Mark your calendar: Charleston GOP Labor Day picnic, 9/6

For those of you who are as bad at keeping up with holidays and special occasions as I am, Labor Day is Monday, September 6. The event starts at 4:00 PM, and it’s located at1155 Eaglewood Trail on James Island, which is off Ft. Johnson Road near James Island High School.

Tickets are $15.00 per person (children under 10 are free), which gets you BBQ chicken, and two sides with rolls and cookies! Free parking, music and entertainment provided, but be sure to bring some chairs!

Here are some of the candidates you’ll find at this event:

Congressional candidates Tim Scott – 1st CD - and Jim Pratt – 6th CD

Ken Ard – Lt. Governor

Alan Wilson – Attorney General

Mike Zais – Superintendent of Education

State House candidates Peter McCoy (HD 115), Sean Pike (HD 116) and Lee Edwards (HD 119)

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnellSenator Chip Campsen

Representative Chip Limehouse

Representative Mike Sottile

Weight-loss surgery ill advised

COLUMBIA —

South Carolina lawmakers chose paying for weight-loss surgery for obese state workers at $24,000 a pop over putting teachers in the classroom, one state senator said Thursday.

Sen. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, said special interest groups won a victory over taxpayers when the Legislature decided to put $2.4 million toward gastric bypass and Lap-Band surgery for 100 state employees, under a state health plan pilot program that begins Jan. 1.

“I think that with folks being furloughed or losing their jobs that it’s the wrong message to send,” Rep. Mike Sottile, R-Charleston, said.

But Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said obese state workers are destined for massive health problems, and finding ways cut health costs is a good idea.

“If it will save us money and save their lives,” he said, “then together it’s a good investment.”

Meanwhile, T. Karl Byrne, a surgeon at the Medical University of South Carolina, said gastric bypass and adjustable gastric band surgery, among other stomach-shrinking procedures, already are proved to be cost-effective. North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia are among the majority of Southeastern states that cover the procedure for state workers, he said. Medicaid and Medicare also cover it, he said.

“We do not need 100 patients in a pilot program in this state,” Byrne said. “We already know what the results are.”

Byrne said the initial cost of the surgery is high, but the cost savings over time are tremendous. Most of the time, obese people after significant weight loss no longer need treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and a host of other health issues, he said. So, with an up-front investment, the state can save cash over time by avoiding the cost of prescription drugs and associated treatment for obese individuals on the payroll, Byrne said.

Byrne said he is worried that the state’s pilot program will be shortsighted by looking only at one budget year to the next instead of factoring in long-term savings. Bariatric surgeons such as Byrne have access to a national database with thousands of cases documenting the success and risks of the procedures, he said. The database provides proof that the procedure is a sound investment for the state, Byrne said.

“You’re going to save a boatload of money,” he said.

The state health plan — including educators and retirees — covers about 394,000 people.

The state Budget and Control Board gave its stamp of approval on the pilot program Thursday.

The state covered bariatric surgery for state workers from 2001 to 2004, but the procedures were deemed too risky and not cost-effective. That coverage ended Jan. 1, 2005.

Access to the pilot program will be divided among the state’s regions and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The state does not track how many employees are overweight or obese, nor would those individuals be targeted for the surgery.

The state health plan will monitor the 100 patients for 18 months to see whether the pilot program is cost-effective.

South Carolina’s population is among the worst nationally when it comes to weight problems. Nearly 63 percent of adults are overweight or obese, while the national rate is 60.8 percent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. South Carolina’s children are also heavier than many kids elsewhere. Nearly 34 percent of children in the state are overweight or obese, compared with 31.6 percent nationally.

The House and the Senate had little, if any, floor debate on the pilot program, according to legislators. The program also did not receive an up or down vote because it is tucked into the $5 billion budget.

By Yvonne Wenger, “The State”, August 13

Bustos, Sottile set to square off again

The Republican race for the House District 112 seat will be a repeat for voters in parts of Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

As in 2008, Mike Sottile of the Isle of Palms, now the incumbent, will face Joe Bustos of Mount Pleasant in the GOP primary June 8. No Democrats filed for that party’s primary.

Sottile, who just finished his first term in the Statehouse, said he’s learned the ropes and expects to hit the ground running if re-elected. Job creation, economic development and education are Sottile’s priorities and those of constituents he’s met on his campaign, he said.

