South Carolina’s Built-In Income Tax Hikes
South Carolina’s income tax structure is antiquated. As salaries rise with inflation, the increased take-home income drives workers into higher marginal rates of taxation. This occurs even if a workers…
South Carolina’s Climate Advisory Committee: What to Expect
Public policy choices should be informed, well balanced, and based on solid empirical data with dynamic analysis of costs and benefits. While the Committee offers South Carolina an excellent opportunity…
State Spending Growth Tops Southeastern Region
The Fiscal Survey of the States, a joint publication of the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers was released this month. The reported cited South…
Big Budget Bad for Economic Growth
Written by: Ashley Landess South Carolina government is growing at a faster rate than our incomes. From 1992 to 2002 real per capital income grew by 2.5 percent, compared to…
The Economic Impact of a 45 Cent Tobacco Tax Increase
Despite a surplus of more than $1.3 billion in tax revenues for 2006, lawmakers in Columbia are looking to increase taxes on cigarettes by 45 cent a pack. Not satisfied…
National Study Confirms: Taxes in South Carolina are High, Rising
In late April of 2007, the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, released a new report that detailed the rising burden of state and local taxation. The report found…
Reviewing the Records: SC Supreme Court Seat 5
This is an informational report about the eight candidates for the seat number five position open on the South Carolina Supreme Court. [ Download Complete Article ]
Don’t Fund Income Tax Stimulus with Corporate Tax Hikes
Don’t Fund Income Tax Stimulus with Corporate Tax Hikes By Burnet Maybank I was very pleased to read Governor Sanfords recent call for $205 million in income tax reductions.…
Getting Honest About Unfunded Liabilities
Nothing is more dry and boring than a discussion of actuaries and accounting. But this year a major change in accounting procedures will have a profound effect on South Carolina…
Getting Honest About Unfunded Liabilities
Nothing is more dry and boring than a discussion of actuaries and accounting. But this year a major change in accounting procedures will have a profound effect on South Carolina…
Getting Honest About Unfunded Liabilities
Nothing is more dry and boring than a discussion of actuaries and accounting. But this year a major change in accounting procedures will have a profound effect on South Carolina…
Local Government Spending: South Carolina’s Impending Fiscal Crisis
For three decades, South Carolina state and local government spending has grown faster than revenues. Annual government growth has also outpaced the per capita income growth. Three times state lawmakers…
What is Network Neutrality?
Authors: SCPC and Neil Mellen Proponents of network neutrality want the government to regulate internet access through statutory limitations on service providers. In their effort to ensure freedom of content…
Growth is Self-Financing
A recent study documented the fiscal impact of six new residential subdivisions across the state of South Carolina. After years of local governments complaining about the cost of growth these…
Tax and Expenditure Limitations (TELs)
An effective Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) in South Carolina would be a constitutional restraint that allows for annual government growth in spending as a function of population growth and…
How A Tobacco Tax Increase Would Negatively Impact South Carolina
Another Year, Another Tax Hike Proposal: How A Tobacco Tax Increase Would Negatively Impact South Carolina Tax and spend advocates have long argued that South Carolina needs to increase its…
Managed Care Provides Quality, Affordable Health Care
Authors: SCPC and Ashlee Landess For the past two years, pro-tax legislators in the General Assembly have talked about raising taxes to cover the extraordinary growth in Medicaid. Such measures…
South Carolina Spending Cuts Good for Economy
Written by: Ashley Landess A liberal think-tank in Iowa made headlines when it chastised that states leaders for cutting spending and not raising taxes at the levels other states did.…
Dose of Healthy Competition Wakes up DMH
Authors: Edward T. McMullen Recent efforts to trim the fat off the sacred cow of state government has produced a strong whiplash by the defiant Department of Mental Health.…
Patient-Centered Medicaid Reform
Authors: SCPC and Neil Mullen Medicaid is the Social Security program providing health care for those with low or limited incomes and special needs. Initially designed in the 1960s, it…
Golf Industry Victim of Unconstitutional Practices
As a member of the Competitiveness Council member, I sit on the task force that is looking at one of our states leading industries, tourism. Tourism is the second largest…
Fiscal Impact of the 2005 Universal Scholarship Tax Credit Proposal
By: Cotton Lindsay, Ph.D. Click here to view the PDF version of this report.
South Carolinas Dilemma: Increase Taxes or Reform Medicaid?
South Carolina is facing a serious crisis in providing funding for healthcare services to low-income persons through its Medicaid program. Clearly policymakers are faced with a critical dilemma either increase…
Lottery Revenues Not Stable
Written by: John Hill PhD. In a letter earlier this month to the states Chamber of Commerce, Governor Hodges attempted to woo its members into supporting his education lottery plan…
What’s Best for Social Security
Written by: US Representative Mark Stanford The debate about whether or not to reform Social Security, while very slow getting started, has finally boiled down to the central question not…
No Taxation Through Litigation
Written by: Peter J. Ferrara In his State of the Union Address in January, 1999, President Clinton announced that the Justice Dept. is preparing a litigation plan to take the…