Press

by Frank Knapp, Jr., SC Primary Health Care Association Newsline In the late summer of 2000 The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce held public forums around the state to hear what was on the minds of small business owners. Consistently at every meeting we heard a very clear message—group health insurance premiums were unaffordable. Three […]

By Frank Knapp Jr., Triangle Business Journal Ross Perot coined the phrase “giant sucking sound” in the presidential debates of 1998. He was talking about the jobs he predicted (correctly) that would leave the United States in search of cheaper labor if we passed NAFTA. Today’s giant sucking sound is the $25 billion not going

by Frank Knapp, Jr., The Greenville News Gov. Mark Sanford should be applauded for publicly raising the issue of privatizing our institutions of higher education. The decision-makers of these universities have been quietly debating the issue and some institutions have been actively privatizing their facilities through development foundations in preparation for the day when the schools

Published in The Spartanburg Herald-Journal Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, announced Wednesday he will pre-file legislation at the State House to remove unnecessary regulation from small business. He said the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act of 2004 would make state agencies more accountable in the way they regulate small businesses. “Small business is the backbone of

Published in Press Release Columbia, SC—The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce congratulated Governor Mark Sanford and his Department of Commerce for creating a Small Business Ombudsman position. Commerce announced the appointment of Charles (Chuck) Bundy, a senior staff member in the Business Solutions Division, to the new position on Friday. “We are very pleased

By Megan Hughes, WIS-TV Three years ago, Governor Jim Hodges campaigned for a state lottery modeled after Georgia’s, geared toward college scholarships, “This lottery will revolutionize access to higher education.” Since his pitch, the lottery was not only introduced, but it has flourished. The lottery has brought in $1.2 billion since 2001 and it continues

By David Axe , Free Times Some Columbia hotel owners and business leaders are vowing to fight USC’s plans to build a university-owned hotel on Pendleton Street in Columbia. Leaders of the Greater Columbia Hotel and Motel Association and the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce gathered on July 23 at the Clarion Hotel downtown

July 24, 2003 Columbia, SC — The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce is again focusing attention on government’s relationship with in-state small businesses. Earlier this month, the 9,000 member organization released information showing that the state spent $1.3 billion a year with out-of-state businesses and called for change to spend more state dollars with

by Melissa Morrell, GSABusiness According to the most recent Kaiser Foundation study, small group health insurance premiums have increased 12% across the country last year. The Center for Studying Health System Change estimates that in 2001 the average premium increase for South Carolina small businesses was 14.5%. Premiums have risen every year for businesses since

by Chris Roberts, The State Small business remains the giant in South Carolina, but the state has a few more mega-employers than it did a few years ago. Half of S.C.’s business establishments had four or fewer workers in 2001, according to a new Census Bureau report. The agency’s “County Business Patterns” survey says 50,000