In Search of Lizard Woman

Waterskiing at Lake Carolina

2011-07-08T00:17:00.001-04:00

Peachtree Rock

2011-06-26T22:47:00.000-04:00

Wild blackberries

2011-05-22T23:36:00.003-04:00

Giant fortune

2011-05-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

Easter

2011-04-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

NYC

2011-03-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T08:20:00.000-05:00

Vacation at Surfside Beach, SC

2010-08-14T11:45:00.000-04:00

2010-04-04T21:23:00.001-04:00

Halloween

2009-10-31T20:58:00.000-04:00

Wateree River Sweep

2009-09-21T00:40:00.002-04:00

Hilton Head, Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

Edisto Vacation

2009-06-07T21:26:00.002-04:00

Easter kids

2009-04-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

Kids

2009-02-18T01:41:00.002-05:00

More Christmas Cheer

2008-12-24T15:45:00.002-05:00

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

Guest Column in The State

2008-12-17T13:26:00.000-05:00

Look who's bankrolling legislative races now

By ROSS SHEALY - Guest Columnist

Paul Farago ... does that name ring a bell?

Probably not.

Even if you consider yourself an authority on South Carolina politics, you probably don’t know who he is. But perhaps you should, because he’s trying to take over your government.

In 2006, Paul Farago was a Portland, Ore., acupuncturist. Alternative medicine must have been booming in the Pacific Northwest, because Farago spent the year sending $1,000 checks to S.C. House campaigns — a total of $16,000. He funded unsuccessful candidates such as Republican Sheri Few and Democrat Annie McDaniel, and successful candidates such as Republicans Jeff Duncan and Kit Spires.

That’s a lot of money, but I’m guessing I haven’t jogged your memory. You’re still not familiar with Paul Farago. Never read his name in the newspaper or seen his face on the nightly news.

This year Paul Farago upped the ante. He’s relocated to Asheville, N.C., and contributed, as far as we know, another $25,000 in maximum contributions to candidates around our state. He’s helped fund unsuccessful races such as Democratic House candidate Zina Manning (who?) and Republican Senate candidate Katrina Shealy. He’s also helped finance successful candidates, such as incumbent senators Kevin Bryant and Greg Ryberg. All told, Paul Farago has fired off $1,000 checks to more than 20 candidates in more than 20 counties this year.

If you still have no clue who Paul Farago is, and why he treats our state politics like his own personal World Series of Poker, don’t feel bad. The fact is, you aren’t supposed to know about Paul Farago, or that he’s going all in to shape our Legislature.

You aren’t supposed to know, but I’ll tell you anyway.

Farago is what I call a deputy for Howard Rich, the shadowy sheriff of the S.C. voucher lobby. Rich is the New York millionaire who has been exposed as the financier of South Carolinians for Responsible Government and other pro-voucher/tuition tax credit lobbying groups in our state. According to tax filings, Farago is a director of Americans for Limited Government, a national fund chaired by Rich.

Farago is one of several underlings whose money follows Mr. Rich’s own cash into the accounts of private school voucher candidates around the state.

There’s Joseph Stilwell of New York, a director of Howard Rich’s U.S. Term Limits. He contributed $36,000 in 2008, and $37,000 in 2006.

There’s Doug Levine of Miami, a former director of Rich’s Legislative Education Action Drive. He’s contributed $22,000 this year, and $34,000 in 2006.

These three gentlemen in Howard Rich’s inner circle of political associates have shelled out $170,000 since 2006.

And there are a few other deputies as well. Along with the 30 LLCs Howard Rich uses to get around our state’s contribution limits, this small but moneyed network has pumped more than $600,000 into S.C. races in 2008. By the time disclosures from last month’s general election are submitted, this figure likely will exceed $1 million.

These funders constitute the biggest special interest in the state — by far — leveraging their resources in an effort to build a Legislature that will pass vouchers.

In-state clearinghouses established by Rich recruit candidates and fund them almost entirely with this bundled out-of-state cash — targeting lawmakers who champion strong public schools.

As I discuss this threat with various civic groups, the question I am invariably asked is, “Why?”

Why does this network of Howard Rich associates spend so much to shape our government into one that will pass vouchers, against the will of most S.C. voters?

The answer is perhaps more unsettling than the funding scheme itself.

In addition to being a Howard Rich deputy, Paul Farago is a signatory of a peculiar pledge that reads: “I proclaim publicly that I favor ending government involvement in education.”

