March 14, 2025 • 24 mins
'Free Palestine' protestors jeer,booh veterans and lawmakers who want all Charleston public servants to swear an oath to the Constitution, as state law requires. Councilman Larry Kabrowski with this update.
VIDEO: Full Chs. County Board Meeting
VIDEO: Full Chs. County Board Meeting
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Kelly Golden Show podcast powered by Disaster Plus.
On a Big Fail Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
These people don't care about constitution. They just want to win.
Don't let these trolls win. Free Mamud Khalil and free Palestine.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I think we are to get them all out of
the country.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
They're troublemakers, they're agitators, they don't love our country.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
We are to get them the hell out. I think
that guy, we old to get him.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I heard his statements too, there were plenty.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Bad and I think we are to get him the
hell out of the country. I watched him. I watched
tapes specifically, I watch tapes.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
You can have them, Okay, you can have them, and
you can have the rest of them. Talking about a
Big Fail Friday, We're coming off a week of Amy Coney,
Barrett's sister here in the Low Country getting a pipe
bomb threat to the mail box with a free Palestine
message to it. We have the Columbia Green card holder
of Columbia University being expelled. Now there's been protest all over,
(00:58):
including inside the Trump Hotel. Not to mention Elon and
burning Tesla's but for many Larry Kabrowski Charleston County councilman.
That first sound bite was quite literally from this week's
battle over whether the library board in Charleston County should
take the oath to a constitution that every other person
(01:19):
serving in our state does. The Attorney General has been
clear about it is law.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank God for Trump. I mean, the Democrat Party put
out you know, a broad seats of there are people
to show up, and they did. They were like some
like hundreds of lunatics, and they jeared and boot anybody
for the veterans. They booed and teared the constitution is
white nationalism, white supremacy, racism, fascism. And the biggest applause
(01:47):
came from the guy dressed up like a Hamas person
about for that colleague guy. So I said, thank god
for President Trump to kick his ass out, you know.
The But it was very illuminating, Kelly, but also scary
to the breakdown of the education system, the ignorance, and
(02:07):
I just wish everybody could see what I saw. It
would be a wake up call, unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
They can watch it the YouTube meetings posted here, a
link can click through. Let's put to rest what's going
on with the Charleston County Council and Library Board vote. First,
it was against requiring the Library Board of Trustees to
take a constitutional oath. That's a problem. What's going on
on County Council. I know you eventually came around after
(02:36):
public comment and outcry, frankly from both sides, but it
was a really close vote of five to four. So
what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, when you said you came around, we'll make it
clear I was for those from the beginning. You know,
we had the opinion of the Attorney General of the
State of South Carolina, the highest legal officer in the state.
In his sit he said in stint Shall in Saint May.
His legal conclusion was members of the Charleston County Public
(03:06):
Library Board of Trustees are officers within the media and
Article six, section four the South Carolina Constitution. They are
therefore required to take the oath of office describe an
Article six, section five of the South Carolina Constitution, and
the oath is and this is the oath that I
want to read it so that people understood what the
(03:28):
argument was about the oath that we wanted them to take,
and that I support it, said, I do solemnly swear
our firm I am but duly qualified, according to the
Constitution of this State to exercise the duty of the
office to which I have been elected or appointed, and
that I will, to the best of my ability, discharge
(03:49):
the duties thereof, and preserve, protect, and defend the constitution
of this state and of the United States. So help
me God. That's what the fight was about. And here
we had the legal opinion of the chief legal officer
of the state that they're required to do it, and
I think they should do it. I think most people
(04:10):
in our county and hopefully our state and country degree
that it's an affirmsed affirmation that you agree in the
American way of life, and people want to see that
that it's dislike we pledge allegiance and say a prayer
before our meetings. It's kind of part of the Pacific
life of America that you want in your people that
(04:32):
run the government and in our system and way of life.
But Kelly, I wish that all your listeners could have
been at the county council meeting and saw what I saw.
