Open Letter to Governor McMaster Regarding Hurricane Helene
Please share this letter across all your social media accounts and send to Governor McMaster.
Dear Governor McMaster,
I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen, deeply troubled by the devastation Hurricane Helene has left in its wake. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, and countless families are now facing an uncertain future. Despite all this, I cannot help but feel a sense of urgency and frustration at the lack of immediate action.
Governor, South Carolina received $6.114 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”) Public law No 117-58, signed on November 15, 2021, which established certain grant programs for Electric Vehicles and batteries.
On October 12, 2022, you signed an Executive Order 2022-31 to coordinate the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure roll-out. With over 500 automotive companies contributing $27 billion to our state’s economy, South Carolina is a leader in this field. But right now, as our fellow citizens suffer, we must ask: What are our real priorities?
The areas hardest hit by this disaster—Gaston, Mitchell, and Buncombe County—are not just rich in minerals like lithium, but they are also home to real people whose lives have been upended. And now, those people are being told that their land may be seized because it has been declared a disaster zone. Is this the kind of state we want to be? Based on this information, we hope that the lack of resources and help in these affected areas is not due to the potential economic gain of another area or government.
I understand that this disaster has crossed state lines, but we cannot allow economic interests to take precedence over the immediate needs of those who are suffering. The lithium processing plant in Chester, SC (Albemarle Corp), may be crucial to the electric vehicle industry, but no corporation or industry should ever come before the needs of the people. This is a time to protect lives, not profits.
Since 2017, Piedmont Lithium has been pursuing a land purchase in Gaston County, NC to mine lithium, which would include an open-air pit more than 500 feet (152 m) deep and facilities to produce lithium-based electric vehicle (EV) battery chemicals. However, the company has been met with opposition towards the mine by the residents. As of May 7, 2024 (Reuters), Tesla supplier Piedmont Lithium (PLL.O), has officially obtained a North Carolina state mining permit after posting a $1 million reclamation bond to develop an open-pit mine that would become one of the largest U.S. sources of the (key battery metal) lithium, approved by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR). Piedmont must still obtain a zoning variance from officials in Gaston County, for the $1 billion+ project. State regulators stressed that their permit “does not supersede or otherwise affect or prevent the enforcement of any zoning regulation duly adopted by any incorporated city or county.” However, the federal govt can seize the land if the land has been deemed a disaster zone!
Governor, you were willing to partner with Georgia and North Carolina through Executive Order 2021-44 during the COVID pandemic. Where is that same spirit of cooperation now? Why are we not banding together with North Carolina to bring relief to the residents of Gaston, Mitchell, and Buncombe Counties? Their lives are just as important as any economic venture we undertake. Why, in the current dire situation, has the Executive Order not been enacted, stating that the states were to collaborate in the current crisis? The devastation and death, caused by Hurricane Helene is equally as important as prior crises.
Right now, there are reports that 1k troops are waiting in North Carolina, (FOX news reports), ready to provide assistance, while the residents of these counties are being told they cannot return to their homes. Worse yet, there are whispers of land seizures because of the mineral wealth in these areas—lithium, quartz, and nickel. I refuse to believe that we would prioritize minerals over the well-being of people, although I know that South Carolina EV companies and state government would benefit greatly if the land was taken and used for lithium, quartz, and nickel mining due to the large mineral deposits.
The FEMA funds set aside for South Carolina belong to the people of this state. We need those funds released NOW to provide aid, not just to South Carolinians, but to our neighbors in North Carolina as well. This is a humanitarian crisis, not a business opportunity. I am asking you, Governor, to act now—work with North Carolina’s leadership, release the necessary funds, and allow volunteers to get the supplies and help to those who need it most.
Please, do not let economic interests take priority over human lives. We need leadership that puts people first, especially in times of disaster. I urge you to take swift action to help the residents of these counties and ensure that South Carolina stands for compassion and unity, not corporate gain.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen of South Carolina
Election Integrity Stickers
Have you seen these stickers around your town yet? We have 5 sticker designs that you can download and send to the printer of your choice, to help spread the word. Clicking on the image will download a print-ready Photoshop file to send to your printer.
Paper Ballots. Hand Counted. No Machines!
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Here are a few companies that print stickers:
https://www.stickermule.com/
https://www.stickergiant.com/
https://southerngiftguy.etsy.com
CALL TO ACTION: PINK Postcard Campaign (Act 150/S108 Bill)
Please download the Postcard Template, print on PINK card stock and mail to YOUR House Rep and State Senator.
Everyone in SC that registers at the DMV gets put on a list. The DMV is REQUIRED by LAW now (Act 150/S108 bill) to send a monthly report to the State Election Commission (SEC). Why would the lawmakers put into law this requirement? Why does Senator Josh Kimbrell want to put forth legislation this year to allow for early counting of the votes? In 2016 the deep state did not plan for voters to override the algorithm; therefore, they didn’t manufacture enough ballots…they were not prepared. In 2020 they planned covid to allow for MASS mail in votes so they could MASS produce the “evidence” (ballots) to match their algorithm. Demand that our Representatives REPEAL S108, REMOVE the Machines or RESIGN!!
Find your representatives: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
Addresses to mail:
Senate:
P.O. Box 142
Columbia, SC 29202-0142
House:
P.O. Box 11867
Columbia, SC 29211-1867
CALL TO ACTION: Repeal, Remove, Resign
Use this Letter Template to write to state representatives regarding the S108 bill, called the “election integrity” bill. The bill was passed in 2022.
S108 introduces the following:
- Two-week early voting.
- Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) access at the State Election Commission (SEC) discretion, which includes all 46 counties.
- A DMV monthly report of all NON-US citizens to the SEC; these voters are not removed, but made “inactive”.
- Request up to 5 absentee ballots.
Anyone can send this letter. You can email the letter to all your state representatives.
CALL TO ACTION: Support Lawsuit
E-mail or send a letter to the Secretary of State, SEC, County election board members, and all your state and federal Representatives, and let them know the following:
1) I am aware that in January 2017, shortly before President Donald Trump took office, Jeh Johnson, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Advisor who served under former President Barak Hussein Obama, designated election infrastructure as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure as a subsector under the Government Facilities sector. See https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/01/06/statement-secretary-johnson-designation-election-infrastructure-critical
2) This designation purportedly allowed DHS, through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) with the assistance of the Election Assistance Commission (“EAC”), to provide services on a prioritized basis at the request of state and local election officials; however, it effectively resulted in the federal government improperly usurping the authority of the respective states to manage their own elections in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
3) In addition, pursuant to Article I, Section 4 of the United States Constitution, state governments have the primary responsibility to administer elections and enforce election law, with the role of the federal government traditionally being limited to the enforcement of the protections of the Voting Rights Act and the prosecution of individuals who have committed federal election crimes.
4) Moreover, I am aware that federal and state election officials across the United States have taken to the process of classifying certain election-related documents as confidential, thus preventing the public from viewing the documents and diminishing the transparency of the election process. While some election officials may argue that such actions are necessary to ensure the safe operation of electronic voting machines, no safety concerns could possibly outweigh the importance of citizens being able to evaluate the integrity and impartiality of the election process by having access to all election-related information and documentation.
5) I do not consent to my state delegating its authority to manage and conduct elections to the federal government. The involvement of federal entities, such as DHS and CISA, in state elections is repugnant to both Article I, Section 4 and the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
6) If my state’s election officials insist that the involvement of federal agencies in my state’s elections is necessary to ensure the integrity of electronic voting machines, then my state’s election officials should cease the use of such machines in the election process.