It’s the pledge of the California-based Alliance for Separation of School and State. It’s the mantra of a school privatization ideology that is national in scope, yet focused like a laser beam on the Palmetto State. And it’s an oath adhered to by disciples of an ideology that considers public schools flawed by definition.

You won’t hear much about that from the voucher/tax credit groups in South Carolina. When they talk, they use words such as “parental choice” instead of “privatization,” and steer clear of phrases like “ending government involvement in education.”

But no matter how nicely it is packaged by in-state operatives, Howard Rich’s voucher and tax credit agenda is fueled by an ideology that views public education with contempt, and sees vouchers as a means to an end of school privatization.

That’s why you should know who Paul Farago is, even if you aren’t supposed to.

Mr. Shealy, who lives in Cayce with his wife and children, is the writer of the Web sites Barbecue & Politics and Buying South Carolina. He is also a consultant for the S.C. Association of School Administrators.

Scenes from UHSP 2008

2008-12-01T20:51:00.002-05:00

Halloween

2008-11-02T16:19:00.003-05:00

Pumpkins

2008-10-19T22:11:00.003-04:00

State Fair

2008-10-16T23:53:00.002-04:00

Big tree, little kids

2008-07-27T23:14:00.002-04:00

Myrtle Beach Days

2008-06-29T20:25:00.001-04:00

Signs pre-school is on summer break

2008-05-28T21:56:00.003-04:00

Return of the Carolina Parakeet?

2008-04-30T23:02:00.005-04:00

My little guy and I were looking out the back door today and saw this bird in our yard. It doesn't look like one of Cayce's native species.

Anybody missing a yellow bird?

Edisto River Canoe Trip

2008-04-17T02:31:00.001-04:00

Easter 2008

2008-04-01T22:30:00.002-04:00

Under the theory "better late than never":

Sweethearts

2008-02-11T19:51:00.001-05:00

2008-01-21T00:41:00.001-05:00

Return of the Lizard Man

2008-01-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T09:02:00.000-05:00

The Only Thing I Want for Christmas

2007-12-20T01:58:00.000-05:00

The Lizard Man

2007-11-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

Congaree National Park

2007-11-05T23:23:00.000-05:00

Guest Column in The State

2007-10-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

Wearing many masks

By ROSS SHEALY - Guest Columnist

Disguise is the hallmark of the Halloween holiday.

Masked villains appear in “don’t-go-in-there” late-night television movies that are unearthed in an annual Halloween ritual. Storefronts go from humdrum to haunted — decked out in skeletons, cobwebs and bats. And, most importantly, children go door to door dressed as pirates, superheroes and a seemingly endless roster of Disney-inspired princesses.

But when you have to do it year-round, disguising yourself isn’t nearly as easy. If you don’t believe it, ask libertarian real estate tycoon Howard Rich.

Last Halloween, as the November elections approached, Rich was busy funding South Carolina legislative candidates through various limited-liability companies based in his New York apartment. Like a trick-or-treater who changes his mask and knocks again and again, Rich was skirting our state’s contribution limits in an effort to build a Legislature that would pass his voucher bill.

Also at this time last year, Rich had a handful of “grassroots” groups in various states, hoping that with the right name and the right Web site, the groups would blend into the local political landscape and promote his ideology as if it were local sentiment.

So one Halloween later, how is the year-round costume party holding up?

Not so well, actually.

Despite an infusion of more than $160,000 from his LLC’s and other companies into the campaign accounts of several South Carolina candidates, Rich still didn’t have the numbers in the General Assembly to promote his voucher agenda in the Palmetto State. Once again, in 2007, his Put Parents in Charge bill was defeated in the Legislature. Further, the biggest financial beneficiary of his dodgy funding scheme, superitendent [sic] of education candidate Karen Floyd, came up short in her bid for statewide office — despite more than $50,000 in contributions associated with Rich.

Not only is the LLC funding scheme proving not so effective, it may be in its dying days. Around the country, states are getting wise to this method of circumventing contribution limits. Colorado closed its LLC loophole in July, after 25 LLC’s owned by just two businessmen each gave the maximum contribution to a candidate for governor last year. Earlier this month, a Baltimore businessman was slapped with a $119,000 fine by Maryland authorities for using 20 corporations for which he was the sole stockholder to pump more than $100,000 into statewide political campaigns.

