Where is the promised TRANSPARENCY?

The South Carolina Department of Revenue and a 5 person legislatively appointed board started running South Carolina’s “special needs” scholarship program on JULY 1, 2016.  It was and still is the NATION’S ONLY government run K-12 tax credit scholarship program.  Since that time, even the DEMOCRATIC CONTROLLED state of Illinois (think liberal Chicago) has implemented a $75 MILLION K-12 tax credit scholarship program … run by INDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS.

Nobody … not even liberal states … think it is a good idea to do it the way SC does … and given the $2.9 million (out of $12 million) raised as of 9/30/2019 … and inability to administratively issue scholarships timely … it is no surprise no other state does it this way.

REMEMBER … the only viable bill option to FIX THIS MESS is S 131 / H 3202 as championed by Senator Tom Davis (R – Beaufort).  About 25% of the legislature has sponsored the bill and a lot of others have pledged their support … but that is not enough.

But, since July 1, 2016 when the state government started running the program … we have also harped on TRANSPARENCY.

Why?  Because they promised us all TRANSPARENCY!!!

On July 29, 2016, then Department of Revenue Director Rick Reames & (not so) Exceptional SC Board Chairman Tom Persons wrote an op ed in the Charleston Post & Courier promising transparency!

Also on Tuesday October 2nd, 2017, (not so) Exceptional SC told parents they were “committed to transparency, integrity and continual improvement to the program …”

How has that worked out???  It seems worse now than ever.

Those are just two of the numerous examples and promises from (not so) Exceptional SC and the SC Department of Revenue related to TRANSPARENCY.  

Now see what they are really DOING today related to “transparency” …