Journal of the Senate
of the Second Session of the 111th General Assembly
of the State of South Carolina
being the Regular Session Beginning Tuesday, January 9, 1996

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Printed Page 20 . . . . . Tuesday, January 9, 1996

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Chamblee, do you affirm that the answers you provided in the personal data questionnaire are true and correct?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And do you have anything that you'd like to add to the questionnaire or the statement of economic interests?
A: No, sir.
Q: I do have one quick point, a question about the application I do have. On the statement of economic interests, on question sixteen, it requires you to report any ownership interest in a business that's five percent and one hundred thousand dollars. And back on your personal data questionnaire, on question twelve, you listed that you were a partner in Public Well Farms?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Are you saying that the interest is not a hundred thousand dollars as such?
A: It's more than a hundred thousand. I didn't understand it that way, but it's more than a hundred thousand.
CHAIRMAN: Any questions from the members of the panel? I think we should have you to put in the record how you happened not to file with the Clerk of the Senate. C.D., we think you should do this for your interest as well as the Committee.
A: The question is what, sir?
Q: You did send us all a letter?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Stating that you are a candidate for the office. We've all received that and that letter was dated June 27, 1995. The deadline was August 2, '95 and you had already sent the letter to all the members of the General Assembly and the members of this Committee.
A: Yes, sir.
Q: At that time, you apparently learned that you were to file formally with the Clerk of the Senate and you did file ... I believe my letter went out to you dated August 4th and we advised you to file with the Senate and you did. Will you just kind of, for the record, put your position ... State your position so the ... Let's have your position for the record.
A: At the time I mailed the letter out before the filing of it and I had asked Dan Cooper, who's on this Commission, to let me know when the filing was open. And he got his notice two days after the filing was open. He called me as quick as he found out about it and I called Frank the same day.
Printed Page 21 . . . . . Tuesday, January 9, 1996

Q: And you were relying on a member of this Committee to tell you about the forum?
A: Well, my paper didn't carry it, the announcement.
CHAIRMAN: Any more questions from members of the Committee in regards to this one matter?
SEN. LARRY A. MARTIN: Mr. Chairman, just for the record, I would like to reflect as far as my position on the matter goes. That we certainly don't want to get into a situation of accepting any applications past the deadline. We want the Committee ... staff to screen candidates; however, in Mr. Chamblee's case, he did send a letter that pretty much suggested his intent to each member of the General Assembly and members of this Committee and, therefore, I believe that he thought that he was meeting the statute, in that respect, and that, except for the technical situation of not having actually sent the letter to the Clerk of the Senate, he was acting on behalf of you, Mr. Chairman, this Committee ... except for that, he did meet the statute in getting notice in and would make that recommendation to the General Session ... you know, my suggestion is to go ahead with the screening of Mr. Chamblee.
REP. JOHN L. SCOTT, JR.: Mr. Chairman, I would concur, but I think the first approach that you used and indicated that Mr. Chamblee made notification in writing to the Committee, which in fact would show that the Committee is not, in any way, form or fashion, showed any prejudice to Mr. Chamblee because he did not follow procedure as outlined, but in fact, notification was given which in fact will leave it to the members of the General Assembly to make their own interpretation. If we have accepted the responsibility of screening him, because of that notification having been given in writing, I don't think to a point that we can say, in writing, that he followed the right procedure, but notification was given although the notification was given in error. So, I think, giving him the opportunity to explain his position, not only takes this Committee out of the loop of having to make an interpretation of whether or not we followed everything to the letter of the law, but it leaves some lead way for members of the General Assembly to come to their own conclusions.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir. Unless you have any statements you wish to make?
A: No, sir, other than I considered that letter, you know, that I sent out, to be ... that notified everybody that I was running.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. The next candidate will be Representative Sam Foster. Sam, will you come up.
REP. LEWIS VAUGHN: Mr. Chairman, there's some names on this list ... some of them did not file ...


Printed Page 22 . . . . . Wednesday, January 9, 1996

CHAIRMAN: Representative Elliott indicated he was going to withdraw and the next gentleman ... did he withdraw?
MR. CAGGIANO: I have no ...
MR. DAVIS: We have no material on the ...
CHAIRMAN: We'll assume that he didn't follow through with his questionnaire and he just didn't ...
MR. CAGGIANO: Yes, sir. We got notice, but we got no other materials.
CHAIRMAN: And he's not here today?
MR. CAGGIANO: No. Mr. Chairman, perhaps, if I can, let's go down the list and ascertain who is present, for the record.
CHAIRMAN: Okay.
MR. CAGGIANO: Clearly, Mr. Bonaparte is present and has testified. Mr. Chamblee is present and has testified. Mr. Foster is present, Mr. Samuel R. Foster. Is Mr. W. Harold Graves present? Mr. Graves has not answered and is not present. Is Mr. Robert H. Joseph present? Mr. Joseph has not answered and is not present. Is Mr. Harold Langbehn, Jr. present? Mr. Langbehn is not present. Is Mr. Bob McArver present? Mr. McArver is not present. Mr. J. William McLeod is present. Is Ms. Kathleen Riley present? Ms. Riley is present. Mr. Joseph B. Rosen is present. Mr. John J. Snow is present. Ms. Carole C. Wells is present.
CHAIRMAN: Mr. Foster, it looks like you've gotten rid of a lot of your opposition.