Bustos, owner of a travel company and a former Mount Pleasant town councilman, lost to Sottile in 2008 while garnering 44 percent of the vote. He said the political climate is different this time around. People are paying more attention to their government than ever before, he said, but they feel disconnected from it because state and federal lawmakers did what they wanted instead of what they promised.

“I think we have a lot of work to do to regain that trust and to get this state and country back on an even keel,” Bustos said.

Bustos said he wants to shrink government by privatizing services, such as the state police academy, and supports changing state law so business license fees are based on net profits rather than gross receipts. He also favors the consumption-based “fair tax.”

The Legislature appointed a commission to look at the state’s tax structure, and Sottile said he wants to see its recommendations before drawing any conclusions.

“Everything is on the table,” Sottile said, adding that focusing only on business license fees seemed like a piecemeal plan.

Sottile said his appointment to the Judiciary Committee, and his role in helping persuade Boeing to set up shop in South Carolina, are among his accomplishments during his first term. Sottile said he’s been working hard for residents of his district but has learned that he can’t change things as fast as he’d like.

“You have to build coalitions. You can’t do anything by yourself. You have to be able to reach across the aisle at times to get things done,” Sottile said, adding that he’s done that.

Bustos said he’s a conservative, and emphasizes personal responsibility and making government smaller.

“Those are the key things on my mind,” Bustos said.

Joe Bustos

Age: 59

Family: Wife Kathy; children Kelly Ellsworth and Brian Bustos

Residence: 649 King St.

Occupation: Retired Army lieutenant colonel; certified flight instructor; Bustos Travel Service owner.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Columbia College; master’s degree, Central Michigan University; master of science in administration, Army Command and General Staff College.

Public offices: Elected to Town Council in 2000, chairs Bids and Purchases Committee and sits on Annexation, Economic Development and Personnel committees; board member, Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority.

Website: votebustos.com

Contact: 822-6363, jmbustos@comcast.net, votebustos.com

Mike Sottile

Age: 61

Family: Wife Loraine; daughter Amy

Residence: 132 Sparrow Drive, Isle of Palms

Occupation: Independent insurance agent for 35 years, employed by C.T. Lowndes & Co.; retired Air Force veteran.

Education: Bishop England High School, attended Baptist College at Charleston.

Public offices: House District 112 representative, elected in 2008; former Isle of Palms mayor and City Council member.

Website: mikesottile.com

The Post and Courier

Sottile Earns Conservation Endorsement

Conservation Voters of South Carolina has announced its endorsement of Rep. Mike Sottile for re-election to House District 112, an area which includes the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island and Mount Pleasant.

“Representative Sottile takes a sensible approach to protecting South Carolina’s outdoor traditions,” says Conservation Voters SC Executive Director, Ann Timberlake, “Mike Sottile will vote for clean air and drinkable water and he knows that South Carolina can’t afford to weaken its solid muicipal waste regulations and invite more out-of-state garbage to our state.”

Sottile has supported South Carolina’s Landmark Conservation Bank that works with local land trusts to voluntarily protect natural and historic places, such as the Morris Island Lighthouse. He supports legislation currently before the House to finally manage how much water can be drawn out of South Carolina’s lakes and rivers, as well as measures to promote renewable energy and efficiency.

Candidate’s earn Conservation Voters’ support through an endorsement process that includes and examination of the candidates records, questionnaire responses, and interviews. “Mike believes that clean, abundant water is critical for growth, for recreation, and for public health. He is passtionate about protecting South Carolina’s Coast because he understands how many Charleston area jobs are dependent upon our coastal marshes, beaches and islands,” added Timberlake.

SInce 2002, Conservation Voters has been making traditional conservation values a priority for elected leaders. The independent bipartisan organization holds elected leaders accountable and publishes a biennial Conservation Scorecard.

Keeping Your Family Safe

This week was “crossover” week in the House – the deadline for the House or Senate to approve legislation and send it to the other chamber. After May 1, it takes a two-thirds vote for the other body to even consider the legislation.

So crossover week is a very busy week in Columbia as legislators work long hours to debate as much legislation as possible before the deadline.

While we debated dozens of pieces of legislation, three pieces in particular stand out to conservatives.

First, we approved a sweeping charter school reform package that aims to make our state’s vibrant charter school movement even stronger.

Charter school reform was another of our top priorities this year, and I belief that the best, most conservative way to improve education is to give parents more choices for their child’s education. It’s my hope that more choices will drive more parental involvement in education, which I believe is the foundation of true succes in education.

