainstorm for effective grass-roots planning.

Topics planned for this meeting will include:

1. VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES. I have a few places already worked out that should bring about some excellent results in registering voters and getting some already registered voters motivated. We will be using a technique that I developed in 2004 that resulted in about 200 new registrations in 1 day.

2. GOTN: Get Out The Name. In my district, having limited access to media... print, radio, TV, we have to use innovative and specialized proven sales and marketing techniques in order to get the name out. We will be brainstorming and discussing how we can do this with the least amount of expenditure.

3. GOTV: Get Out The Vote. WE not only need to get the name out, but get folks motivated to get out and vote on Nov. 4th. We shall be brainstorming to come up with plans to do this in a most effective, yet most cost-efficient manner.

4. Future T-BOSS and other Informational Meetings/Seminars.

5. REPORT-TO-DATE: I will be reporting what has been transpiring to-date, including Financial Report, Old Business, and New Business.

6. FREE DRAWING: We'll be having a drawing for a "door prize" to be given away at the meeting. No, you don't have to buy a ticket. You get a ticket just because you are there.

If you are interested in getting on-board the T-BOSS express and participating (yes, participating... there are now "free rides"... we show up to work and not play), contact me for further information, time, and location.

864.202.8634

or e-mail me through this website and include your phone number and I will call you with the particulars.

Thanks.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

Regarding the comments I made and the predictions I made in my most recent prior BLOG, I said I will be able to say, "I told you so." And I asked y'all to mark my words on that.

Guess what?

I told y'all so.

This morning's paper, having a story entitled, "Can Anderson County Council Put Preston on Paid Leave?", penned by Liz Carey, brought about some interesting news that evidences some of what I wrote in personal, opinionated, speculation in my just previous BLOG.

The County Administrator's contract, which was written by Tom Martin, under the direction of the then County Council members, and not under the direction of the then propectively recruited Mr. Preston, and voted on and approved by Council back then, along with the form of Governmental body established by Anderson County being a Council-Administrator form of Government, dictates that any suspension (or administrative leave) without being for "just cause" enumerated by definition, means that a Breach of Contract would thereby occur, even without the actual suspension (or administrative leave) occuring, but solely just the publicized intent of such action in bad faith.

I could very well understand if the comments of intent to violate the terms of contract, to slander a person, and to act in bad faith came from the hate radio groups, but to be uttered openly, publicly and maliciously... knowingly, wantonly, and willingly by a council member who is an experienced attorney, former State Senator, former Council member (remember the dark ages of Anderson Co. when the downtown area looked like a slum area... were those the days Mr. Waldrep was a County Council member once before)? He, of all people, should know better than to open himself up for litiguous redress and recourse so easily.

I have heard that Mr. Waldrep was a bright legal mind in his heyday, but I have also heard that he has had some recent traumatic experiences whereby his mind may not quite work as well as it once did... and perhaps this is why he has made such legal mistakes which might be cause for individual civil action against him on a personal level. Or maybe it could be cause for action to recall him from his Council position, since he may not be mentally fit to carry out the duties of his office and unfit to actually represent Anderson County properly as a council member. I don't know. These are simply questions that are left begging in my mind.

Or maybe, as per his comments made to the newspaper, "Waldrep said the main issue to remember is who works for whom." (Anderson Independent Mail), it may be exactly what I wondered... a malicious, devious, sly and cunning manner of strategy whereby Mr. Waldrep wants a County Administrator who will be a complete brown-noser to Waldrep?

Maybe Waldrep does not suffer from any mental impairments and simply suffers from maliciously striving toward realizing his own personal agenda?

In any case,

I already

told y'all so.

And I'll be able to say it again and again throughout the next few months. And, I might be able to say it again and again and again throughout the next few years.

Maybe, if the real movers and shakers of Anderson County stood up and spoke their piece and made it a point to let all the council members realize that they prefer to keep making progress rather than to regress to the dark ages and finally succumb to the Depression which is affecting other parts of the country... and even of our very State of SC much more so than here right now... Anderson County Council members would quit playing redneck politics and get back to the business of togetherness, rather than the current redneck divisiveness that is not doing anything good for the County, other than for those few rednecks that wish to bring the rest of the County down to their hate-radio level of thinking.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

This whole political posturing talk of Cindy Wilson and Bob Waldrep was apparently full of hot air and just what it appeared to be... political posturing in order for them to get what they want within their own personal agendas and not really care about the County and the citizens of the County.

At the recent meeting which was to determine how the County was going to have the audit set up, there were a couple of interesting things that came up which should bring concern to ALL of us.

