CAMPAIGNS ARE LIKE POLITICAL CHRISTMAS TREE LOTS
Christmas tree lots. They’re set up overnight, they open on a busy corner, they run for a few weeks, and they’re gone. Employees often come from out of state, and, let’s just say, it’s easy to question the skill sets of a lot of them. The same can be said for political campaigns. Are there exceptions? Yes, especially when the staff hires are local. We have some incredible, battle-tested political talent in this state, but the number of Lee Atwater wannabes and “I read PRIMARY COLORS, watched THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, and have THE WEST WING box set” types can really do more harm than good if they’re given too much rope. This cycle, there’s been a lot of that from the presidential campaigns. It’s too late to do anything now, but to the out-of-staters who made South Carolina home for a couple of months and to the fresh-faced campaign workers (who aren’t limited to the “just got out of college” set) who think campaigns are a great career path, take an old guy’s advice for success down the road. 1) Don’t act like you’re local iffin you ain’t. It’s important to learn your area, who the players are, what the personality dynamics are, and how things are done, but that takes time. I know that with a presidential campaign, especially in SC, time is a commodity. After Saturday, we won’t get another presidential campaign visit until 2015, but that means you have to squeeze more in to that finite campaign calendar. Make friends, let them guide you, and LISTEN to what they have to say. If you try to do things YOUR way, you’re failing yourself and your candidate. 2) Know the rules. This goes both toward an application of the law and just how things are done. Never assume. Find a strong legal counsel – one recommended from people in the know. Talk with state party officers, major donors, activists. The way you do things in Wisconsin may very well be different than the way things are done in South Carolina. In fact, I’d pretty well bet on it. 3) Build relationships. Sensing a theme yet? When former House Speaker Tip O'Neill said that, “All politics is local,” he wasn’t kidding. It wasn’t just some nifty saying he thought would look nice on a bumper sticker. You can’t go in to an area and think you know it all…or anything, for that matter. The local elected officials, party officials, and activists got there before you, and they’ll be there after you. They’ll be your best sources of information, networking, and volunteers. 4) Utilize relationships. When you build relationships, you’ll discover that people want to help you. They, just as much as you, want your candidate to win. Let them help. Plug them in so that they can actually help. Don’t just give them busywork. Don’t let their emails and voicemails go unanswered. Aside from showing no common courtesy, ignoring or discounting what were once enthusiastic supporters makes them, at the very least, blasé about your efforts. At worst it makes them frustrated or angry at you, which could spill over to your candidate. Neither of those would be considered “good things.” 5) Be appreciative and keep your word. Real friends are very difficult to come by in politics. It’s a difficult and sometimes painful lesson to learn. When you find friends, keep them. If somebody helps you, make sure you thank them appropriately. It’s important to embrace the “Dance with the one who brought you” philosophy. If you make a promise, keep it. The only thing you can ever really control about yourself is your word. The second you go back on it, is the second those friendships and loyalties disappear. Trust is paramount, and friendships must be reciprocal. Just because you’re working on the same campaign with someone doesn’t make you friends, though. Sometimes you’ll work with people you can’t trust, and this is the most difficult concept for a lot of people to grasp because you still have to be nice. You’re temporarily on the same team and likely will be again down the road if you decide to stay in politics. Just know the difference between friends and people you work with and have to be nice to. Politics isn’t brain surgery – especially if your job is to build grassroots support. Strategy and messaging are coming from people above your pay grade. Should you show initiative and do some out of the ordinary things to help your candidate (like creating blogs or creative collateral)? Absolutely. Should you forego your duty to build relationships in order to do these things? Absolutely not. Your time as a presidential campaign staffer is short. Make sure you leave something for yourself when it’s over. Make sure you have a network in place and an established reputation that will make candidates want to come to you down the road. Then you can set up your very own Christmas tree lot.
Taft Matney is a partner with TM Public Relations, a strategic communications and governmental affairs firm in Greenville, SC. Follow him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/taftmatney) and "like" TMPR on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TMPRGA).
This op-ed may be reprinted/reposted in whole or in part upon written notification to taft@taftmatney.com.
Brand names, product names, services, companies, events, and publications are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners in the U.S. and/or other countries. Labels: Politics, Relationships, Taft Matney, TMPR
IT'S 2012. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
 It’s not something you automatically think about when the new year rolls around, but you should.
It has nothing to do with typical resolutions, but it is something you should resolve to do.
Take a look at your web site. Look at your copyright and legal notices.
If your web site doesn’t have copyright or legal notices, that’s the first problem you need to address. The content on your site, except for what you’ve found elsewhere and properly attributed, is your intellectual property.
You need to protect it.