PERSONAL DATA QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

1. Mr. Samuel R. Foster

Home Address:Business Address:

4065 York HighwayP. O. Box 995

Rock Hill, SC 29732 Columbia, SC 29202

2. He is married to Mrs. Jestine Wright Foster. They have two children; Samuel R. Foster, II and Allyn E. Foster.

3. EDUCATION - Morris College 1943-1953, B.S. Elementary Education; SC State University, completed Masters Degree Program 1964; Completed graduate courses at Winthrop University, University of South Carolina and Wayne State University.

4. EMPLOYMENT - US Army - 1953-55; Public school teacher, School Principal; Assistant School Superintendent 1955-1985; Served


Printed Page 23 . . . . . Wednesday, January 9, 1996

in the SC House of Representatives 1981-1992; Employment Security Commission 1992 to present.

5. PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS - Member of International Association of Personnel in Employment Security; Central City Optimist Club; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Governor's Task Force on Education Accountability.

6. FIVE (5) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION - Congressman James E. Clyburn, Mr. J. E. Pendergrass, Mr. Robert E. Brown, Mr. Joe E. Gentry, Mr. Frank Kolb.

SAMUEL R. FOSTER, being duly sworn, states as follows:
CHAIRMAN: Mr. Foster, we have a few questions that we'd like to have you answer.
A: All right.
MR. DAVIS: Mr. Foster, do you affirm that the answers you provided on the personal data questionnaire and the statement of economic interests are true and correct?
A: I do.
Q: And do you have anything further that you'd like to add to these materials?
A: I do not.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any questions from any members of the panel?
SEN. LARRY A. MARTIN: Commissioner, in your service on the Commission, you serve pretty much full-time, on the Commission?
A: It's a full-time responsibility, Senator Martin. We have hearings as well as attend to other duties which are related to policy setting for the agency and visitations to the thirty-eight offices around the state.
Q: You have no other employment besides ...
A: I have no other employment.
Q: Thank you, sir.
REP. JOHN L. SCOTT, JR.: Mr. Foster, in your short tenure on the Commission, have you served in any leadership capacity that you could tell us about?
A: I've had the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Commission for sixteen months and at the present time, Mr. McLeod is the Chairman, but I've had the privilege of serving since I've been there and it's been, generally, a wonderful experience. I'm completing a first term and it's been a wonderful experience and I've enjoyed what I've been able to do while I'm there.


Printed Page 24 . . . . . Wednesday, January 9, 1996

CHAIRMAN: There are no further questions. Is there any statement you'd like to make, Sam?
A: Just simply the fact that I've appreciated the opportunity to serve and will continue to work for the best interest of the people we serve and hopefully, I can be successful again. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN: I've got here a statement. Let's read the proxy and withdrawal notice for the record.
MR. CAGGIANO: Mr. Chairman, we received two communications this morning, the Committee has. The first is dated October 3, 1995 to Senator Edward E. Saleeby in care of the Clerk of the Senate. "Dear Senator Saleeby, I would respectfully request my name be withdrawn as a candidate for the South Carolina Employment Security Commission. Other interest would prohibit me from serving if elected. With kindest regards, I remain, Larry L. Elliott." The second communication received, today's date, that's the Proxy of Senator Darrell Jackson. "I, Senator Darrell Jackson, will be unable to attend the Employment Security Commission Screening Hearing on October 4, 1995 at 10 a.m. and hereby designate Senator Edward Saleeby as my proxy for any and all votes taken during this meeting." Signed, Darrell Jackson, dated October 4, 1995.
CHAIRMAN: Okay. The next candidate is former Pee Dee ... William J. McLeod.

PERSONAL DATA QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

Mr. John William (Billy) McLeod
Home Address: Business Address:
436 Winstaire Drive 631 Hampton Street
Columbia, SC 29210P. O. Box 995

Columbia, SC 29202

1. He is married to Mrs. Virginia Smith McLeod. They have two children: John Wilson McLeod and Jamie Lee McLeod.

2. EDUCATION: 1965-1969, Southside High School, Florence, SC; 1970-1974, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, B.S. Degree in Business.