I saw, in my opinion, an hysterical mob of jeering
and booing and hissing at veterans and at people who
(04:54):
supported the constitution. I heard Mishall and Yale and make
fun of us and say that the racist document fascist
is leading to the white supremacy. Nationalists, Christian had whatever
they were saying, it was jeering and booming. So it
was a very enlightening night and educational night to see
(05:17):
that and where the lines are drawn, to see it
drawn that starkling what we're up against. I see it
as an indictment of the educational system. Most of them
were in the young twenties. And then they had one
person there dressed up with the Palestinian stuff, you know,
shouting about Trump and trying to deport the Tamas sympathizer
(05:43):
from Columbia. Of course, I said, I'm glad that Trump
did in Thank God for Trump doing that. But the
biggest applause of the night was for the Hamas sympathizer
from the same crowd that was there yelling and booming
and hissing about the Constitution and how the to do
this was just such a horrible thing.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So there's precedent that needs to be set here. Councilman
Larry Kobrowski with Charleston County Council one the Attorney General
Office that you read. It wasn't just an opinion. You
cited existing law, as did he which these state boards
must take the oath. That vote should have been nine zero.
(06:22):
This is you following the law period beyond that, you
don't like the law for all the people you know,
screeching and screaming about it, then tried to change it,
do something about it. There is a process and this
isn't the way of going about it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, Kelly, that I agree with me.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I was.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
For this from the beginning, and I was glad to
see we went from last week there were only two
of us till we got a majority this week, so
that it was a victory I thought for the one.
Other words, the Library board came last week, well most
of them, not all of them, and they had the
opinion that, well, you know you can't make us do this,
(07:09):
that you know we wouldn't have any problem to do it,
but we don't have to do it. And then other
council members of the thing that said, well it's a
good idea to do the oath or the constitution, but
they're not required to do it. So my position was, well,
if they're all saying it's such a good thing to do,
was to do it Otherwise the messages we're not going
(07:30):
to do your oath and to the country unless you
make us do it, because we really don't want to
do it. So and some of the council members said, oh,
it's the embarrassment to do it, and I said, well, no,
I think it'd be a source of surprise. Their argument
was that no other county does it. Now we're unaware
of any other county to do it. So my position
(07:51):
in response to that was, well, we have the opinion
of the Attorney General of the state that were required
to do it, so let's start here. No reason not
to do it. I mean, they're saying that they'll do it,
but they need direction to do it, so let's give
them direction and get on with it. I'm sorry about
the phone thing, Kelly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The writing of the ship starts here, and good for
Charleston to get on the right side of it. Meantime,
people are learning for the first time ever that these
appointed boards and commissions, as you mentioned, all over the
state have potentially not been following the law for fifty years.
In regards to the pledge that the Library Board has
(08:36):
been going by since nineteen seventy six.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well that's true, but you know, nobody's brought it up before.
So now that we're aware of it, I think, let's
write the ship. And they all agreed that they would
not have a problem doing with it. But then, you know,
I took that as being we really don't want to
do it, because we're not going to do it unless
you make this to it. So last night, you know,
(09:02):
we took a step to make them do it. I
think part of what I saw, you know, he liked
the library board. The members are appointed by members of
County Council, and up until the last cycle, I put
up a slate of flour conservatives too, and a single
(09:24):
conservative are probably Republican on that library board. So what
you saw the opposition, in my opinion, was they don't
like change, and they always talk about diversity, but they
sure don't like diversity of thought. So this was the
first time that they had members on the library board
(09:47):
who weren't in sync with the majority of the board
of the library Board, and this is what the fight
was about. They weren't used to any diversity of thought
or diversity of a in my senses as a County
Councilorman Kelly that the board to reflect the people that
(10:08):
live here. Many of us who live here are conservative
in my opinion and observation. Prior to those recent pointees
that I recommended, there wasn't a single person who could
arguably be considered a conservative or Republican. And they're having
trouble adjusting to having Republicans and conservatives on the library board.
(10:33):
And you saw what I saw was a howling a
mob of people coming and voice in the opposition to
having such people. They think like you were me on
the library board, and we're called all kinds of names,
and the people who support them.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
The message to the howling mob is get used to change,
and you need to look inward on how you handle
that and educate yourselves because that's what's happening here. And
everything goes back to education. It is key. So people
are learning and being educated about the process of these
boards being appointed in this instance by Charleston County Council
(11:12):
to the library Board. There are several other I mean,
my gosh, we could went on time to run down
the list of the boards and commissions all over the
state that this could affect, which means if you don't
take the pledge, you refuse to take the pledge, then
what's the process look like to get them off the
board and then in state new ones?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Well, that's the legislatives matter, you know, the do I'm
not sure they have a requirement now to take the oath.