You need to date it so you have some basis to make a claim on something that is rightfully yours. If other people falsely pass off your content as their own or use it in a way that’s contrary to how you want your content used or represented, you need to have documentable evidence of what you wrote, photographed, recorded, or illustrated and when you created it.
That takes care of the first issue. Now for the second.
What does your copyright date say? If it’s 2011 or earlier, make a mental note. It’s now 2012.
Update your copyright date. While it’s important to document when your intellectual property was created, it’s equally important to keep those copyright protections up to date. You might not necessarily surrender your copyright protection by not making the immediate change to the new year, but you’re certainly sending a signal that you: 1) aren’t concerned with how or where your intellectual property is used, 2) you don’t really monitor what people are doing with your intellectual property, and 3) theft of your intellectual property is an offense that will carry no penalty because chance are you won’t engage in litigation.
I’m not an attorney and don’t offer legal advice. I’m a PR flack and a political hack, but I care about what I create. I care about things that I write, photograph, record, or design. I put time and effort in to those things that are, at different levels, piece of me. I don’t want to see them used in ways contrary to why I created them.
Now, there are “fair-use” doctrines and “public domain” issues to consider, but ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how your content is used. Protect it, and start by updating copyright dates on your web sites. The Mayan calendar may end this year, but your copyright protection doesn’t have to.
Taft Matney is a partner with TM Public Relations, a strategic communications and governmental affairs firm in Greenville, SC. Follow him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/taftmatney) and "like" TMPR on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TMPRGA).
This op-ed may be reprinted/reposted in whole or in part upon written notification to taft@taftmatney.com.
Brand names, product names, services, companies, events, and publications are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners in the U.S. and/or other countries.
“CRESCENT: THE MAGAZINE” LAUNCHES
FOCUSING ON “SOUTH CAROLINA LIFE, POLITICS, AND A LITTLE BIT IN BETWEEN” (OCTOBER 4, 2011 / GREENVILLE, SC) Launched at www.CrescentMag.com, CRESCENT is a new web-based magazine designed to highlight “South Carolina life, politics, and a little bit in between,” said its editor Taft Matney today. CRESCENT’s offerings come from two directions. One will profile famous and influential South Carolinians, South Carolina food, travel, and entertainment. The other will include state-based current events and opinion. According to Matney, CrescentMag.com is a place where lifestyle issues and current events can converge in to a single digital infotainment outlet. “When we first started piecing CRESCENT together, we thought we had an idea of what people wanted, but we didn't know if we were on target. There was only one way to find out. Ask. We asked friends and family. We surveyed a cross-section of nearly 200 folks who are movers and shakers in their fields. We tried to find out where people were getting their information and what they were interested in. With a mix of aggregated material and original content, I think the product we're putting together is on the mark,” Matney said. One of those survey results showed that the majority of respondents get their information electronically, so CRESCENT is targeting the digital space – specifically people who are surfing the web with smart phones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks, and desktop computers. “The CRESCENT that's here today isn't by any means the final version, but it's a starting point. It's going to evolve with input,” Matney said. “Keep telling us what you want to see. Let us know what interests you. What's going on in South Carolina that people need to know? Where in South Carolina do we need to eat or travel? What's a South Carolina business or group that people should know about? Who is a South Carolinian people need to know more about? Tell us how to make CRESCENT better.” Some of the people CRESCENT will profile include: Former presidential advisor Tucker Eskew, country music star Aaron Tippin, Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman, and James Beard Award winners The Lee Brothers. When asked about pay walls, registrations, and subscriptions, Matney responded, “No. Our readers won’t be bothered with pay walls or unnecessarily collected information. We listened to what people said in our survey. Just visit CrescentMag.com. Read what’s there. Learn something about our state, comment on an article or two if you feel like it, support our advertisers, and keep coming back to see what's new.” “Our state has a lot to be proud of,” he added. “It’s not all about partisan bickering. It’s not about what allows us to be the punch line on late night talk shows. South Carolina has a lot of great stories to tell and a lot of great people to tell them. CRESCENT exists to give them a voice.” For media inquiries, please contact Taft Matney by e-mail at taft@crescentmag.com or by phone at 864/505-8866. -30- This statement contains or may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. CRESCENT undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements. Labels: Aaron Tippin, CRESCENT, CrescentMag.com, Golf Channel, James Beard Award, Kelly Tilghman, Lee Brothers, Taft Matney, Tucker Eskew