But for all the trouble, cloaking political contributions under the names of various LLC’s still seems to be Howard Rich’s primary mode of operation. In the last few months, Rich has used at least seven of his LLC’s to inject $60,000 into legislative races in Louisiana, where his latest school voucher group has been established.

So what about the other aspect of Rich’s masquerade ball, the “grass-roots” groups he fields around the country?

In Missouri, the group was called “Missourians in Charge,” a name that might lead you to believe that the strings were pulled by, well, Missourians. In fact, Howard Rich funneled more than $2.3 million into the group through various national funds he controls, while actual Missourians donated only $150. Missourians in Charge was dissolved earlier this year, less than 12 months after its creation, after failing to petition two measures onto the Missouri ballot.

Oklahoma has been even less hospitable to its Rich-funded “grass-roots” organization, “Oklahomans in Action.” Last year, a national fund chaired by Rich paid 97 percent of the bills for Oklahomans in Action. But instead of putting actual Okies “in action” to gather signatures for its initiatives, the group used migrant out-of-state workers, contrary to state law. Earlier this month, the president of Oklahomans in Action was indicted on two felony counts — conspiracy to defraud the state and filing a fraudulent initiative petition.

And, in Montana, the state attorney general is investigating the finances of a group called “Montanans in Action,” after that group’s ballot initiatives were invalidated last year due to “pervasive fraud.” Most analysts, and even Montana’s governor, suspect Howard Rich is behind the group.

Here in South Carolina, Rich’s main affiliate, South Carolinians for Responsible Government, doesn’t seem to be doing much better than its counterparts around the country. While SCRG has spent millions trying to convince us that South Carolinians are bitterly divided about vouchers, a recent Furman report reveals that South Carolinians are largely united behind commonsense, real reforms in our schools, and that there is little support in the public at large for diverting public money to private schools through vouchers.

The upshot of all of this, I guess, is that it’s not easy to fake it. It’s hard work, even for a millionaire.

So this Halloween, whether you dress up as coach Steve Spurrier, the Lizard Man of Lee County or the latest Disney princess, go all out. Remember that the best costumes are made, not bought, and be thankful that whatever costume you choose, you only have to wear it one night a year.

Mr. Shealy is the writer of the Barbecue & Politics blog, http://scbarbecue.blogspot .com. He lives in Cayce with his wife and kids.

"Shealy Kids"

2007-10-23T23:16:00.000-04:00

Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve

2007-10-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

South Carolina State Fair

2007-10-17T00:00:00.002-04:00

Peachtree Rock

2007-10-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

SC Responds to Genocide: Darfur Rally at the State House

2007-10-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

The kid loves letters

2007-09-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

Kids at Hilton Head

2007-09-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

IOP

2007-08-18T13:47:00.001-04:00

Guest column in The State

2007-08-10T08:07:00.000-04:00

Fishy grassroots work for vouchers

By ROSS SHEALY - Guest Columnist

Does it seem to you that there’s a ton of “grassroots” organizations vouching for the Put Parents in Charge private school tax credit plan lately?

There’s the “South Carolina Center for Grassroots and Community Alternatives.” Then there’s the “Southern Association of Black Independent Schools.” And there’s an entity calling itself “Clergy for Educational Options.”

Seems like an impressive array of independent, noticeably African-American groups, all in support of the latest iteration of Put Parents in Charge. Right?

It seems that way, but with the out-of-state voucher lobby, things are hardly ever what they seem.

It all sounded a little fishy from the get-go, these new groups emerging to promote a voucher scheme that most of South Carolina’s black leaders soundly reject. Only one member of the Legislative Black Caucus supported the latest private school tax credit plan, and his seat was practically purchased outright for that purpose. Rep. Curtis Brantley, D-Beaufort, received a stunning 84 percent of his campaign funds from out of state last year. He used this flood of voucher cash to win by fewer than 200 votes.

Sensing that something was awry, I decided to check out these new, seemingly independent voucher groups.

According to the S.C. Secretary of State Web site, C.E.O. and the Southern Association of Black Independent Schools registered as nonprofits in 2005. Both registered from the same address: 1620 Gervais Street, Suite B.

1620 Gervais, Suite B, must have been an awfully congested place to work in 2005. In addition to these two groups, the office was the address of the Center for Grassroots and Community Alternatives. It was also the address of South Carolinians for Responsible Government, the main proponent of the voucher agenda in South Carolina.

Four “independent” voucher groups all sharing the same office? That doesn’t seem very independent at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure under Utah law they’d be considered married.

