"The idea is the public should know who is paying their part-time legislators so they can judge whether their pay from other sources presents any potential conflicts." - 1/9/2017 article re corruption in the SC legislature.
Wednesday a week ago (3/29/2017), there musta been quite a ruckus going on behind the scenes while I was protesting in front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink's law firm. They are not happy with my presence, and afterwards, when I checked my emails, there was word from Senator Setzler' office manager, Alisa Painter, that Setzler had introduced a bill and wanted me to have a copy of it.
What a "coincidence." And what an insult Setzler's bill is to the people of South Carolina. Talk about gall...
SENATOR SETZLER HAS HAD OVER 30 YEARS TO TAKE ACTION TO SIMPLIFY THE PROBATE PROCESS IN THE INTEREST OF FOLKS WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES.
Now - in the face of negative public exposure and with the current legislative session more than half over - he suddenly introduces a watered-down bill (See S. 589) (word for word, the exact same hogwash as Kenny Bingham's bill last year) to give probate courts authority to decide when to apply the 10 year limit on wills. Fact is, there's no excuse for having time limits on wills. Many other states don't have time limits, South Carolina didn't prior to 1986, and I replied accordingly to Setzler's office manager, urging an overall simplification in the probate process.
In 1986, what was Senator Setzler's role in adding those attorney-serving complexities to the probate code, and did he make any efforts to notify the taxpaying public of what was going on? In 1986, his probate-dealing law firm - established in 1977, the first year he served as a senator - had been in business for 10 years, which brings up another "coincidence" in Tricky Nikki's sudden decision to introduce his current "probate bill."
This year, for the first time ever, South Carolina lawmakers had to disclose private sources of income. Tricky Nikki introduced his watered-down probate bill just one day before he was exposed in this article revealing lawmakers' private sources of income. It's now a matter of public record: Senator Setzler derives private income from his probate-dealing law firm, and it's anyone's guess how much money the good ol' boy has stashed away over the past three decades due to those attorney-serving complexities added to the probate code.
Why hasn't local mainstream media investigated Tricky Nikki's decades-long conflict of interest? How fortunate for "lawmakers" like Setzler that the required disclosure of sources of private income was postponed until after the election.
I suppose probate-attorney Setzler somehow "forgot" to send out press releases regarding his current bill, an effort which is no doubt destined to quietly die - as did Bingham's bill - in Committee. Even if it passed, a deadline was crossed last week, and Setzler's watered-down bill could not become law until 2018.
Who does Senator Setzler think he's fooling with this probate bill? Tricky Nikki epitomizes the conflicts of interest that have made governments unresponsive to people's needs. It's way past time for the legislative gang to quit exploiting the probate process for the personal gain of probate attorneys in general, and probate-dealing attorney-legislators in particular.
On 3/29/2017, when I replied to Alisa Painter's email, I got a weirdly-worded (apparently fake) Mailer-Daemon message, which led me to think Ms. Painter's email wasn't authentic. Had I not taken time to investigate, I wouldn't have been aware of Senator Setzler's bill, just like I wasn't aware of Kenny Bingham's bill (see 6/3/2016 update) last year until after it had been submitted for over a week. I tried to forward my original reply to Ms. Painter, but it wasn't clear if she received that either. On 4/2/2017, I tried a third time, and on 4/4/2017, I received confirmation from Ms. Painter that she had received my reply and would make Senator Setzler aware of it. As was the case last year, it looks like someone is intent on keeping things quiet regarding time limits on wills.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
6/13/2017 update - protested for an hour, downtown Lexington, front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink law firm THANKS AGAIN to the many motorists who signaled support. I've heard no more - didn't expect to - regarding Senator Setzler's bill. Apparently, the bill never made it out of committee.
5/19/2017 update - protested front of the State House for an hour. Here's another round of thanks to everyone who shows support and visits this blog. WIS-10 "news" drove by again - depend on 'em to keep quiet about the probate racket.
5/16/2017 update - another hour of protest in front of the State House, another GREAT response even with relatively light traffic. MANY THANKS to all who expressed support and visited this blog.
5/11/2017 update - protested for one hour in front of the State House. Light traffic but still a SUPERB response from motorists. MANY THANKS to all those who signaled support and took photos.
5/3/2017 update - protested the probate racket for 3 hours in front of the Williams, Stitely, and Brink law firm. MANY shows of support (they seem to be increasing), and total blog visits have now topped 7,000. A MILLION THANKS TO ALL. WIS-10 drove by and again ignored an issue that should have made headlines years ago.
