Who amongst us is bold?

Filing Opens July 14, 2017 and closes August 9th for City Mayors, City Councils and City Commissioners.

School board trustees must start gathering 150 signatures now to get on the November 7th Ballot.

Contact your county voting office for details in your area.

Visit: PickensElections.org

Allendale School System Sues State ...

Read:

Allendale Sues State After School District Takeover

Allendale doesn't constitutional standing here. What they are saying is that a school district can trump Article 11 Section 3.  The only way they could or would be able to is to pay more than 50% of their bills and Allendale doesn't come close, but Pickens County might.  The whole thing the state is doing about finances is wrong,wrong, wrong.

The principles of conservatism ...

"The principles of conservatism are sound because they are based on what men and women have discovered through experience in not just one generation or a dozen, but in all the combined experience of mankind…I have seen the conservative future and it works…Our task is not to sell a philosophy, but to make the majority of Americans, who already share that philosophy, see that modern conservatism offers them a political home".

~ President Ronald Reagan

Reaffirming that the state is in control of education, not the school boards ...

Please Read:

State Takes Over Allendale Schools Again

From the article on The Post & Courier:

Declaring a "state of emergency" related to academic performance in one of the state's highest-poverty school districts, S.C. Education Superintendent Molly Spearman announced Monday she will take control of the Allendale County School District.

“Management decisions that put self-interest ahead of our students’ achievement are unacceptable," Spearman said in a statement Monday.

The State is in control of education... so how could our local School Board close good performing schools? 

I have said it many times: If Article 11 Section 3 of the SC Constitution does not make the state financially responsible for schools in this state, then how does this Allendale thing happen?  How does the state get away with this?  I'll tell you how, by plain and adulterated lies and neglect of our children.   They have the money and use it for other things.

Happy Father's Day ...

Introduction To Homeschooling ...

 

A free seminar for parents interested in homeschooling will take place in Easley, SC in July.  Parents who are thinking about homeschooling, or parents who recently started to homeschool, are encouraged to attend.  

 

Date:  Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 7:00 PM

 

Location:  United Wesleyan Church, 738 Rice Road, Easley, SC 29640.  The church is located off of Highway 8 between Easley and Pickens near the old Arial Mill.  

 

Gale Farrier of the SC Home Educators Association and Kristi Brooks of Christian Home Educators of Easley will be speaking to parents about necessary decisions to begin homeschooling and the options available to parents.  Topics will cover the law with regard to home education, curriculum options, costs, commitment of time, resources available, and the networks of homeschool parents and associations that offer support.  The goal of the event is to provide parents with information to help them make important decisions about their children’s education.  

 

Food and refreshments will be provided for attendees.  

 

Information and updates will be available online at www.conservativesoftheupstate.com.  

 

Also see these web sites for more information about homeschooling.  

 

South Carolina Home Educators Association  http://schea.net/  

Christian Home Educators of Easley  http://cheeonline.squarespace.com/

 

For more information call (864) 448-4622.

 

This event is sponsored by Conservatives of the Upstateand Grandparents Rights Association of the USA.

 

Meeting Change For Pickens County Council ...

Testing ...

The "Non-specific Safety Net" ...

Please read:

http://greenvillenewssc.sc.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=3698b1c78

The School Board wants to rip the people two ways from Sunday. They cannot raise taxes a penny without telling the people specifically what they are going to spend the money on.(Article 10 Section 5 of SC Constitution.)

Mr. Webb (the school district accountant) just wants a safety net like the County Council to catch all of their poor judgment.  The 97.5% collectability index should not even be in the budget because the County actually collects about 103% of the budgeted amount.  All taxes are paid or the property is taken.  The Board has raised our taxes every year by these crooked means.  

When you over collect on the existing millage, a special account has to be set up for the overage and either refunded at the end of the year or credited to the taxpayer's account. (12-43- 285 of SC Code of Laws).  12-43-296 does not nor should it come into play when the school board knew they were over budgeting. Next, I want to know where the signed statement is that was signed by the Board per 12-43-285 that is required to put the budget into effect, who signed it, and when it was signed.

Summary of June 2017 COTU Meeting ...

The possibility of a class action suit against the School Board and the County Council was discussed. There were at least five potential case points (and there are more). One thing that our politicians on the Board and Council are not waying in on is that they can be sued as individuals also.

Many good suggestions were brought up. It was hoped that the members of these government entities would solve the problems themselves. All of our information has been brought to their attention during open discussion at public meetings. All have taken the oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitutions, but their answer to the people is to see how many and how much they can avoid doing the right thing. They have used their lawyers, hired with the people's money to intimidate the people. All avenues are still open and it is hoped they will settle this in the correct way. This money belongs to the people and the elected ones are the servants of the people who we have entrusted with doing what the governed want done with their money.

The Conservatives of the Upstate, with its large membership, does have standing in the courts. Points considered were; the Colleton County case in the SC State Supreme Court, concerning the financing of the Greenville plan, employed by the Colleton County Schools years ago. This case established that the taxpayers of that County had standing and the Conservatives of the Upstate has a much larger population of members in Pickens County than they did.

We also had a discussion about our next Home Schoolers program. Steve Haynie firmed up some dates and Johnnelle Raines zeroed in on this program also. Thanks to these two stalwarts, the people of Pickens County will have a program where they can evaluate Home Schooling for their children.

Johnnelle Raines closed our meeting with a touching and inspiring prayer to Jesus our Lord.

Junius Smith

President. COTU

June 2017 COTU Meeting ...

Conservatives Of The Upstate will hold its June 2017 meeting ...

Thursday June 8, 2017 @ 6:30PM

         

Blue Ridge Bible Church

769 Belle Shoals Rd

Pickens SC 29671

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 8, 2017)) at 6:30 PM Conservatives of the Upstate will have its monthly meeting at the Blue Ridge Bible Church at 769 Belle Shoals Road. 

Part of our discussion will center around the 2 mil tax increase meeting that the school board held in Central this past week.

Our meeting will be held to one hour.

Junius Smith

President, Conservatives Of The Upstate 

Town Hall scheduled ...

A Town Hall Meeting for the 4th District will be held at the Pickens County Performing Arts Center, formerly the Liberty Civic Auditorium, on Tuesday, June 6th at 6:30 p.m.  Senator Rex Rice, Representative Gary Clary, Representative Davey Hiott, Representative Neal Collins, 4th District Councilman Roy Costner, School Board member Dr. Brian Swords, and Sheriff Rick Clark are planning to be in attendance to answer questions from the public.  This is a great opportunity for residents to meet their representatives and get involved.  For any questions regarding this event, please contact the Clerk to Council at (864) 898-5856.”

Pickens County School District Millage History ...