Here are a couple of “red flags” that got us to take a look at H4023, the First Steps Fiscal Accountability Bill signed into law yesterday by Governor McMaster … and boy were we shocked with what we found!!!

1. Not a single legislator voted against this bill – ever – and this program is a “darling” of the Democrats (similar to Head Start on the Federal level)!!!
2. The bill was introduced and signed into law in less than 4 months.  Advocates should take notice!
3. The bill was passed outside of the regular session … in this case last Wednesday when the legislature was back to finish the budget.
4. The lead sponsor was a SC Freedom Caucus member, with other members signing on, but the #2 sponsor (obviously pulling the strings) was a huge education establishment RINO (who pushes more government control over education).  #COVER
5. The bill had a well meaning name … “Fiscal Accountability” … which should have been our first clue it had nothing to do with fiscal accountability!!!    #COVER 
6. THEY WON’T ANSWER QUESTIONS:  And finally, when we reached out to the lead sponsor, and two other legislators who are either employed by or have ties to the educational services industry, to simply ask these questions in advance … we got no answer.  If nothing is wrong, why not explain it to us?  Because, something is wrong!!!  

Well, with those huge red flags, we dug a little deeper … and it is worse than expected … but this is how it works when you #FollowTheMoney … not to mention knowing how the “Uniparty” works there in Columbia!!!

https://www.scfirststeps.org/

#1)  OVERHEAD ADMINISTRATIVE FEES:   This is a darling program for SC Democrats … and they seem to always get what they want.  We know a few leaders in SC First Steps as well, and they always seem to swing way left.  We are all about helping kids … but we are not about enabling the leftists agenda.

But guess what … South Carolina is now going to get more leftists employed (AND PAID BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS) as this “Fiscal Accountability” Bill actually increases the First Steps overhead administrative fee from 8% to 13% … a whopping 62.5% increase!!!

Seriously?  Our SC State Treasurer Curtis Loftis talks about it all the time, how we as SC taxpayers are funding the left’s agenda.  Sure, everyone wants to help kids … but aren’t there conservative initiatives we can fund that help kids … or is it only left leaning non-profits (and political allies) they like to fund?  #FollowTheMoney!!! 

Actually Taking Money from the Children:  And what is worse … with First Steps being an approximate $50 MILLION program, legislators just reallocated (as there was $0 fiscal revenue impact to this bill) $2.5 million a year FROM THE KIDS to pay more employees / overhead expenses.  They did not add more money to this legislation to cover the 62.5% increase in overhead costs … so it has to come from the children’s programs!!!

NO, it is not about the kids to these people … otherwise they would have funded the increased overhead.  But, if they did that, the bill would have had to get “finance” approval, which is harder … so they just take the money from the kids and will likely ask for more money next year with the excuse that they had to cut children’s programs this year.  Yep, #LearnTheirTricks.

#2)  ADDING PUBLIC LIBRARY EMPLOYEES:   This one is self explanatory.

One day our “conservative” SC State Legislators are supposedly helping us in fighting the Public Library indoctrination issues … and the next they are putting the same employees on the boards of Pre-K Reading Programs?

What are the real intentions here?  Remember, not a single legislator EVER voted against it.  What are we missing?

“Watch what they DO,

not what they SAY.”

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#3)  GOV’T DATA-SHARING INITIATIVES … FOR OUR KIDS DATA!!!:  This was also a big issue years ago with our champion “conservative” legislators fighting the government data-sharing about our kids … and today they are requiring it?

“Section 63-11-1726. All publicly funded early childhood-serving agencies and entities shall participate in data-sharing initiatives supported by the advisory council in furtherance of the requirements listed in Section 63-11-1725.”

#4)  REMOVING “COMPETITIVE BIDS”?:  Finally for today, as there are many other “issues” in this legislation … but guess what … our conservative legislators removed that pesky language involving “competitive bids” and substituted it with a move to the “maze” of the Office of State Procurement where there is much more legislative control in doing what they want to do when it comes to “who” gets contracts, and at what price.

We are betting there is NO PROHIBITION on self-dealing / profit making by legislators added to this bill!!!  If there is, let us know where to find it.

#LearnTheirTricks #FollowTheMoney