There are times when South Carolina deserves to be laughed at. Let’s face it. There are certain aspects of our state that are great as running punchlines. We have so many, in fact, the folks at THE ONION gave us this little piece: Obama Visits South-Carolina-Ravaged South Carolina September 20, 2011 COLUMBIA, SC—Calling the devastation "heartbreaking and appalling," President Barack Obama toured South-Carolina-ravaged South Carolina Tuesday, vowing never to turn his back on the 4.6 million residents whose lives have been turned upside down by the horrors of South Carolina. "For decades, citizens from Columbia to Walterboro have suffered a kind of pain and anguish that most Americans could never fathom," said Obama, who later led a silent prayer for the countless victims of the Southern state. "But I'm confident you will rebound. Maybe not in a month. Maybe not in a year. But South Carolina will one day emerge from the ashes of this South-Carolina-torn land." Obama will reportedly be traveling to Charleston next, a city the president said has miraculously escaped the devastation of South Carolina. It’s funny. It’s really funny, but there’s more to the story. You see, South Carolina has a lot to be proud of, and that’s part of what our new project is about -- not just what's happening, but those things that make South Carolina a great place to live, work, play, vacation, rear a family, and just plain enjoy. There’s more to come soon. Labels: South Carolina
MEDIA ADVISORY – BOILING SPRINGS FIRE DISTRICT TO CONDUCT 9/11 OBSERVANCE
Contact: Taft Matney Date: September 10, 2011 Phone: 864/505-8866 Tomorrow, September 11, 2011 the Boiling Springs Fire District (Greenville County, SC) will hold a brief 9/11 remembrance ceremony at its headquarters located at 5020 Pelham Road in Greenville to observe the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States. The ceremony will begin at 8:00 a.m. and is expected to last approximately 20 minutes and will include participation by the BSFD Honor Guard and remarks from Chaplain Gary Rogers. Members of neighboring fire departments are expected to attend, and the public is invited. At the conclusion of the ceremony, two Boiling Springs Honor Guard detachments will leave the district’s headquarters to participate in other area observance ceremonies. Officials from Boiling Springs Fire District say that they plan to hold a larger scale ceremony when construction is completed on the district’s privately-funded 9/11 memorial that features a steel beam from the World Trade Center as a centerpiece. For planning purposes, directions to Boiling Springs’ headquarters are below. From Greenville Take I-85 North to Pelham Road Bear right at the top of the exit ramp on to Pelham Road. BSFD Headquarters is located on the right on the corner at the first traffic signal.
From Spartanburg Take I-85 South to Pelham Road Turn left at the top of the exit ramp on to Pelham Road. After crossing back over I-85, BSFD Headquarters is located on the right on the corner at the intersection of Pelham and Garlington Roads.
About the Boiling Springs Fire District Established in 1968 and located on Greenville County's Eastside, the Boiling Springs Fire District covers 15 square miles and serves over 26,000 residents. Governed by five commissioners recommended by county council and appointed by the governor, the Boiling Springs Fire District is a special purpose district responsible for addressing specific concerns and local issues among commercial and residential interests through 40 paid personnel and 20 volunteers operating out of 3 fire stations. The Boiling Springs Fire District is South Carolina's only ISO Class 1 fire department with a combination of paid and volunteer fire fighters.
For media inquiries, please contact Taft Matney by e-mail at taft@taftmatney.com or by phone at 864/505-8866.
-30- Labels: Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs Fire District
FIRE DEPARTMENTS REQUIRE MONEY TO MEET NEEDS
By Butch Kirven
Published Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Greenville News
Section 9A -- http://bit.ly/qDmZ98
Greenville County is notoriously tightfisted with tax dollars. The last time County Council raised tax millage for the county’s general fund operations was 1993.
Since then County Council has consistently decreased tax millage.
Aside from its own business, County Council is the approving fiscal authority for many, but not all, separate Special Purpose Tax Districts, a task complicated because the Council does not have operational control of these fire districts, relying instead on the commissioners of each one.
Fire protection is not optional. Lives and property depend on the level of protection provided. Fire protection services are paid for directly by property taxes collected from the citizens who are the beneficiaries of the services. Needs for fire protection services and the capabilities to provide them vary greatly throughout Greenville County.
That means funding levels for each fire district must be judged on the merits of each case, and not on a “no-tax increase” dogma that does not account for the actual situation in each fire district. Some increases may be justified, some may not, but each should be evaluated carefully and business-like decisions made for each one.
There are some 30 separate Fire Districts, Special Purpose Fire Districts and Fire Service Areas in Greenville County. Thirteen were created by County Council, and 17 were created by the state Legislature, eight with statutory budget limits, and nine with full autonomy and unlimited taxing authority. Only the first group and those with limited autonomy require County Council’s approval for millage adjustments.
Each Fire District contains a specific array of demographic and economic characteristics determining how fire protection is provided and funded. Consider both ends of the spectrum: Boiling Springs Fire Department serves a densely populated 15-square mile area with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
Dunklin Fire Department serves a 28-square mile largely rural-residential area, including large amounts of agricultural or undeveloped land that produces little tax revenue. It is obvious that these differences determine how each department is manned, equipped, trained and how much it all costs. Comparing them would be like comparing apples to oranges.