If they refuse, then we'll go from there.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
You know. Now, eventually I would assume that they would
be removed and new appointments would be made. And people
need to take note of that. Who are listening and
realizing that they need to step up and not just
sit on the sidelines and listen to all of history
frankly being made and the future that is now which
has changed.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Well, Kelly, that's right, because now there's an obligation that
we voted on to all the boards and commissions in
Charleston County take an oath to the state, and you
know United States constitution is they don't do it, then
you don't serve, because that's it would be a prerequisite
(12:25):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Not just that there's incentive though, Larry, I don't mean interruption.
I'm sorry, Countsman Larry Lebowski. Here. The incentive has been
put up on a statewide level to pull back on
funding if they don't follow the law. So this is
a multimillion dollar public policy setting board. This library board,
and again one of many of these boards and commissions
(12:49):
that control very important things, including millions of dollars of
our tax money and set public policy that we the
people all have to follow.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Well, there are huge ramifications. The legislature will set the
tone for what the penalties are. That wouldn't be an
accounting council legislative job. And also I think the larger
issue too, which I want to emphasize as the education issues.
I was on the State Board of Education and I
(13:23):
saw the textbooks, and I was you know, and I
tried to feel like a Paul Revere. If we allow
these to continue, we're going to have a generation of
students who hate America, who think were all the things
I heard last night are coming to fruition. So I
would also thinkle who will wake up Paul about our
educational system. And most of those what I perceived of
(13:45):
as a hanling mob of people who attacking you know
that those of us who believe in the country of
the Constitution and jeering and booing us, those are all
graduates of our high schools, and that's something to be
concerned about. And it also shows how as conservative sometimes
(14:08):
we have problems with each other. That's personalities, but we
need to unite. What's that stake was a very stark Kelly.
I saw that and heard it last night in the
opposition is doesn't believe what we believe in how we
look at our country in any way, shape or form.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I want to ask you about county council and oversight
because I mentioned a multimillion dollar budget for just this
board alone, the library board in Charleston County. Was it
forty two million dollars? I think Senator Matt Lieber stated.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It's approximately that. I mean the budget is said every year.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Well, let me ask you this county council certainly has
oversight into their budget and what they're spending their money on.
And people want to see more DOGE style, so Department
of Government Efficiency and elon on a federal level here locally,
we want to sweep our front porch first too.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I hope I did some of that when I changed
the power such or some others who I thought for
continuing business as usually Again, what thought very hard for
what I thought was extreme wasteful government spending and reckless
it would have been. And I'm proud that the county
rejected that, and I did what I thought I had
(15:26):
to do to make sure that people were hurt of that,
and I believe that they were. But it's our job.
There's nine of us oversight the library boards budget will
come up at budget time, so you're entirely correct, and
they should be carefully scrutinized as everything we.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Spend well was your message to fellow Republicans who been
wishy washy on this entire process with regards to the
library Board. Just taking a pledge, for example, to the
Constitution that they're going to have the political fortitude to
actually lean in on what they're spending their money on
and saying no to some of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Well, that's it, but I would hope you know, to
support There's eleven members of the Charleston County Library Board, Kelly,
and we have four more appointments coming up in the
end of this year, and there's what I would consider
two conservatives on there. So if we were to elect
(16:25):
four members, there would be majority on the library Board.
So that would be one specific way to change that.
The internal structure of the library board because they act
independently too about what they do by ball about how
they run the libraries. So there is a mechanism to
(16:47):
change that. I believe that up to the last cycle
when I put up four members, two of whom got
you know, appointed, there were no Republicans or Conservatives. Our voices,
you know, we're not heard, in my opinion, So there's
a way to change that.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So, speaking of change, there's a statewide level to start
a Doge committee, a Department of Government efficiency to dig
into where our tax dollars are going. Is that something
that Charleston County would consider on a local.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Level, Well, I think so. I think it's interesting that
you know, at the Finance committee that's coming up on
March twentieth, I asked, in reference to the recent news
about the consultants in North Charleston and the indictments and
guilty police, that you know one of them had been
(17:40):
a consultant for Charleston County Council back in twenty nineteen
when Eliot's sumny was the chairman. That was Jerome Hayward.
They hired him at seventy five hundred dollars a month.
I think and of course then he appointed Elliott to
the he was a member of the Aviation Authority, but
(18:03):
those weren't public. I didn't know about that. I didn't
know if any of the consultants that were being paid.