3. EMPLOYMENT: 1973 to Present, Self-employed owner and operator of Billy McLeod Farms


Printed Page 25 . . . . . Thursday, January 9, 1996

4. PUBLIC OFFICES HELD: 1981-1988, SC House of Representatives; 1988-Present, SC Employment Security Commissioner.

5. CORPORATE OFFICERSHIP AND OWNERSHIP: Owner and Operator of Billy McLeod Farms.

6. PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS: Florence Lions Club, Francis Marion University Alumni, Hampton Masonic Lodge, Omar Imps Shriner, Member, Friendship Methodist Church in Florence, Attend Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Columbia.

7. FIVE (5) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Dr. C. Edward Floyd, Mr. C. Lem Harper, Mr. John A. Martin, Mr. David W. Harwell, Mr. William W. Coleman, Jr.

WILLIAM J. MCLEOD, being duly sworn, states as follows:
CHAIRMAN: Mr. McLeod, glad to have you here this morning. If you'll answer any questions our counsel may have.
A: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. DAVIS: Good morning, Mr. McLeod. Again, regarding the personal date questionnaire and statement of economic interest, do you affirm that the answers you provided in these materials are true and correct?
A: Yes, I do.
Q: And is there anything further that you'd like to add to the questionnaire or the statement of economic interests?
A: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN: Is there any questions from members of the Committee? Would you like to make a statement?
SEN. LARRY A. MARTIN Mr. Chairman, I apologize. I'm probably not as well prepared for this as I could be. I was thinking, I've never been on a screening committee like this before, but I feel very strongly about seeking pledges prior to the ... in terms of seeking pledges prior to the Committee issuing its report, so, what I intend to do, is first, ask Mr. McLeod the question of whether or not he has sought any pledges in violation of the statute, and, of course, I'm going to ask the other candidates, at the appropriate time, that I failed to ask, before we leave, the same question. Have you sought any pledges in violation of the no pledge rule prior to today?
A: Senator Martin, I have not.


Printed Page 26 . . . . . Thursday, January 9, 1996

Q: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any other questions? You don't want me to ask you any. I've know you too long, and you and I went to a Super Bowl game one year.
A: For the record, I will say that ... I am completing my eighth year on the Commission and presently serving as Chairman and I have enjoyed my service and hope to continue to serve on the Commission, but Senator Martin had asked Mr. Foster about full-time job, and I'd like to answer that ... Five years ago, I did sell my house and farms in Florence and move to Columbia, so I do consider it a full-time job and moved my residence to Columbia where I could be here for full-time service.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. That was probably a horrible mistake, but ...
A: What, leaving the Pee Dee?
CHAIRMAN: Yeah, leaving the Pee Dee, that's tough.
SEN. LARRY A. MARTIN: Mr. Chairman, before we proceed, do you mind if we ask the previous candidates to stand and ...
CHAIRMAN: That would be fine. Would the previous screened candidates, beginning with Mr. Bonaparte, Mr. Chamblee, Mr. Foster, please stand.
SEN. LARRY A. MARTIN: You understood the question. All three of you are still under oath, so I'll just ask all three of you the same question, just for the record. Have either of you sought any pledges in violation of the no pledge rule as provided by law? Mr. Chamblee?
A: No.
Q: Mr. Bonaparte?
A: I have not.
Q: Mr. Foster?
A: I have not.

PERSONAL DATA QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

1. Mrs. Kathleen Riley

Home Address: Business Address:

1416-A Farrington Way 115 Clark Street

Columbia, SC 29210Chapin, SC 29036

2. She is married to Mr. A. James Riley. She has two children: Dante' Palmaffy and Joseph Palmaffy.


Printed Page 27 . . . . . Thursday, January 9, 1996

3. EDUCATION - She attended Orange Coast College, Indiana Vocational\Technical College, and St. Petersburg Junior College.

4. EMPLOYMENT - McCormick Nunes Co., Chapin, SC (Accounting Department) 7/93 to Present; Seaway Mold & Engineering, Inc. Port Richey, Florida, (Controller/Office Manager) 2/91 - 5/93; Total Furniture Concepts, Inc., Largo, Florida (Full Charge Bookkeeper) 3/90 - 2/91; Perzel & Associates, P.A., CPA, Oldsmar, Florida (Accountant) 2/89 - 3/90; National Product Systems, Inc., Oldsmar, Florida (Account Manager/Administrative Assistant) 2/88 - 3/89; Fastec Industrial Corporation, Elkhart, Indiana, (Administrative Assistant), 10/85 - 2/88. Additional Experience, Escrow Officer, Mortgage Loan Processing Secretary, Sales Secretary, Receptionist, Batch Operator, Teller, Head Teller, Customer Service Representative, Construction Loan Secretary.

5. PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS: Member of AARP, Member of NAFE' through 9-94.

6. FIVE (5) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION - Ms. Kay H. Mayes, Ms. Denise Lingenfelter, Ms. Barbara K. Belcher, Mr. Frank C. Thomas, and Dr. L. E. Priester, Jr.

CHAIRMAN: The next candidate will be Ms. Kathleen Riley. Good to have you with us this morning, Ms. Riley. You'll first be sworn by the Clerk.
KATHLEEN RILEY, being duly sworn, states as follows:
CHAIRMAN: Ms. Riley, our counsel will have a few questions to ask you.
MR. DAVIS: Good morning. Do you affirm that the answers you provided on the personal data questionnaire and statement of economic interests are true and correct?
A: I do.
Q: Do you have anything further that you'd like to add to these materials.
A: No.
Q: I do have a couple questions with your application regarding the questionnaire. Question six asks you to list each college or graduate school that you attended since high school and such and your periods of attendance and whether you graduated or left for some other reason. You attended the Orange Coast College, the Indiana


Printed Page 28 . . . . . Thursday, January 9, 1996

Vocational Technical College and the St. Petersburg Junior College, but it doesn't tell whether you graduated from any of these institutions and it doesn't say what degree you got, if you got any and such. Would you explain?
A: I do not have a degree. I was a candidate for my associates degree at St. Petersburg Junior College before moving to this area. And unfortunately, I have been unable to transfer a lot of my credits, so I have never finished.
Q: Then, secondly, question eight, under occupations, it says, describe chronologically your employment since graduation from high school or college, as applicable. I think you submitted a resume which covered the period from 1985 forward, but it doesn't ... it says you were born in 1943, so there's a period of time between graduation from high school and 1985 that is not covered.
A: Quite frankly, I could not reconstruct that. I've held several positions in several different parts of the country and I just could not completely reconstruct it.
Q: Mrs. Riley, have you sought pledges from members of the General Assembly in violation of the no pledge rule as provided by law?
A: No, I have not.
CHAIRMAN: Any questions from the members of the ... Representative Scott?
REP. JOHN L. SCOTT, JR.: Ms. Riley, are you a native South Carolinian?
A: No, sir.
Q: How long have you been here in South Carolina?
A: Two years.
CHAIRMAN: Ms. Riley, do you have any statements you'd like to make for the record?
A: Yes, sir. I have a sincere desire to become an active part of the State of South Carolina in any way that I can. I have chosen to make this my home and I guess that's about all I have to say.
CHAIRMAN: Okay. What is your current employment?
A: I am an accountant in a distribution firm.
Q: An accountant? Anything else you would like to say?
A: No.
Q: I understand you have someone to speak on your behalf here. Do you have anyone to speak on your behalf?
A: Unfortunately, we did not get the word in properly ...
Q: I want you to know that we have that request. The rule is, you have to submit it in writing, which you did not do. So, unless the
Printed Page 29 . . . . . Tuesday, January 9, 1996

Committee, for some reason, wants to change the rules and the statute, by consent, but otherwise we can't take their statement.
A: I understand.
Q: Thank you so much.

PERSONAL DATA QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

1. Mr. Joseph B. Rosen

Home Address: Business Address:

221 Northlake Road 1717 Laurel Street

Columbia, SC 29223 P. O. Box 28

Columbia, SC 29202-0028

2. He is married to Mrs. Pamela McPeak Rosen. They have one daughter, Penny Sue Rosen.

3. EDUCATION: University of South Carolina September 1971 to December 1977, Bachelor of Science in Finance/Real Estate (Attended part-time while working at Rosen Appraisal Associates).

4. EMPLOYMENT: Rosen Appraisal Associates, July 1973 to present; South Carolina National Bank, 1971-72; Part-time employment 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971, Moe Levys, and B.Berry's Department Store, Columbia, South Carolina; Contracted with SC Department of Highways and Public Transportation (now SCDOT) approximately seven times to prepare real estate appraisals for right-of-way acquisition in Richland, Lexington, Berkeley and Kershaw Counties between 1979 and 1995.

5. CORPORATE OFFICERSHIP & OWNERSHIP: Currently President of Rosen Appraisal Associates, a real estate appraisal firm. He owns 45% of the Corporation and will continue ownership and employment there until resigning for other services and employment.

6. PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS: Member, Columbia Jewish Community Center, Member of Spring Valley Country Club, Resident member of Spring Valley Homeowners Association, Lifetime Silver Spur member of the USC Gamecock Club, Member of Tree of Life Synagogue, Member of the Capital City Club, Member of the Midlands State Constable's Association.


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