The State to Taxpayers: Drop Dead

Things have been getting feisty in comments. Please keep it topical.

In comments, they say I'm a bad man. They say I'm too hard on The State. It's not fair to call them "anti-taxpayer" and "pro-Big Government."

Alright then, what am I supposed to make of this piece, then, in which The State lays out that its official editorial position is that it is impossible for South Carolinians to pay too much in their taxes and thereby deserve a refund? I kid you not. Here's the relevant passage:

What’s not a good idea is the constant call in some quarters to “refund” the surplus money to taxpayers, as if any taxpayers had paid more than they were supposed to: People paid precisely what they were supposed to pay; the economists simply under-estimated how much that was going to be. Of course taxes should be cut if they’re too high, or if we don’t really need the money they generate for important expenditures; but by any objective standard, neither is the case.

If that's not anti-taxpayer and pro-Big Government, what is?

Brad Warthen, Enemy of Freedom

Is there anyone who hates freedom as much as Brad Warthen? I'm beginning to think that Kim Jong Il's North Korea could only become more of a slave state if he handed over the palace keys to the editor of The State. It seems that to Brad, good results when the people in charge do as he says. It's not about leaving people free to choose while making sure that they don't hit people, steal stuff, defraud or threaten. No. It's about TOTAL CONTROL.

Take this opinion piece on smoking. Brad Warthen doesn't like to smoke. Good for him, good for his lungs. That's great. But he also doesn't like it when other people smoke. Okay, I can think of a few choice words (like mind your damn business, or butt out, or you can go ahead and shove it) but y'know, I'll listen to anybody.

Maybe Mormonism is right and I never knew? It's always worth it to listen to a missionary.

Anyway, so Brad doesn't like to smoke. He doesn't like it when other people smoke. Fine. Now here's the kicker: he doesn't like it when other people smoke on a third party's property.

Now really, what the hell?

You don't own the restaurant. No one's forcing you to go to the restaurant. No one's forcing anybody to go to the restaurant.

But all of a sudden Brad Warthen goes all totalitarian. He starts expressing concern for my lungs and heart. Like he's smarter than everyone else. He starts bloviating like he has some sort of human right to dine at any restaurant and make it operate according to his standards. Hell, he doesn't even think it's good enough if they have a smoking and a non-smoking section. Everyone must obey!

Note to Brad: It's not your damn restaurant. If you want smoke-free, go to McDonald's—I hear they even have a few in South Carolina. Or you can go to any one of the 10 million other smoke free restaurants in South Carolina.

The point is this: You're not the king. You're not the only person with rights. I don't tell you what to do in your house, you should extend the same courtesy to my home and business.

Telling people what they can and can't do on their property is un-American. Brad should be ashamed but you can rest assured he's not. Sadly, he has a lot of company.

Should the state prosecute The State?

Let's face it, the puff piece on Jakie Knotts contains nothing of any news value. It's not so much an article as a sort of campaign flier for Jakie that will help get him the publicity and recognition boost that he needs to make his signature drive successful. A successful signature drive gets Jakie on the ballot with the hope that he can take votes from Sanford and thus propel the corrupt, incompetent fool known as Tommy Moore into the Governor's Mansion. Once Moore has been installed, The State can exert more influence on government which will lead to them raising your taxes higher and faster. Hooray, The State!

Anyone who is conscious can see that this is what's going on. We all know that Jakie Knotts is not one of our smarter South Carolinians. But even he can see this: Clearly, The State, in providing wholly unwarranted news coverage on A-1, above the fold, is contributing to his campaign. It's adding to the fame, prestige, and morale of the campaign. Insofar as it is a "major" newspaper, this type of contribution is not the type that you can even purchase.

Lately, The State has been whimpering incessantly like a small girl with a skinned knee about so-called "illicit contributions." These were private individual making donations out of their own pockets to support lower taxes for all.

I don't know about you, but I'd call people like that "patriots." "Defenders of Liberty." Perhaps "National Hero" is going too far but, what do I know, I'm just some dude who thinks taxes are too damn high.

The State wants the patriots prosecuted.

But their contribution to fighting taxes and wasteful spending in South Carolina was far more modest than the primo coverage afforded by The State.

If anti-tax activists are fair game for the speech cops, then why isn't The State subject to prosecution for its larger, more influential contribution?

Good Enough for Government Work

Isn't it funny how The State, when dealing with its arch-nemesis SCRG, always refers to the "oddly named" South Carolinians for Responsible Government, or the "ironically named" South Carolinians for Responsible Government?

Apparently, to The State, the phrase "responsible government" is redundant.

Oops.

Idiots.

Like Nixon without the high ethical standards

Should I be worried? I appear to have made Brad Warthen's official Enemies List. Sure, I'm honored. After this, who can doubt that I've hit the big time?

What does someone like Brad Warthen do after he's identified his targets? What sorts of precautions do I need to take? Frequently checking my rearview mirror? Looking over my shoulder as I walk down the street? Maybe hiring a personal security detail?

Seriously, this is bush league. The State is SC's biggest newspaper and is used to being an unchallenged voice in political arena. Over the years, they've grown accustomed to instilling fear in the hearts of politicians by implicitly threatening to denounce lawmakers if they don't toe the line. The system has worked pretty well. The Editorial Board convenes; The State prints its "to-do" list for legislators; and the legislators either comply with the requirements or they are punished on the pages of the powerhouse paper.

But now the internet allows many different voices to be heard. The State finds that imposing its pro-government orthodoxy is no longer so easy. The official dogma—raise taxes whenever possible, as high as possible— seems to be losing a little bit of its influence. And so it's time for The State to yank on the reins of power a little bit, to remind the legislative horse exactly it is who drives this cart of state government. (Hint: it's not the taxpayers.)

For readers, it's good to remember the first principles. This website was established to protest the anti-taxpayer, anti-freedom refrain that is the drumbeat of editorial positions in The State. It's also here to expose the shoddy reporting, second-rate thinking, and disingenuous rhetoric that typically characterizes The State's modus operendi in pushing forth its deplorable points of view.

That's why the website exists. If they change their anti-taxpayer/anti-freedom ways, I'll pull the plug on the site.

In the meantime, I'm on Senator McCarthy's Brad Warthen's Enemies List. That's life.