So I got a list of the paid consultants for
Charleston County and at the next meeting, I'm going to
make that public and ask that any because as of now,
when the county they hire a consultant the County Council,
(18:24):
if it's under a certain amount, isn't notified. If I'm
of the opinion that any consultant that works for the county,
that's paid anything by the county, how to be vetted
by the county, and before it's spent or authorized, how
to be voted on up er down by the county,
because that's how the public knows. And any money spent,
(18:45):
how to be scrutinized, who is it for, what are
we getting out of it, and who's getting paid. And
I feel that making a public I mean, remember there's
nine members, so it takes majority to do anything. Of five,
the start is to make the less public of everybody
who gets a penny from the county as a consultant
(19:06):
and who they are and make it have to be
authorized by the county as opposed to this being done
by an administrator without notice to the county council.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, it sounds to me, Lary, like you were starting
as fiscal conservative, that you are starting a Charleston County
style Doge committee. I think you should in that sense.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yes, if they think any money's but keep going.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
This is what every taxpayer wants.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
And also it's one of the changes brought about by
me doing the turnover and the power that you know,
I was always the only one to vote against the
special tax benefits that would come up there. It was
almost every meeting before we give special tax holidays to
this company or that company, and I always objected to
(19:56):
it because for lower taxes, but for everyone. I don't
know how you can pick or twos who to pay
taxes or who doesn't, or to what degree, because it's
an onerous thing when you're trying to make a living,
pay your taxes on your home, because if you work
independently like I do, and you know, you have to
(20:17):
come up with that. And I don't know how they
can pick some to pay and some don't. I mean
the argument is that, well, it'll benefit that company and
they'll hire more people. That would apply to all of
us who are small businessman, all of us who have
to pay in our homes, that we would use the
money wisely. Bet are going to the store for groceries,
(20:37):
you know, and pay sales tax. So that's another thing
that I'm trying to at head of that committee now.
So whenever that comes up, before it's vetted, I want
to note with any council member involved in asking for that,
who's the company. Sometimes they don't even name them until
the final vote because there's three rounds of votes. Currently
(20:58):
I'm going to say how long but they get the benefit,
how much will cost account and what's the reason, and
you know, have intense scrutiny. I'm only one vote in that,
but the role I can play is to have the
public know about it, who's getting it, and why, how much,
how long and for what purpose? And that should be
thoroughly vetted before anything like that is given, because I
(21:22):
feel it's like corosive because all of us pay taxes,
and it's demoralizing and upsetting to know that maybe some
companies don't have to do that. The thing that we do,
because it looks like then oligardies are you know, it
corrodes the civic value, just like the oath. Having an oath,
(21:43):
it kind of affirms that the people who are on
a board their commissions kind of are affirmed or believed
in our way of life. And just like giving a
pledge or a prayer before a meeting, it's the same thing,
and it makes you feel that part of the civic fabric.
You know, I don't see the opposition to it, but
(22:03):
we saw that again last night. And again what I
saw is a howling mob of Jerry and booing those
who believe believe in that. So it was very eye opening.
Tommy Kelly, Well.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
That's that mob is going to continue to halm boo
though they think the message needs to be that it
doesn't work. In fact, it plays opposite in your favor
and the people who I think so, yeah, no doubt.
I mean, you were there.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
The reason I think it's still important because most people
live their lives, they spend time with their family, they work,
and they don't see that, you know, and I saw
it up close, and that could be our future. I mean,
that's what's at stake. So that's why people need to
get involved in politics and stay at tuned and stay active,
(22:53):
because if we don't, they are.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
And the more you shine fiscally Larry countsman Kebrowski here,
the more they are going to screech and how and scream,
And so it's important to stay the course. I continue
to say this spread bravery around like wildfire. Look at
what is at stake, all the things that you describe
(23:15):
your meeting face to face.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Think about it. We grew up and in the schools,
I mean it was always that. That's why it made
such a big deal in the beginning about George Washington.
If you remember, I grew up and got George Washington's
you know, every school child had the picture on the wall.
