Ashley Landess gives Republican Women bad news about State Government
Ashley Landess, President of the South Carolina Policy Council, was the guest speaker at the April luncheon of the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club.
The Policy Council is a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization that has worked diligently to collect data that exposes fraud and corruption in South Carolina Government.
It was the Policy Council that provided the Attorney General with information that ultimately led to the removal of House Speaker Bobby Harrell from office.
It was the Policy Council that led the way in forcing the legislature to record votes and make them available to the public.
The Policy Council is currently exposing problems in the Department of Transportation and Lawmakers whose relatives are making large profits on “sweetheart” state contracts.
Landess commended the Greenville County Republican Women for continuing to support Conservative Republican platform issues.
Alluding to the recent Republican-controlled State House vote in favor of a gasoline tax increase and a vote by the Greenville County Republican Convention in support of a gas tax increase, Landess asked: “Remember when Republicans opposed tax increases?”
The Greenville County Republican Convention vote in favor of the statewide gas tax increase demonstrates the more moderate direction of the Party away from conservative principles stated in the Party Platform, apparently favored by the current county party leadership.
Landess described the gas tax bill now awaiting action in the State Senate as the largest tax increase in 30 years. She added: “It will raise your taxes and will not fix your roads.” Why would we trust the same people who spent the road money in the past to do any differently if they are given more money?”
Landess repeated several times that no more money is needed for road maintenance and if more is provided it will go for new construction and other projects.
She explained that there is no assurance that a promise to reduce income taxes over the next 10 years will ever happen.
As a result of such actions as the vote by the Greenville County Republican Convention implying support of a tax increase, some members of the legislature think their constituents want an increase in gasoline taxes.
Landess said the upstate roads are crumbling because road funds have been funneled into 10 counties represented by a handful of state lawmakers.
She discussed South Carolina “legalized corruption,” that allows the son-in-law of a powerful state senator to have a contract for all signs on state highways.
She said corruption is rampant in Columbia where some lawmakers spend $50,000 to get a job that pays $10,000.
She said there is a lot of talk about tyranny, but we are already experiencing tyranny in Columbia.
“The way to stop corruption and tyranny in Washington, D. C., starts in Columbia, South Carolina,” Landess said.
The South Carolina Policy Council is funded by private donations by citizens and organizations interested in seeking smaller, efficient, honest, transparent government.