But it wasn’t a lack of money that made 1620 Gervais, Suite B, as crowded as a clown car in 2005. According to tax records, more than $1 million was poured into SCRG — and almost a half million dollars more into the Center for Grassroots — in 2005.

So where’d all this voucher cash come from?

That’s the $1.5 million question.

At first blush, SCRG’s earliest tax filing, from 2004, seems to feature a glaring error. Although the organization’s address is accurate (1620 Gervais St, Suite B), the group’s phone number is listed as one in the 847 area code.

If you don’t recall “847” being a South Carolina area code, that’s because it isn’t. The phone number belonged to Howard Rich’s U.S. Term Limits organization, headquartered in Illinois.

Huh?

Millionaire real estate developer Howard Rich, as you may know, is a New York libertarian who almost singlehandedly bankrolls the voucher faction in South Carolina. Last year, Rich spent more than any other entity funding Palmetto State candidates.

Howard Rich spent $166,000 on legislative seats and statewide elections in 2006 — far more than Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bell South, the S.C. Truckers Association or any other company or trade group with actual ties to our state. Rich gets around our state’s contribution limits by funding candidates through various entities that he controls: Bayrich LLC, Bradford Management, Dayrich LLC, Ashborough Investors, Spooner LLC, Spinksville LLC — these are just a few of the corporations Rich uses to exploit our campaign finance law.

Three sitting legislators, Reps. Mick Mulvaney, Jim Harrison and Kit Spires, received at least $9,000 — many times the legal limit from one person — from these numerous LLC’s last year. Superintendent of education candidate Karen Floyd received more than $50,000 from this dodgy funding scheme.

These phenomenal figures don’t even include thousands in contributions from the pro-voucher “S.C. Club for Growth,” which Rich oversees as president of “Club for Growth State Action” (with the same 847 phone number).

All this brings us back to the voucher groups from Suite B. Are all of these groups actual “independent” voices for vouchers? Or does Howard Rich thinks he can outwit the average South Carolinian the same way he flaunts our state’s campaign laws, with a barrage of seemingly independent groups that are actually all part of the same hydra-headed creature?

It’s a question that probably answers itself, but here’s a hint: SCRG and the Center for Grass Roots have since moved across town, to a shared office at 3020 Devine St. — the same address as the S.C. Club for Growth.

The average voter doesn’t have the time or inclination to follow the breadcrumbs — the shared long-distance phone numbers, the shared offices, the bewildering funding scheme — to arrive at the true origin of the private school voucher lobbying groups.

But give us Sandlappers some credit. It’s easy to see that the only voices vouching for the Howard Rich’s school voucher agenda are those groups created to do just that.

Mr. Shealy publishes Barbecue & Politics, available online at http://scbarbecue.blogspot.com. He lives in Cayce with his wife and kids.

2007-06-20T23:34:00.000-04:00

"Ryan's Bill" becomes law

2007-06-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

Greenville News:

The state House stood and applauded today after voting 114-0 to override Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of a bill requiring insurance coverage for autistic children.

Earlier, the Senate voted to override as well, and advocates called it "a momentous day" for children with autism and their families…

"How often has there been a unanimous override in the House and the Senate?" said Dr. Desmond Kelly, medical director of developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Greenville Hospital System's Children's Hospital. "The legislators were clear in their support, and that's great."

Spartanburg Herald-Journal:

The Legislature also overrode Sanford's veto of a bill that would require insurance companies to provide coverage for children with autism. After the House overturned the veto by a 114-0 vote, Rep. Jimmy Bales, D-Eastover, looked at the tally board and with a grin said, "Now that's an override."

2007-06-03T22:20:00.001-04:00

2007-05-27T13:15:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Garden City, SC

2007-05-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

Future spelling bee champ

2007-04-25T20:38:00.001-04:00

Easter Bunnies

2007-04-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

Future zoologist

2007-03-19T00:18:00.001-04:00

St. Pat's in Five Pts.

2007-03-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

The kids at the Riverwalk

2007-03-13T00:05:00.000-04:00

Pics from C3 Benefit Concert

2007-03-12T23:42:00.000-04:00

Trent Jeffcoat performs The South's "Thinking About You."

Patrick Davis performs Sourwood Honey's "Here Today."

Chris Conner

Cuter than counting sheep

2007-03-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

365 days ago today...

2007-02-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

Snow Day

2007-02-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Greatest Show on Earth comes to ColaTown

2007-01-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

Mama's 50!!!