Remember that, and it made you revere the founding fathers
of our country. That's what you know, and you take
(23:40):
things like that out. I was trying to restore George
Washington's birthday as opposed to a generic this President's Day,
which usually means nothing to anybody, but to make it,
you know, primary, our sense of connection to our country
and a way of life and a constitution an American exceptions,
(24:00):
which that's what's the routing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
This Big Fail Friday edition of That Kelly Golden Show
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This is the Kelly Golden Show podcast powered by Disaster Plus.
On a Big Fail Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
These people don't care about constitution. They just want to win.
Don't let these trolls win. Free Mamud Khalil and free Palestine.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I think we are to get them all out of
the country.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
They're troublemakers, they're agitators, they don't love our country.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
We are to get them the hell out. I think
that guy, we old to get him.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I heard his statements too, there were plenty.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Bad and I think we are to get him the
hell out of the country. I watched him. I watched
tapes specifically, I watch tapes.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
You can have them, Okay, you can have them, and
you can have the rest of them. Talking about a
Big Fail Friday, We're coming off a week of Amy Coney,
Barrett's sister here in the Low Country getting a pipe
bomb threat to the mail box with a free Palestine
message to it. We have the Columbia Green card holder
of Columbia University being expelled. Now there's been protest all over,
(00:58):
including inside the Trump Hotel. Not to mention Elon and
burning Tesla's but for many Larry Kabrowski Charleston County councilman.
That first sound bite was quite literally from this week's
battle over whether the library board in Charleston County should
take the oath to a constitution that every other person
(01:19):
serving in our state does. The Attorney General has been
clear about it is law.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank God for Trump. I mean, the Democrat Party put
out you know, a broad seats of there are people
to show up, and they did. They were like some
like hundreds of lunatics, and they jeared and boot anybody
for the veterans. They booed and teared the constitution is
white nationalism, white supremacy, racism, fascism. And the biggest applause
(01:47):
came from the guy dressed up like a Hamas person
about for that colleague guy. So I said, thank god
for President Trump to kick his ass out, you know.
The But it was very illuminating, Kelly, but also scary
to the breakdown of the education system, the ignorance, and
(02:07):
I just wish everybody could see what I saw. It
would be a wake up call, unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
They can watch it the YouTube meetings posted here, a
link can click through. Let's put to rest what's going
on with the Charleston County Council and Library Board vote. First,
it was against requiring the Library Board of Trustees to
take a constitutional oath. That's a problem. What's going on
on County Council. I know you eventually came around after
(02:36):
public comment and outcry, frankly from both sides, but it
was a really close vote of five to four. So
what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, when you said you came around, we'll make it
clear I was for those from the beginning. You know,
we had the opinion of the Attorney General of the
State of South Carolina, the highest legal officer in the state.
In his sit he said in stint Shall in Saint May.
His legal conclusion was members of the Charleston County Public
(03:06):
Library Board of Trustees are officers within the media and
Article six, section four the South Carolina Constitution. They are
therefore required to take the oath of office describe an
Article six, section five of the South Carolina Constitution, and
the oath is and this is the oath that I
want to read it so that people understood what the
(03:28):
argument was about the oath that we wanted them to take,
and that I support it, said, I do solemnly swear
our firm I am but duly qualified, according to the
Constitution of this State to exercise the duty of the
office to which I have been elected or appointed, and
that I will, to the best of my ability, discharge
(03:49):
the duties thereof, and preserve, protect, and defend the constitution
of this state and of the United States. So help
me God. That's what the fight was about. And here
we had the legal opinion of the chief legal officer
of the state that they're required to do it, and
I think they should do it. I think most people
(04:10):
in our county and hopefully our state and country degree
that it's an affirmsed affirmation that you agree in the
American way of life, and people want to see that
that it's dislike we pledge allegiance and say a prayer
before our meetings. It's kind of part of the Pacific
life of America that you want in your people that
(04:32):
run the government and in our system and way of life.
But Kelly, I wish that all your listeners could have
been at the county council meeting and saw what I saw.