4/29/2017 update - Is anyone surprised that a jerk like Setzler favors a gas tax? What a sick joke when the senator - a conniving, career politician with a conflict of interest regarding probate laws - has the unmitigated gall to blabber that "he was elected by the people to do what he thinks is right." Wonder if "the people" would have elected Tricky Nikki if "news" organizations like WIS-10 hadn't covered up his decades-long conflict of interest. Here's an honest look at the gas tax issue.
4/26/2017 update - protested in front of my "favorite" law firm - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - for 3.5 hrs. New time frame gimme an even BETTER response than I've come to expect. MANY thanks to the MANY motorists who signaled support and took photos.
4/20/2017 update - Protested in front of the Williams, Stitely, and Brink law firm for 2 hrs - another round of SUPER encouragement from motorists. MANY THANKS to all who signaled support. If you know someone in another county who's fed up with SC's probate racket, send 'em a link to this blog.
4/17/2017 update - Protested for 2 hrs, front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink's law firm. Another great response from motorists - a million thanks to all. Mainstream media is trying to keep news of SC's probate racket quiet. Please spread the word about what's going on.
4/15/2017 update - Tricky Nikki, aka Senator Setzler, has again gone silent re substantial efforts to clean up South Carolina's probate racket.
4/13/2017 update - MANY THANKS to everyone who's helping to expose what's going on.
4/12/2017 updates -
> Protested 2 hrs, front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink's law firm. THANKS EVER SO MUCH TO THE MANY MOTORISTS who signaled support. Wunna WIS-10's vehicles passed by, kept right on going. South Carolina's "News Leader" is an expert at filtering out the news people need to know.
> Tweeted a link to this post to Gov. McMaster.
4/10/2017 updates -
> Protested in front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink's law firm for 3 hours. SUPER response from motorists, MANY THANKS to all who signaled support. BLOG VISITS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. SPREAD THE WORD - IT'S WORKING.
> My pleasure to send Senator Setzler a link to this post via Twitter, Alisa Painter, and SC Legislature Online.
Showing posts with label WIS-10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WIS-10. Show all posts
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Probate-dealing law firm doesn't like where I stand
See 3/31 and 3/29 updates below.
One of downtown Lexington's high falutin, probate-dealin' law firms - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - is not happy about a victim of the probate racket standing in front of their building directing folks to this blog. Some of them came out (dressed fit to kill, I might add), and Mr. Williams kindly informed me (never in a million years had I realized) that I was "standing in front of a law firm." It seems his wife - and by extension Mr. Williams himself - were unhappy about my presence, and never mind my first amendment rights or the fact that I'm not touching their property. Mr. Williams thought it would be better if I protested in front of the South Carolina Statehouse (better for me, 'cause "you can't change anything here in Lexington"), or that I should at least move back to my former location across the street, where I would be "nearer to the probate court." He absurdly mentioned the word "ripoff" being on one side my sign (it's presented as part of this blog's address), admitted that they handled probate cases, but emphasized that they didn't "rip anyone off." I wuz glad to hear that.
Watchin' 'em squirm was reminiscent of that movie about the lawyer who was suddenly bewitched by honesty and had to tell the truth. "Liar Liar," starring Jim Carrey, is one of the best films ever.
I chose the new location for best exposure, but told 'em I thought their law firm provided a nice backdrop for my efforts. I suggested they call Senator Setzler and tell him to clean up the probate racket and reply to my email. But alas. They didn't think Tricky Nikki wuz gonna "do anything." In other words, all they can figure out to do regarding the probate racket is to rake in profits. They never evidenced any concern for the plight of folks who had lost loved ones being treated like dirt, or the fleecing of inheritances. This blog - which Mr. Williams claimed to have visited - was "interesting," which of course is a nice, non-committal way of putting it from folks who are satisfied with the status quo.
Here's the deal:
Victims of the probate racket are supposed to forever tuck their tails. They're to keep their heads bowed (lest they make eye contact with an overlord like Senator Setzler), keep their mouths shut, hand over a chunk of their inheritance when told to, and tolerate any kind of disrespect South Carolina's corrupt power structure sees fit to hurl at a racket victim's deceased loved ones. Downright dirty shame that a lowly racket victim would have the audacity to stand in front of a prestigious, probate-dealing law firm's building and publicly object to such treatment after being stonewalled by the legislative gang (racket victims should be able to take a hint), and while mainstream media big shots like WIS-10 do their best to keep the probate racket quiet.
Quick, someone: Think of a way to persuade that pesky racket victim not to protest in front of our law firm. Racket victims aren't supposed to come around unless they're ready to hand over a portion of their inheritance.