2007-01-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

Playing around

2007-01-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

SC Aquarium

2007-01-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

St. Nick comes to Cayce

2006-12-26T23:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas Lights at the Zoo

2006-12-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

More Christmas Spirit...

2006-12-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Christmas Angels

2006-12-11T15:50:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Cayce

2006-12-06T23:07:00.000-05:00

Patrick Davis - Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County

2006-11-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the wife and I went to see the pride of Camden at a benefit concert for Toys for Tots. Patrick Davis is a first-rate performer and songwriter, and I definitely advise seeing him live. Some of his songs are straight-up rock and roll barn-burners, and then he throws in a gospel sing-along like "Amazing Grace" or "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

The Fine Arts Center was a unique place to see him play. Come to think of it, every other time I've seen Patrick, it's been in Five Points - Five Points After Five, Pub on Santee, St. Patty's Day, what have you. This auditorium, by way of contrast, had movie-theater style seats and an actual stage with functional stage-lights. The sad part is that I kinda enjoyed the more "chill" atmosphere of the auditorium.

Also, being a hometown show and all, Patrick's little sister joined him on-stage. She sang "Angel from Montgomery" and accompanied him on a couple other songs. And his dad played electric guitar for most of the concert.

Patrick's first "major" album (pictured) is great, and you can listen to it here, at his website. You can also find it at Manifest Discs and Tapes (and occassionally you can find Davis's "demo" album there, too). My personal favorite tracks are "Maybe Tonight" and "This Life." Take a listen, and buy it for yourself for Christmas. You won't be sorry!

Slow and steady... (well, slow at least)

2006-11-13T23:41:00.000-05:00

Edwin at Newberry Opera House

2006-11-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I finally got to redeem my birthday present from some friends, when we all headed out to Newberry to see SC's native son, Edwin McCain, in concert. I've never seen a bad Edwin McCain show, and I've never seen a bad concert at the NOH, so I knew it would be great.

Here's the setlist, although the order might be a little bit off:

Gramercy Park Hotel
Shooting Stars
Kentucky
See off this Mountain
White Crosses
Rhythm of Life
One Thing Left to Do
Lost in America
I Could Not Ask For More
I'll Be
Radio Star
Take Me
Prayer to St. Peter

Thanks, Micky & Steph!

Halloween pics

2006-11-03T00:41:00.000-05:00

In this house, Halloween starts at the beginning of the October when Mama hauls the kids to get their picture taken, and doesn't end until we turn off the porch light on the 31st. In between, there's Boo at the Zoo, pumpkin shopping, a pre-school party, and a couple "grownup" costume parties. Here's some pics of the month-long affair...

Halloween guest column

2006-10-31T12:15:00.000-05:00

Rich’s one-man costume party
By ROSS SHEALY
Guest Columnist

Have you ever seen a one-man costume party?

If not, take a close look at the most recent campaign finance disclosures. When you do, you’ll see that the millionaire who finances the South Carolina voucher lobby is playing dress-up for Halloween.

New York libertarian Howard Rich is busy using an arsenal of disguises to bankroll private school tax-credit supporters here in the Palmetto State.

It works like this: Rich makes the maximum legal contribution of $3,500 to a pro-voucher candidate, under the name of “Bradford Management.” Then he makes another contribution, to the same candidate, as “Spinksville LLC.” And then he makes another, as “Ashborough Investors.” Then another, as “405 49 Associates” — you get the idea.

And there are more: Spooner LLC. Bayrich LLC. Dayrich LLC. 538-14 Realty LLC. West 14 & 18 LLC. 123 LaSalle Associates. Just to name a few.

Some of these shell companies list Howard Rich’s Big Apple apartment as their primary address. Others purport to be located at an alternate address, but have a “principal” address at his New York residence.

One point of all this masquerading is to bypass our state campaign contribution limit. Rich is the kid who solicits candy at your doorstep, changes his mask and knocks again. And again and again and again. Only Rich isn’t begging for sweets, he’s giving out wads of out-of-state voucher cash.

Superintendent of education candidate Karen Floyd’s disclosures, available online at the State Ethics Commission Web site, are an out-and-out Howard Rich costume ball. The Manhattan developer contributed $13,000 to Floyd during the past three months, and more than $55,000 so far this year.

It’s the same trick Rich used to funnel money to several State House candidates in the June primary. It’s the same tired ploy he has used to furnish Mark Sanford with more than $30,000 so far this campaign.