I saw, in my opinion, an hysterical mob of jeering
and booing and hissing at veterans and at people who
(04:54):
supported the constitution. I heard Mishall and Yale and make
fun of us and say that the racist document fascist
is leading to the white supremacy. Nationalists, Christian had whatever
they were saying, it was jeering and booming. So it
was a very enlightening night and educational night to see
(05:17):
that and where the lines are drawn, to see it
drawn that starkling what we're up against. I see it
as an indictment of the educational system. Most of them
were in the young twenties. And then they had one
person there dressed up with the Palestinian stuff, you know,
shouting about Trump and trying to deport the Tamas sympathizer
(05:43):
from Columbia. Of course, I said, I'm glad that Trump
did in Thank God for Trump doing that. But the
biggest applause of the night was for the Hamas sympathizer
from the same crowd that was there yelling and booming
and hissing about the Constitution and how the to do
this was just such a horrible thing.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So there's precedent that needs to be set here. Councilman
Larry Kobrowski with Charleston County Council one the Attorney General
Office that you read. It wasn't just an opinion. You
cited existing law, as did he which these state boards
must take the oath. That vote should have been nine zero.
(06:22):
This is you following the law period beyond that, you
don't like the law for all the people you know,
screeching and screaming about it, then tried to change it,
do something about it. There is a process and this
isn't the way of going about it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, Kelly, that I agree with me.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I was.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
For this from the beginning, and I was glad to
see we went from last week there were only two
of us till we got a majority this week, so
that it was a victory I thought for the one.
Other words, the Library board came last week, well most
of them, not all of them, and they had the
opinion that, well, you know you can't make us do this,
(07:09):
that you know we wouldn't have any problem to do it,
but we don't have to do it. And then other
council members of the thing that said, well it's a
good idea to do the oath or the constitution, but
they're not required to do it. So my position was, well,
if they're all saying it's such a good thing to do,
was to do it Otherwise the messages we're not going
(07:30):
to do your oath and to the country unless you
make us do it, because we really don't want to
do it. So and some of the council members said, oh,
it's the embarrassment to do it, and I said, well, no,
I think it'd be a source of surprise. Their argument
was that no other county does it. Now we're unaware
of any other county to do it. So my position
(07:51):
in response to that was, well, we have the opinion
of the Attorney General of the state that were required
to do it, so let's start here. No reason not
to do it. I mean, they're saying that they'll do it,
but they need direction to do it, so let's give
them direction and get on with it. I'm sorry about
the phone thing, Kelly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The writing of the ship starts here, and good for
Charleston to get on the right side of it. Meantime,
people are learning for the first time ever that these
appointed boards and commissions, as you mentioned, all over the
state have potentially not been following the law for fifty years.
In regards to the pledge that the Library Board has
(08:36):
been going by since nineteen seventy six.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well that's true, but you know, nobody's brought it up before.
So now that we're aware of it, I think, let's
write the ship. And they all agreed that they would
not have a problem doing with it. But then, you know,
I took that as being we really don't want to
do it, because we're not going to do it unless
you make this to it. So last night, you know,
(09:02):
we took a step to make them do it. I
think part of what I saw, you know, he liked
the library board. The members are appointed by members of
County Council, and up until the last cycle, I put
up a slate of flour conservatives too, and a single
(09:24):
conservative are probably Republican on that library board. So what
you saw the opposition, in my opinion, was they don't
like change, and they always talk about diversity, but they
sure don't like diversity of thought. So this was the
first time that they had members on the library board
(09:47):
who weren't in sync with the majority of the board
of the library Board, and this is what the fight
was about. They weren't used to any diversity of thought
or diversity of a in my senses as a County
Councilorman Kelly that the board to reflect the people that
(10:08):
live here. Many of us who live here are conservative
in my opinion and observation. Prior to those recent pointees
that I recommended, there wasn't a single person who could
arguably be considered a conservative or Republican. And they're having
trouble adjusting to having Republicans and conservatives on the library board.
(10:33):
And you saw what I saw was a howling a
mob of people coming and voice in the opposition to
having such people. They think like you were me on
the library board, and we're called all kinds of names,
and the people who support them.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
The message to the howling mob is get used to change,
and you need to look inward on how you handle
that and educate yourselves because that's what's happening here. And
everything goes back to education. It is key. So people
are learning and being educated about the process of these
boards being appointed in this instance by Charleston County Council
(11:12):
to the library Board. There are several other I mean,
my gosh, we could went on time to run down
the list of the boards and commissions all over the
state that this could affect, which means if you don't
take the pledge, you refuse to take the pledge, then
what's the process look like to get them off the
board and then in state new ones?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Well, that's the legislatives matter, you know, the do I'm
not sure they have a requirement now to take the oath.