I wish Tricky Nikki's law firm was more conspicuous, more "out in the open" so to speak, faced a road with a higher traffic count, and vehicles didn't pass by the joint quite so fast. Don't get me wrong: Senator Setzler's firm - the guy is one callous, conniving little jerk if ever there was - is quite suitable for picketing. But for my primary intents and purposes, protesting the probate racket in front of Williams, Stitley, and Brink's firm is the hands down better choice, and they might wanna look at it this way: They're performing a charitable service by preventing other probate-dealing law firms from being bothered by an uncooperative racket victim.
Who knows? Maybe Williams, Stitely, and Brink can even come up with a tax deduction.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
3/31/2017 update - 3/30/2017 article exposes Senator Setzler as "Public officials report private sources of income for 1st time." There's a profound CONFLICT OF INTEREST when attorney-legislators support laws that help to provide private income.
3/29/2017 updates -
> Protested in front of Williams, Stitley, Brink for 5 hours. GREAT encouragement from motorists, a million thanks to the many who signaled support. BLOG VISITS HAVE SOARED.
> Senator Setzler introduced a bill (See S. 589) similar to the one introduced last year by Kenny Bingham. It's another watered-down effort at reform, probably destined to die in committee. The objective isn't to introduce bills, the objective is to simplify the probate process, and ELIMINATE time limits on wills. I was notified of Senator Setzler's bill by someone in his office, and replied accordingly. Where is mainstream media? Why isn't the public being informed of what's going on? This update was delayed because I took time to confirm the authenticity of the notification I received.
3/27/2017 updates -
> Sent Senator Setzler a link to this post via SC Legislature Online and Twitter.
> Tweeted a link to Governor McMaster as Twitter.
One of downtown Lexington's high falutin, probate-dealin' law firms - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - is not happy about a victim of the probate racket standing in front of their building directing folks to this blog. Some of them came out (dressed fit to kill, I might add), and Mr. Williams kindly informed me (never in a million years had I realized) that I was "standing in front of a law firm." It seems his wife - and by extension Mr. Williams himself - were unhappy about my presence, and never mind my first amendment rights or the fact that I'm not touching their property. Mr. Williams thought it would be better if I protested in front of the South Carolina Statehouse (better for me, 'cause "you can't change anything here in Lexington"), or that I should at least move back to my former location across the street, where I would be "nearer to the probate court." He absurdly mentioned the word "ripoff" being on one side my sign (it's presented as part of this blog's address), admitted that they handled probate cases, but emphasized that they didn't "rip anyone off." I wuz glad to hear that.
Watchin' 'em squirm was reminiscent of that movie about the lawyer who was suddenly bewitched by honesty and had to tell the truth. "Liar Liar," starring Jim Carrey, is one of the best films ever.
I chose the new location for best exposure, but told 'em I thought their law firm provided a nice backdrop for my efforts. I suggested they call Senator Setzler and tell him to clean up the probate racket and reply to my email. But alas. They didn't think Tricky Nikki wuz gonna "do anything." In other words, all they can figure out to do regarding the probate racket is to rake in profits. They never evidenced any concern for the plight of folks who had lost loved ones being treated like dirt, or the fleecing of inheritances. This blog - which Mr. Williams claimed to have visited - was "interesting," which of course is a nice, non-committal way of putting it from folks who are satisfied with the status quo.
Here's the deal:
Victims of the probate racket are supposed to forever tuck their tails. They're to keep their heads bowed (lest they make eye contact with an overlord like Senator Setzler), keep their mouths shut, hand over a chunk of their inheritance when told to, and tolerate any kind of disrespect South Carolina's corrupt power structure sees fit to hurl at a racket victim's deceased loved ones. Downright dirty shame that a lowly racket victim would have the audacity to stand in front of a prestigious, probate-dealing law firm's building and publicly object to such treatment after being stonewalled by the legislative gang (racket victims should be able to take a hint), and while mainstream media big shots like WIS-10 do their best to keep the probate racket quiet.
Quick, someone: Think of a way to persuade that pesky racket victim not to protest in front of our law firm. Racket victims aren't supposed to come around unless they're ready to hand over a portion of their inheritance.
I wish Tricky Nikki's law firm was more conspicuous, more "out in the open" so to speak, faced a road with a higher traffic count, and vehicles didn't pass by the joint quite so fast. Don't get me wrong: Senator Setzler's firm - the guy is one callous, conniving little jerk if ever there was - is quite suitable for picketing. But for my primary intents and purposes, protesting the probate racket in front of Williams, Stitley, and Brink's firm is the hands down better choice, and they might wanna look at it this way: They're performing a charitable service by preventing other probate-dealing law firms from being bothered by an uncooperative racket victim.