1. Both Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson have been pushing for a (in their own words) "complete, comprehensive, forensic" audit of the county. Well, a few Council meetings ago, they finally got what they were so vociferous about. Ron Wilson proposed a full and complete audit of the County, "whatever it takes", in order to clear up all the mess and divisiveness that have been wantonly caused by these two council members and a small group of people who really care nothing about the PEOPLE, rather they only care about themselves and pushing through their own personal agendas and vendettas. Now that Cindy Wilson and Bob Waldrep are safe for the next 2 years, and have been given exactly what they were crying so much for, they backed off from the "complete, comprehensive, forensic" audit talk and have said that they want to be able to pick and choose, at will and at their own discretion, what will and what will not be included in the audit. Makes you start wondering, huh?

2. This brings to question whether there may be some items of expenditures by certain Council members that may end up pointing to those Council members as being "glass-house residents who throw stones". Are there County expenditures caused by Waldrep and C. Wilson that might not be wanted out in the OPEN? Why else would they suddenly start back-paddling after they have been given exactly what they have been crying boo hoo so much?

3. Perhaps it may not be about them having some of their own hidden skeletons (which I seriously doubt) as much as it being the realization that the audit proposed by Ron Wilson and passed by the majority of Council might end up finally resulting in an end to all of this divisiveness among Council and may prove that all the allegations and accusations in their attempts of personal character assassinations of County employees that have actually been doing their jobs well for the good of the whole, have been unfounded, and thereby these two Council members will end up losing face and any credibility they may have had in the past with the general, intelligent, self-thinker populous of citizenry?

4. Perhaps if a "complete, comprehensive, forensic" audit, as have been the very words of the 2 Councilpersons, is done, and it is finally found that the County Administrator and other County employees, targeted by these two, have done nothing actually illegal, then their divisive tactics would no longer have any credibility and force an impetus whereby the PEOPLE will really see things for what they are and not fall victims to the brainwashing tactics that have been used by these two in collusion with hate radio?

5. And perhaps, with Bob Waldrep now back-paddling and wanting to change things around to his personal benefit, maybe he can slyly and cunningly work his way into weaving that conniving web of grabbing power and complete control over Council?

There are too many questions raised, using the same arguments and "logic" used by the very 2 councilpersons, for this to set well with the citizenry of Anderson County. It looks to me (in my opinion, derived from the events) that this is all just a ploy by Waldrep and Cindy Wilson to have one or the other become Council Chair (which translates to a salary increase, btw), try to finagle a way to get rid of the current County Administrator, no matter the cost, since the current Administrator appears to be more interested in getting progress done for Anderson County to benefit the People of Anderson County as a whole rather than just be a brown-noser to Waldrep.

So, in view of the recent history and the events and actions leading to all this today, I can predict with a degree of certainty that what we will be seeing in the very near future is the following:

A.) Waldrep will try to be the County Council Chair. Cindy Wilson, having some aspirations of her own, will try to be the County Council Chair. A rift may occur there between these two. I have already seen this in the making at a few Council meetings whereby they showed a bit of divisiveness, even though I feel they negotiated some kind of back-door deal in order for each to help each other with their own personal agendas. This won't last long, given their behavioral characteristics.

B.) If Waldrep can get the Administrator and the Finance Officer suspended or placed on administrative leave "while the audit is being performed", and in turn, illegally hire a new, interim administrator and finance officer, he will do everything possible to find someone who will have his nose so far up Waldrep's posterior end that if Waldrep makes a sharp turn, the "interim administrator and finance officer would have their necks broken, or suffer from a bad case of whiplash, at best.

C.) If Waldrep and C. Wilson can finagle their way through this and get away with violating the terms of the type of government has been established officially, and violate the contract of the Administrator and other County employees, by placing these on "administrative leave" and hiring "interim personnel", then, since it has to be proven that some wrong-doing has been actually done contra to laws first, the current Administrator and other targeted employees would still have to be paid their salaries, while the County would also have to additionally pay the salaries of the temporary replacements. Yes, you see where this is going. How can these two councilpersons CLAIM that they are "FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE", yet show a COMPLETE DISREGARD of fiscal responsibility by their actions????? Yes, actions do certainly speak louder than words.

D.) And if Waldrep gets his way, it will end up costing the taxpayers and businesses in Anderson County potentially millions of dollars more than what we have now.

As a person who has been specifically admitted to practice Federal Labor Law and Professor Emeritus of Law, specializing in teaching Administrative Law, I see this whole thing as a potential for multiple tortious and employment rights claims developing against Anderson County, and the County Council members, individually, in the very near future. But I will not make any specific comments regarding the potentials for litiguous actions that could very well develop against the County and individual Council members. We'll wait and see what transpires. But if it does, mark my words, I will then be able to say, "I told y'all so."