Playing dress-up is nothing new to Howard Rich. His favorite pastime seems to be paying for organizations around the country and disguising them as grass-roots efforts.

There’s “Oklahomans for Good Government.” It’s a convincing-enough name, until you see who funded the group’s million-dollar pet initiative. More than $600,000 came from Rich; actual Oklahomans contributed less than 1 percent to the cause.

Then there’s Missourians in Charge. This Kansas City group masquerades as “grass-roots,” but is also funded almost entirely by Rich. Rich has plowed more than $2.3 million into the group’s bank account; actual Missourians furnished only $150.

And there’s Montanans in Action, an outfit in Big Sky Country, also financed by Rich.

In all three states, courts have removed Howard Rich’s initiatives from the November ballot for reasons ranging from the use of illegal, out-of-state petitioners to “pervasive fraud.”

Which brings us to the Palmetto State. Here, the major lobbying group for Gov. Sanford’s twice-failed voucher bill “Put Parents in Charge” gets squeamish when asked to show its funding. “South Carolinians for Responsible Government,” as the group calls itself, would rather sue the state than tell us whether it is just another deceptively named Howard Rich subsidiary. Like those other groups, SCRG wants people to think it is “grass-roots.” But it’s easy enough to see where SCRG is really rooted.

Howard Rich chairs the “Parents in Charge Foundation,” which calls itself a “key participant” in the S.C. voucher effort. SCRG’s first executive director was a former “field representative” of Howard Rich’s “U.S. Term Limits.”

Rich’s masquerading goes beyond playing sugar daddy to candidates and state puppet groups. His assortment of national funds is as impressive as his list of shell companies. US Term Limits. Parents in Charge. Fund for Democracy. Club for Growth State Action. Americans for Limited Government. Legislative Education Action Drive.

The point is, it’s easy to get tangled in this spider web of out-of-state cash. Figuring out which fund Howard Rich uses to float which puppet group can be mind-numbing. If the groups hide their funding, it can be nearly impossible.

That’s no accident. Besides skirting contribution limits, there’s a more fundamental purpose behind this shell game.

That purpose is to hide the fact that Rich’s initiatives are fueled by an ideology that loathes government, abhors public schools and despises the state laws that stand in its way. It’s essentially Halloween in reverse — the benign masks are there to hide the extremist ideology that lies beneath.

Howard Rich’s cash is the lifeblood of our state’s voucher lobby, and there’s plenty of money available for those who will cater to his cause.

Mr. Shealy resides in Cayce with his wife and children.

South Carolina State Fair

2006-10-22T17:08:00.000-04:00

Our son was too young (and sniffly) to enjoy he fair this year, but his Sissy got a double dose of fun!

Random Red Dot #1 - Charleston Highway

2006-10-07T01:26:00.000-04:00

Okra Strut Weekend

2006-09-30T23:42:00.000-04:00

The Familia Shealy-a went out to Irmo this weekend, for the annual Okra Strut festival. Check out the cover of the special issue of the Irmo News, showing my oldest monkey trying her first piece of fried okra last year!

Something tells me her Uncle Moose had a hand in that...

This year our little cover-girl got to ride a few rides, like the caterpillar and the hot air balloons and the bouncy room. The little guy could only watch.

Sounds like "Daddy" to me...

2006-09-26T21:35:00.000-04:00

Video post

2006-09-17T21:34:00.000-04:00

Here's my two-year-old being a monkey.

Cone... gone!

2006-09-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

My heart skipped a beat this weekend as we passed by the illuminated neon "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign on 12th Street and headed into Triangle City. Something was awry, and it wasn't just the fact that Triangle City is neither a triangle nor a city. After all, Mount Pleasant is not a mount, nor is it pleasant, and I've never thought twice about it. But I digress.

It was the skyline -- an emblem of my youth was missing. The towering, chocolate-glazed ice cream cone, one of the Seven Wonders of West Columbia, was gone.

Calm down, calm down. The enormous Zesto ice cream cone is only temporarily AWOL.

Apparently, they've had a few inquiries. This explanation was in the window to pacify the unruly masses, and provide a picture tutorial for "giant cone removal."

Pics from the beach

2006-08-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

Dylan in Disgusta

2006-08-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

We piled in the car and headed to Lake Olmstead Park (home of the Augusta Green Jackets) on Thursday for one of the best Bob Dylan concerts I've seen.