If they refuse, then we'll go from there.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
You know. Now, eventually I would assume that they would
be removed and new appointments would be made. And people
need to take note of that. Who are listening and
realizing that they need to step up and not just
sit on the sidelines and listen to all of history
frankly being made and the future that is now which
has changed.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Well, Kelly, that's right, because now there's an obligation that
we voted on to all the boards and commissions in
Charleston County take an oath to the state, and you
know United States constitution is they don't do it, then
you don't serve, because that's it would be a prerequisite
(12:25):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Not just that there's incentive though, Larry, I don't mean interruption.
I'm sorry, Countsman Larry Lebowski. Here. The incentive has been
put up on a statewide level to pull back on
funding if they don't follow the law. So this is
a multimillion dollar public policy setting board. This library board,
and again one of many of these boards and commissions
(12:49):
that control very important things, including millions of dollars of
our tax money and set public policy that we the
people all have to follow.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Well, there are huge ramifications. The legislature will set the
tone for what the penalties are. That wouldn't be an
accounting council legislative job. And also I think the larger
issue too, which I want to emphasize as the education issues.
I was on the State Board of Education and I
(13:23):
saw the textbooks, and I was you know, and I
tried to feel like a Paul Revere. If we allow
these to continue, we're going to have a generation of
students who hate America, who think were all the things
I heard last night are coming to fruition. So I
would also thinkle who will wake up Paul about our
educational system. And most of those what I perceived of
(13:45):
as a hanling mob of people who attacking you know
that those of us who believe in the country of
the Constitution and jeering and booing us, those are all
graduates of our high schools, and that's something to be
concerned about. And it also shows how as conservative sometimes
(14:08):
we have problems with each other. That's personalities, but we
need to unite. What's that stake was a very stark Kelly.
I saw that and heard it last night in the
opposition is doesn't believe what we believe in how we
look at our country in any way, shape or form.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I want to ask you about county council and oversight
because I mentioned a multimillion dollar budget for just this
board alone, the library board in Charleston County. Was it
forty two million dollars? I think Senator Matt Lieber stated.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It's approximately that. I mean the budget is said every year.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Well, let me ask you this county council certainly has
oversight into their budget and what they're spending their money on.
And people want to see more DOGE style, so Department
of Government Efficiency and elon on a federal level here locally,
we want to sweep our front porch first too.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I hope I did some of that when I changed
the power such or some others who I thought for
continuing business as usually Again, what thought very hard for
what I thought was extreme wasteful government spending and reckless
it would have been. And I'm proud that the county
rejected that, and I did what I thought I had
(15:26):
to do to make sure that people were hurt of that,
and I believe that they were. But it's our job.
There's nine of us oversight the library boards budget will
come up at budget time, so you're entirely correct, and
they should be carefully scrutinized as everything we.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Spend well was your message to fellow Republicans who been
wishy washy on this entire process with regards to the
library Board. Just taking a pledge, for example, to the
Constitution that they're going to have the political fortitude to
actually lean in on what they're spending their money on
and saying no to some of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Well, that's it, but I would hope you know, to
support There's eleven members of the Charleston County Library Board, Kelly,
and we have four more appointments coming up in the
end of this year, and there's what I would consider
two conservatives on there. So if we were to elect
(16:25):
four members, there would be majority on the library Board.
So that would be one specific way to change that.
The internal structure of the library board because they act
independently too about what they do by ball about how
they run the libraries. So there is a mechanism to
(16:47):
change that. I believe that up to the last cycle
when I put up four members, two of whom got
you know, appointed, there were no Republicans or Conservatives. Our voices,
you know, we're not heard, in my opinion, So there's
a way to change that.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So, speaking of change, there's a statewide level to start
a Doge committee, a Department of Government efficiency to dig
into where our tax dollars are going. Is that something
that Charleston County would consider on a local.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Level, Well, I think so. I think it's interesting that
you know, at the Finance committee that's coming up on
March twentieth, I asked, in reference to the recent news
about the consultants in North Charleston and the indictments and
guilty police, that you know one of them had been
(17:40):
a consultant for Charleston County Council back in twenty nineteen
when Eliot's sumny was the chairman. That was Jerome Hayward.
They hired him at seventy five hundred dollars a month.
I think and of course then he appointed Elliott to
the he was a member of the Aviation Authority, but
(18:03):
those weren't public. I didn't know about that. I didn't
know if any of the consultants that were being paid.