We overrode the governor’s veto of the “Warrantless Search” for parolees legislation that the House and the Senate have both approved. This legislation – which was supported by Charleston County law enforcement – allows law enforcement to search people on probation and parole without needing a search warrant. People on probation or parole are in the state’s criminal justice system, and if they were still in jail, they could be searched at any time, without warning. Many say that it is a violation of civil liberties, but I want to make my opinion very clear – people who commit crimes lose many of their rights. Being on probation or parole does not mean a criminal has been set free or that their punishment is over. They have been released out of jail, but they are still being punished.

While I understand the concerns about warrantless searches, my first priority is the protection of my law-abiding constituents. Law enforcement wanted a way to search criminals for contraband to protect the public. I believe this legislation will help police do their jobs and protect the public.

Finally, the House approved legislation that will take away the drivers’ licenses for students under 18 who drop out of school. This is the law in many states, and provides a deterrent for underage students from dropping out of school. We allowed exemptions for students forced to drop out of school to support their families by working. This legislation will now head to the Senate.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as Our Voice in Columbia. If I can ever be of assistance to your family, please call my cell phone at 843.224.9260.

Sincerely,

Mike Sottile

Mike Sottile Will Run For Second Term: House District 112

Sottile: “I’m running to bring more Boeings to the Charleston area”

Isle of Palms – March 1, 2010 – In just over one year as our State Representative, Mike Sottile has backed plans to stop extreme spending, reform our government restructure, give more choices in education, and to bring tens of thousands of jobs to the Charleston area. Promising to continue his fight for economic growth and job creation, Sottile today announced his plan to run for reelection to the State House.

“We need leaders who are more concerned with growing our economy and creating jobs than their own political careers. I’m running for reelection so that I can continue my work to bring much needed jobs to our region. I’m running to bring more Boeings to the Charleston area,” Mike said.

Sottile is completing his first term after winning election in 2008, promising to change business as usual in Columbia and to serve as a true voice for the Charleston area. In just over one year, Mike Sottile has already made good on many of his promises:

Mike Sottile backed a plan to constitutionally cap the amount of state spending, stopping politicians from wasting our hard-earned tax dollars.

Mike Sottile has supported numerous state restructuring bills, including bills to reform the Employment Security Commission, the state ports, and many of our constitutional offices. Mike believes that we cannot truly succeed, lower taxes, and create jobs until we change South Carolina’s outdated government structure.

Mike Sottile is a sponsor of a plan to give parents more choices when it comes to educating their children.

Mike Sottile strongly backed a package to bring Boeing to the Charleston area, which will create tens-of-thousands of jobs over the next few years.

“We do have a problem in state government,” Mike said. “We have too many politicians who have lost touch with the taxpayers and they concentrate on Columbia special interests instead of cutting taxes, reining in spending, and creating jobs. I’m working to change the way things are done in Columbia and I intended to deliver on every promise I’ve made.”

It’s Not The Time For Lies & Political Fighting

Our entire nation has been hit hard by an economic downturn, but South Carolina has been hit especially hard. We need to move past the lies, deception and political fighting that has dominated government for far too long. Unfortunately, my political opponent Joe Bustos is engaging in this type of politics.

Joe Bustos claims that I want to raise your taxes. He’s wrong. The ONLY tax I would consider raising is the cigarette tax, which is by far the lowest in the nation and should only be used for health care or an equal tax reduction. I will not support a cigarette tax increase laced with pork barrel or wasteful projects.

Joe Bustos is also lying about my record regarding abortion. I am 100% pro-life and I will always support restrictions on abortions. Bustos is attacking me for voting against a budget amendment that would have stopped state insurance paying for an abortion when a female state employee’s life is at risk. I believe it is heartless, unethical and immoral to deny insurance to a dying woman and I will not apologize for my vote.

We need to get past all these lies and work together to rebuild our economy and creates jobs. I hope you will join me. You can call me anytime on my cell phone at 843.224.9260.

Sincerely,

Mike Sottile

Working Hard To Create Jobs

My opponent is trying to say that I’m part of the problem. The truth is that I’ve been in Columbia just over one year. I’m not one of those long time politicians who has been sitting by while our state climbs the nation’s unemployment rankings. I’ve been working hard over the last year serving as Our Voice for coastal issues. If you’ll give me just a few minutes, I’ll tell you about our biggest accomplishments this year.

In January, the House Republicans unveiled a conservative agenda that we believed would create jobs, help improve education, and streamline our government. We have completed that agenda.