(The best was at the Township, night before Easter, 2004.)

Highlights on Thursday were "Positively 4th St.," "Hwy 61" and "Like a Rolling Stone," but the entire show was smoking.

Setlist:

1. Maggie's Farm
2. The Times They Are A-Changin'
3. Lonesome Day Blues
4. Positively 4th Street
5. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
6. 'Til I Fell In Love With You
7. To Ramona
8. Cold Irons Bound
9. Girl Of The North Country
10. Highway 61 Revisited
11. Sugar Baby
12. Summer Days
Encores:
13. Like A Rolling Stone
14. All Along The Watchtower

More response to column in The State's letters to the editor

2006-08-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

Shealy failed to get facts straight before launching attack

Ross Shealy (“On barbecue, politics and what defies parody,” Aug. 1) exemplifies the ignorance and vitriol of the fanatical left.

Mr. Shealy is a coward hiding behind a slippery keyboard. For the record, Mr. Shealy never contacted me and does not know a wit about me, my business or the disease that 20 million people, including me, suffer from. Rather than a doctor’s note, Mr. Shealy needs a lesson in reporting facts. They are:

I have had Lyme disease for 14 years, have been hospitalized on too many occasions to recall (even when appearing pretty in pink). I sit on the Board of Dispoz-o Products Inc., a major manufacturer of plastic disposable products that has done great good for humankind, exceeded only by the greater shame Mr. Shealy brings to journalism. I am a founding director of the Philadelphia Trust Company. We have broken more records for funds under management than Shealy has writing any reputable news.

I have never signed a pledge to support the Alliance for Separation of School and State.

I have a passion for kids, freedom, excellence, learning and the American way. South Carolina would not be left behind if organizations such as the National Education Association would get out of the way.

One of the hardest things I have ever done was resign from the Education Oversight Committee. Maybe I should have asked Mr. Shealy to chauffeur me back and forth between Greenville and Columbia, because I temporarily lost my hearing and eyesight and could have used a good seeing-eye pit bull.

The S.C. Club for Growth knew I was ill and recruited me as a board member. This is one of the savviest groups of people I have had the pleasure to join. It waited for me to get well and work the phones.

So, what else does Mr. Shealy want to know that’s fit to print? He should call me sometime. I’ll be happy to supply the facts, only when he stops writing bad fiction.

KAREN IACOVELLI

Greer

Scenes from Sonia & Sumeet's wedding

2006-08-12T23:30:00.000-04:00

Response to column in The State's letters to the editor

2006-08-04T21:14:00.000-04:00

Shealy hits bottom by mocking disease

It is always sad when political discourse turns to pathetic name-calling. In that vein, Ross Shealy (“On barbecue, politics and what defies parody”) hit a new low Tuesday when he mocked one of our board members’ difficult battle with Lyme disease.

Karen Iacovelli is a well-respected businesswoman in Greenville as well as an experienced and renowned constitutional attorney. She has served our state well as a member of the Education Oversight Committee, until her health deteriorated to a point where she could no longer serve. I hope and pray that when she fully recovers from this awful disease she may be able to resume her excellent service to our state.

While I disagree with many points in his column, the author has proven himself not even worthy of engaging in legitimate debate. To point out (and argue) with points of fact and opinion are one thing; to make jokes about anyone’s life-threatening illness is morally reprehensible and well beyond the bounds of acceptable civil discourse. Surely, The State would not print opinion pieces mocking cancer or AIDS patients; why, then, print this piece?

Shame on Ross Shealy for his cowardly attack on the health of a public servant, and shame on The State for printing it.

JOSHUA GROSS
Executive Director
South Carolina Club For Growth
Lexington

Today's guest column

2006-08-02T00:50:00.000-04:00

On barbecue, politics and things too weird to parody

By ROSS SHEALY, Guest columnist

For almost a year, I published an Internet weblog known as “Barbecue & Politics,” in which I tried to put a humorous spin on S.C. government, politics and culture.

I conjured up the Andrebahn, a fictitious freeway for the sole use of a speedy lieutenant governor. I spoofed our lost AAA credit rating by having the state’s governor and treasurer take out a title loan on the deed to the Palmetto State. Then there was the colorblind merchant who opened the first “green dot” liquor store.

I occasionally reviewed barbecue restaurants — hence the name. But even in the buckle of the Mustard Belt, I found far more political follies to satirize than pulled pork to criticize.

I also found that some aspects of state politics require no parody.