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

I have a Class DM Driver's license. This means I am licensed to operate passenger vehicles and Motorcycles. I've had a Motorcycle license since 1975. In fact, I rode a Motorcycle one Summer from Seattle, Washington across the United States and ending in Key West, FL. I was about 22 years old back then when I took my cross-country Summer motorcycle tour.

We are seeing some increasing problems with regard to Mopeds and Scooters. First, we have a problem with the proper enforcement of Moped vs Scooter definitions.

A Moped, as defined by the State of SC is a motor-driven bicycle that is classified as a bicycle. Under SC law, in order for a Moped to be legally a Moped and not classified as a Scooter (which then enters into the classification of Motorcycle and becomes a Motor Vehicle), it requires the engine displacement size to be of less than 50 cc, and have a MAXIMUM speed of 25 mph. Unfortunately, many of the "Mopeds" being sold here in SC have been tweeked up and have had their governors removed in order to allow them to achieve higher speeds. Some of these tweeked up "Mopeds" can travel at speeds of up to about 60 mph!

Now comes the problem I see with this. First of all, we don't need any more laws. The laws are there. Secondly, the ones who are converting the "mopeds" in order to be able to reach higher speeds than 25 mph are breaking the law. Thirdly, here is the problem... law enforcement officers are not enforcing the "moped" law.

I am assuming that the reasoning behind the non-enforcement is because some law enforcement officers may not be aware that a Moped has to fall under the definitions of being a LEGAL Moped in order for it to be classified as a bicycle with a motor on it.

So, why the big deal? What's so wrong with such a thing?

For starters, when you have a Motor Vehcile that can travel at speeds up to 60 mph, then it becomes a safety concern... not just for the operators, but also for the other people on the roads.

If you buy any kind of Motorcycle that is legally operable on the public roads, you are required to take and pass a test that shows at least basic proficiency in the operation of a Motorcycle. This doesn't matter if you want to operate a 1200 cc Hog or a 125 cc Scooter.

Without knowing and understanding the Motor Vehicle laws, and the proper manner of safe operation of a Motorcycle, the person who has bought and is riding a tweeked up "Moped" poses extra dangers and risks to him/herself and to the general public.

Moreover, since "Mopeds" don't require licensing, and don't require any type of liability insurance, we start to see risks of property damage and personal injury to others whereby the damaged person has no recourse for indemnification remedies.

I have no problem with the current law defining what is and what is not a Moped. I think that Mopeds have a viable place in our society as an inexpensive manner of commuting around in a city, where speed limits are reduced to 35 mph or less and a person can more safely operate a Moped at the designated Maximum speed of 25 mph without impeding traffic nor potentially causing an accident.

In fact, I have many times thought about buying a real "Moped" for close-distance, limited transportation at campgrounds and nearby inside city or town limits when we travel, since I could easily load one into the back of my little truck and go and when we get there, we'd save gas getting around to buy groceries, etc.

BUT

When law enforcement officers on patrol notice a "Moped" on the road which is travelling in excess of 25 mph, AND they notice that there is no Motorcycle license tag on the back end, then they have enough probable cause to make an investigative stop and check into why that unlicensed Motor Vehicle is unlicensed, in violation of the law. And if the operator does not have a driver's license, then the operator of the alleged "Moped", which by being converted to travel at higher than the maximum set speeds under the law regarding Mopeds, is Operating a Motor Vehicle WITHOUT a License, and should be subject to being charged as such. And, since the alleged, tweeked up "Moped" is then a Motor Vehicle which has not properly been licensed to be operated on public roads, it then needs to be impounded.

These tweeked up "Mopeds" are the choice of transportation of folks who have had their driver's license suspended for some reason or another. Also, the tweeked up "Mopeds" are now the choice mode of transportation for drug dealers. This doesn't mean that ALL who drive these teweeked up "Mopeds" are drug dealers, drunk, or don't have a driver's license, but I would be willing to speculate that if law enforcement officers began cracking down on the tweeked up "Mopeds" there would be a good number of cases made.

Additionally, the places who sell the tweeked up "Mopeds" as "Mopeds" should also be looked into, since they are many times giving off misinformation to the public. If I were to sell Mopeds and Scooters, I would let a person know that the ones that fall within the definition of a Moped, without needing to be licensed and insured, are the ones that are BOTH under 50 cc, and that their Maximum speed is 25 mph, and if the person wants something to go faster, I would sell them a license-required Scooter or Motorcycle.

Plain.
Simple.
Common Sense.

That's my opinion. What's yours?