The House returned to work this week after our annual Easter furlough. This year, the furlough was a two-week break that saved taxpayers more than $150,000.  Our top priority for 2010 was creating jobs, and I’m happy to report we have approved several pieces of legislation that accomplish that goal.

Last month, the House approved an economic development plan that will make South Carolina more competitive when recruiting the next Michelin, BMW, or Boeing to our state. It will help every business in our state by eliminating the corporate income tax and will give the Department of Commerce new tools it needs to aid in business recruitment. Eliminating the corporate income tax will allow businesses to keep more of their hard-earned money so they can re-invest in their business and their employees.

We are still hopeful this job creation tool will be approved by the Senate. Giving the Department of Commerce more help in recruitment is vital since South Carolina competes with the world in attracting the high-quality jobs we all want to improve incomes and our quality of life.

We approved two pieces of legislation reforming the broken Employment Security Commission. We gave control of the agency to the governor and broke down barriers between the ESC and the Department of Commerce. The new Department of the Workforce will be more efficient and more accountable so businesses can find the workers they need and workers can more easily find the jobs that are out there.

We also approved a sweeping tort reform package that protects small businesses from frivolous lawsuits while protecting your rights to our legal system if you are wronged.

The Republicans’ second agenda item was improving our public education system in our state. In this era of tight state budgets, we gave our schools unprecedented flexibility from state mandates.  Legislation that will help our active charter school movement will be on the House floor soon.  And we were able to ensure our state’s students continue to receive the scholarships they need to attend college.

Our third agenda item for 2010 was ensuring responsible and limited government – values that are clearly not shared by our current Congress.  The House approved new requirements for online campaign finance disclosure.  We also gave you – the voter – the opportunity to decide if the Governor and Lieutenant Governor should run as a ticket, and whether the largely administrative position of Secretary of State should be appointed by the governor. Both the Lieutenant Governor and the Secretary of State are currently elected.

Finally, we told our constituents we would protect our state’s rights under the U.S. Constitution. We approved a state constitutional amendment that will ensure a secret ballot in union organizing elections and strongly protested the recent federal healthcare takeover.

In the first 10 weeks of the legislative session, we completed our agenda — an agenda built after close consultations with our constituents. And it’s an agenda we believe moves our state down the positive, common-sense, conservative path that you have asked us to travel.

I look forward to the final weeks of the 2010 session and working with the Senate to push these conservative initiatives into law.  I also pledge we will continue to represent the conservative values of our constituents.

As always, thank you for the privilege of serving you in Columbia.  If I can ever be of assistance to you, or if you have ideas on issues you want me to share with the rest of the General Assembly, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 843-224-9260.

Thank you,

Mike Sottile

Working Hard for South Carolina

Friends-

I didn’t run for the State House to be someone important. I truly want to change the way things are done in Columbia by pushing strong conservative change that will create jobs and rebuild South Carolina’s coastal economy. Look what I’ve done in just over 1 year serving as Our Voice:

- I pushed bills to restructure SC’s outdated government structure to increase efficiency, reduce waste and save you tax money.

- I backed a bill making the Attorney General fight for South Carolina’s rights when Washington liberals pushed a government takeover of health care on our nation.

- I supported plans to invest your tax dollars wisely to create tens-of-thousands of jobs in our area, most notably my support of the Boeing project.

- I backed a plan to constitutionally limit the amount of money Columbia politicians can spend each year.

- I sponsored a bill to give parents much more choice in education.

- I backed plans to cut taxes on coastal businesses so that they can hire new employees and create jobs in our region.

- I backed a plan to revamp SC’s criminal laws, saving taxpayer dollars and keeping violent criminals in prison.

I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to continue serving as OUR VOICE in Columbia. Call me anytime you want to talk about the big issues facing our area. My cell number is 843.224.9260.

Thank you,

Mike Sottile

IOP mayor opposes smoking ban proposal

Isle Of Palms Council is discussing a proposed ban on smoking in the workplace tonight.

The Mayor of Isle Of Palms says businesses should regulate themselves, and Council shouldn’t tell business what they should and shouldn’t do.  Mayor Mike Sottile says this means they shouldn’t enforce a smoking ban.  Not everyone on Council agrees with him.

“I believe we need a smoking ban I believe we need to protect the employees and give them access to a smoke free environment,” says IOP Council member Dick Cronin. Cronin says employees can’t just get another job, and the government needs to be the one to regulate. “The businesses will think about their destiny and profit or loss.” Read more

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