Case in point: the tomfoolery of South Carolina’s voucher lobby as it tries to resemble a native, grass-roots effort. If you aren’t closely following the shenanigans of the group behind “Put Parents in Charge,” I submit that you may be missing out on one of the best political comedies in state history.

Take Karen Iacovelli. This outspoken voucher supporter bills herself as the “director” of Dispoz-o, an Upstate plastic cutlery company. This year, Dispoz-o has forked over thousands of dollars to the campaigns of pro-voucher candidates Mark Sanford and Karen Floyd.

No big surprise. Last autumn, Sanford appointed Iacovelli to the Education Oversight Committee, the group that oversees the improvements to S.C. public schools. Among her qualifications, according to her bio, was her adviser role in “United New Yorkers for Choice in Education.”

Sadly, Iacovelli didn’t even get a full year to impart her Yankee know-how. In March, meddling political bloggers like myself ascertained that she had signed a pledge stating, “I publicly proclaim that I favor ending government involvement in education.”

Oops.

The oath, curious for someone overseeing public schools, is the mantra of the California-based “Alliance for Separation of School and State” — which I suspect rarely if ever abbreviates its name.

A few days after the revelation, Iacovelli resigned from the EOC, citing health reasons related to Lyme disease. She quickly assumed a more suitable post on the board of the pro-voucher S.C. Club for Growth. In other words, it seems the “tick” involved in Iacovelli’s departure from the EOC was the tick of the time bomb she represented for Sanford and the voucher lobby. It was an altogether peculiar episode, made funnier by the fact that Sanford wants the superintendent of education to be a governor-appointed position.

Then there’s South Carolinians for Responsible Government, the voucher lobby group that calls itself “grass roots,” yet is reluctant to reveal its funding or membership. The group has been notoriously sloppy with such things as numbers and names.

In early May, a spokesman reported a depth of “2,000 grass-roots supporters” to The State. By the next week, the group had ballooned to a “statewide grassroots organization of 200,000 citizens,” according to its guest column in the Greenville News.

From 2,000 to 200,000 in a matter of days. When things grow that quickly, you can bet there’s some manure involved.

The group released a radio ad in June that bungled the pronunciation of its own name. The spot was standard fare, right up to the point when the sugary female voice mentioned “South Caro-LINE-ians for Responsible Government.”

News flash: Neil Diamond doesn’t have a song called “Sweet Carolyn,” and Sandlappers aren’t referred to as “South Caro-LINE-ians.”

If you’re like me, all these “United New Yorkers,” California-based alliances and “South Caro-LINE-ians” trigger your innate ain’t-from-around-here reflex. That’s because, while all the clowning around occurs here at home, the ringmaster of the Voucher Circus hangs his top hat in New York.

Howard Rich is the millionaire libertarian who appears to shoulder the financial burden of the S.C. voucher effort through countless intermediary “companies” based in his SoHo apartment. In addition to bankrolling several would-be legislators, he’s flouted the intent of the state’s $3,500 contribution limits to subsidize the Sanford and Floyd campaigns with more than $30,000 and $40,000, respectively.

To Howard Rich, an “LLC” is a Libertarian Loophole for Contributions. And he has plenty of them. According to the latest ethics filings, Floyd received $14,000 from Rich in one day. On another day, he provided her with a paltry $10,500. All told, he apparently was responsible for nearly a quarter of her contributions for the filing period.

The attempted influence of this one-man voucher lobby is far-reaching, from his position on the Club for Growth “leadership council” to his prop-up organizations in several states, which typically carry grass-roots, native names like Missourians in Charge and Oklahomans in Action.

But we just don’t know if Rich bankrolls South Carolinians for Responsible Government. It’s a huge mystery (wink, wink).

Suffice it to say that when we chuckle at the shoddy radio ads, nutty oaths and erstwhile appointments, we are — quite literally — having a laugh at Howard Rich’s expense. It’s a comedy well worth the price of admission, especially since we aren’t footing the bill.

Jim DeMint probably doesn’t know every word to the musical “RENT,” and the Lizard Man may never actually try to unseat Congressman John Spratt, though both have been dutifully documented in my corner of the blogosphere.

But if, like me, you appreciate a good farce, look no further than the “South Carolina” voucher lobby. It is, in many ways, its own best parody.

Mr. Shealy lives in Cayce with his wife and children. The archives of Barbecue and Politics are at http://scbarbecue.blogspot.com.