In the case of Boiling Springs Fire Department, the facts and circumstances support their request for County Council’s approval for a bond to pay for a strategically located new station to serve their densely populated area and diverse mix of property types. In the case of Dunklin Fire Department, the circumstances and facts support their request for a very modest increase in revenue just to maintain the basic capabilities which the citizens currently rely on.
Despite the archaic arrangement of so many fire and other special purpose tax districts, no local service does more to protect life and property than the fire departments. They do much more than put out fires. Firefighters are usually first to arrive when anyone has a stroke or a heart attack. When a traffic accident occurs, the rescue vehicle from the local fire station is usually the first to arrive on the scene. When corporations and industries look for places to locate, a top priority is the quality of fire protection and ISO ratings.
Fire departments and firefighters are essential; they save lives, support economic development, give us peace of mind, and are taken for granted.
Changes in state law a few years ago limited tax millage increases to a combination of population increase plus a cost-ofliving index. That led local government entities to review their budgets every year and to ask for the allowed small millage increase maintain services.
However, the new state tax law also created a problem by having so many subdivisions of local government asking for the allowable adjustment in millage, which appeared to those not thinking through the matter that County Council was on a tax increasing binge.
Having so many separate tax districts is not an ideal system, but it is the one we have, and we have to make it work. The high level of cooperation among the fire departments is amazing and saves money. They have a preplanned system to back-up engaged units. They share training resources and equipment. Many firefighters are volunteers who spend enormous amounts of time learning and honing the skills that can make the difference between life and death.
In order to provide the level of resources essential to maintaining readiness County Council and citizens must fully appreciate all that fire departments do in serving the community.
Without adequate resources, readiness will deteriorate, training will be reduced, outdated equipment will not be replaced, and facilities not maintained.
If public safety is important, money has to be spent to keep fire departments capable of performing their missions. Citizens seem to understand this and County Council should. Labels: Boiling Springs Fire District, SPD, Special Purpose Districts
RESIDENTS BACK NEW FIRE STATION
Business owners and residents who came to Greenville County Square on Tuesday night all had one agenda: to support the Boiling Springs Fire District. Each had three minutes or less to ask County Council to consider issuing a $2 million bond that would allow the fire district to buy a former church building on 208 Blacks Drive and renovate it into a fire station. Some, including Milton Murphy, general manager of Speedway Packaging and Distribution, said a new fire station would help Boiling Springs keep its ISO rating of 1, the highest a department can achieve. “If it were to drop, it would mean our insurance costs would go up, and we would have, basically, some choices to make,” Murphy said. “We can reduce our personnel at the site, or we have to raise our prices to our customers. Either way, it’s not good for us or the economy.” Claire Sizemore and Tim Greaves, a former firefighter, said the station’s proximity to heavily traveled Pelham Road and Interstate 85 would shave crucial minutes off emergency response times. “The bottom line of this whole issue is life or death,” Sizemore said. At issue is a fire district that spans 15 square miles across Greenville’s growing Eastside area. Its ISO rating will drop to 3 if a fourth station isn’t built soon, said Fire Chief Steve Graham. “It was a godsend to find this piece of property with an existing building that we can renovate for about $2 million,” Graham said. The general obligation bond would increase property taxes by $4.35 on a $100,000 owner-occupied home. County Council members were divided on the issue during a Finance Committee meeting earlier this year. Meadows and Councilman Sid Cates voted against the proposal, while Butch Kirven and Jim Burns voted in favor. Councilman Bob Taylor was absent but later cast the deciding 3-2 vote to allow the bond issuance to move forward. A public hearing and second reading will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 4. ■ Staff writer Nathaniel Cary contributed to this report. Labels: Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs Fire District
NEWS RELEASE – WADE HAMPTON FIRE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT ON LAKECREST APARTMENTS FIRE
At 9:39 pm on August 26, 2011, the Wade Hampton Fire Department received a call reporting a structure fire at Lakecrest Apartments located at 3900 East North Street in Greenville.
The first engine arrived on scene at 9:41.
26 apartment units in two buildings were involved in the fire. Each building contains 12 units, and two units in another building received water damage from runoff.
The fire is believed to have originated in a third floor unit.
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office has been called to investigate, and it is expected that the investigation will begin on Monday.
The complex is currently being fenced off around the affected fire area.
No major injuries were reported.
In addition to the Wade Hampton Fire Department, units from the City of Greenville Fire Department, Taylors Fire Department, and Piedmont Park Fire Department responded as part of a mutual aid agreement.
For media inquiries, please contact Taft Matney by e-mail at taft@taftmatney.com or by phone at 864/505-8866.
-30-
This statement contains or may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Wade Hampton Fire and Sewer District undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.
|