So I got a list of the paid consultants for
Charleston County and at the next meeting, I'm going to
make that public and ask that any because as of now,
when the county they hire a consultant the County Council,
(18:24):
if it's under a certain amount, isn't notified. If I'm
of the opinion that any consultant that works for the county,
that's paid anything by the county, how to be vetted
by the county, and before it's spent or authorized, how
to be voted on up er down by the county,
because that's how the public knows. And any money spent,
(18:45):
how to be scrutinized, who is it for, what are
we getting out of it, and who's getting paid. And
I feel that making a public I mean, remember there's
nine members, so it takes majority to do anything. Of five,
the start is to make the less public of everybody
who gets a penny from the county as a consultant
(19:06):
and who they are and make it have to be
authorized by the county as opposed to this being done
by an administrator without notice to the county council.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, it sounds to me, Lary, like you were starting
as fiscal conservative, that you are starting a Charleston County
style Doge committee. I think you should in that sense.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yes, if they think any money's but keep going.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
This is what every taxpayer wants.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
And also it's one of the changes brought about by
me doing the turnover and the power that you know,
I was always the only one to vote against the
special tax benefits that would come up there. It was
almost every meeting before we give special tax holidays to
this company or that company, and I always objected to
(19:56):
it because for lower taxes, but for everyone. I don't
know how you can pick or twos who to pay
taxes or who doesn't, or to what degree, because it's
an onerous thing when you're trying to make a living,
pay your taxes on your home, because if you work
independently like I do, and you know, you have to
(20:17):
come up with that. And I don't know how they
can pick some to pay and some don't. I mean
the argument is that, well, it'll benefit that company and
they'll hire more people. That would apply to all of
us who are small businessman, all of us who have
to pay in our homes, that we would use the
money wisely. Bet are going to the store for groceries,
(20:37):
you know, and pay sales tax. So that's another thing
that I'm trying to at head of that committee now.
So whenever that comes up, before it's vetted, I want
to note with any council member involved in asking for that,
who's the company. Sometimes they don't even name them until
the final vote because there's three rounds of votes. Currently
(20:58):
I'm going to say how long but they get the benefit,
how much will cost account and what's the reason, and
you know, have intense scrutiny. I'm only one vote in that,
but the role I can play is to have the
public know about it, who's getting it, and why, how much,
how long and for what purpose? And that should be
thoroughly vetted before anything like that is given, because I
(21:22):
feel it's like corosive because all of us pay taxes,
and it's demoralizing and upsetting to know that maybe some
companies don't have to do that. The thing that we do,
because it looks like then oligardies are you know, it
corrodes the civic value, just like the oath. Having an oath,
(21:43):
it kind of affirms that the people who are on
a board their commissions kind of are affirmed or believed
in our way of life. And just like giving a
pledge or a prayer before a meeting, it's the same thing,
and it makes you feel that part of the civic fabric.
You know, I don't see the opposition to it, but
(22:03):
we saw that again last night. And again what I
saw is a howling mob of Jerry and booing those
who believe believe in that. So it was very eye opening.
Tommy Kelly, Well.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
That's that mob is going to continue to halm boo
though they think the message needs to be that it
doesn't work. In fact, it plays opposite in your favor
and the people who I think so, yeah, no doubt.
I mean, you were there.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
The reason I think it's still important because most people
live their lives, they spend time with their family, they work,
and they don't see that, you know, and I saw
it up close, and that could be our future. I mean,
that's what's at stake. So that's why people need to
get involved in politics and stay at tuned and stay active,
(22:53):
because if we don't, they are.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
And the more you shine fiscally Larry countsman Kebrowski here,
the more they are going to screech and how and scream,
And so it's important to stay the course. I continue
to say this spread bravery around like wildfire. Look at
what is at stake, all the things that you describe
(23:15):
your meeting face to face.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Think about it. We grew up and in the schools,
I mean it was always that. That's why it made
such a big deal in the beginning about George Washington.
If you remember, I grew up and got George Washington's
you know, every school child had the picture on the wall.
Remember that, and it made you revere the founding fathers
of our country. That's what you know, and you take
(23:40):
things like that out. I was trying to restore George
Washington's birthday as opposed to a generic this President's Day,
which usually means nothing to anybody, but to make it,
you know, primary, our sense of connection to our country
and a way of life and a constitution an American exceptions,
(24:00):
which that's what's the routing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
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