Who knows? Maybe Williams, Stitely, and Brink can even come up with a tax deduction.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
3/31/2017 update - 3/30/2017 article exposes Senator Setzler as "Public officials report private sources of income for 1st time." There's a profound CONFLICT OF INTEREST when attorney-legislators support laws that help to provide private income.
3/29/2017 updates -
> Protested in front of Williams, Stitley, Brink for 5 hours. GREAT encouragement from motorists, a million thanks to the many who signaled support. BLOG VISITS HAVE SOARED.
> Senator Setzler introduced a bill (See S. 589) similar to the one introduced last year by Kenny Bingham. It's another watered-down effort at reform, probably destined to die in committee. The objective isn't to introduce bills, the objective is to simplify the probate process, and ELIMINATE time limits on wills. I was notified of Senator Setzler's bill by someone in his office, and replied accordingly. Where is mainstream media? Why isn't the public being informed of what's going on? This update was delayed because I took time to confirm the authenticity of the notification I received.
3/27/2017 updates -
> Sent Senator Setzler a link to this post via SC Legislature Online and Twitter.
> Tweeted a link to Governor McMaster as Twitter.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Election time, and the probate/trust gang is laughing all the way to the bank. Or to church...
12/28/2017 update: The SC Sec of State says SC Policy Council president Ashley Landess' salary for 2016 was $104,681. Nuthin' like a "charitable" organization - no wonder they need donations.
"A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves." - from an article by Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
Ya can't really blame the probate/trust gang for those peals of laughter. Election time, and not one word about South Carolina's probate/trust racket. The money-grubbing scum who make life miserable - and expensive - for the bereaved have got to be rolling in the aisles as a cowardly public quietly submits to abuse and lines the pockets of probate attorneys and trust operations all across the state.
This is not how democracy is supposed to work.
America has degenerated into a sleazy little rat hole of pervasive corruption in both the public and private sectors, promoted by a presstitute mainstream media that "knows better" than to "tell it like it is." The very idea of "lawmakers" quietly passing probate laws designed to pad their own pockets, assured that we no longer have a free press offering any oversight.
As attorney-legislators do everything possible to nullify wills, someone said a friend of theirs from Kentucky was told that because a will written in that state had a "death with dignity" clause, the will wouldn't be valid in South Carolina. More evidence - none was needed - that probate attorneys are no longer satisfied to be paid exorbitant fees to draw up wills. They now want to also be paid gobs of moolah to administer estates, and the more wills that get nullified, the more profitable it is for members of the probate/trust racket. The scam works best, of course, when an unsuspecting public remains unaware of absurd laws designed to enrich the bank accounts of the probate/trust gang. Never underestimate the shock when a bereaved taxpayer suddenly discovers that "their" government has turned on them like a mad dog.
There wuzza time when slobs who betrayed the public trust ran the risk of being tarred, feathered, and ushered out of town on a rail. But no more. If anything, Americans have reduced themselves to name-droppin', social-climbin' morons who consider it an honor and a privilege not only to re-elect, but also to do business with high-falutin' thugs who hold political office. Amerika may be many things - the home of the brave it's not.
If kicking people around who are struggling through the process of bereavement weren't so brutal and cowardly, it would be a hoot watching the likes of Governor Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Policy Council, and "news" organizations like WIS-10 (promoting itself as SC's news "leader") refuse to address the probate/trust racket. The only "news" about probate is blabber extolling the virtues of setting up a trust, like a guy from Ensemble Capital that I heard on the radio program "Health, Wealth, and Happiness." Never any mention, of course, of how probate got to be so untenable for the taxpaying public. Corruption reigns supreme, and the "insouciance" of western peoples has indeed assigned their democracies to the trash bins of history. Another person I spoke with about the probate/trust racket immediately noted the connection between such corruption and the record-setting low voter turnout - I quit voting long ago - for South Carolina's last mid-term election.
I'll betcha every gang member involved in the probate/trust racket makes it a point to show up in church every Sunday without fail. Nuthin' like devotion to the Golden Rule...
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an e-mail expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
Update 4/19/2017 - AFTER the election, Senator Setzler's CONFLICT OF INTEREST was exposed. It's now a matter of public record that Tricky Nikki receives income from his probate-dealing law firm.
Update 3/11/2017 - Probate attorney Nikki Setzler - re-elected again - is no doubt glad mainstream media keeps things quiet about the probate racket. Wonder if trust firms like Caldwell, Inc. contribute to Setzler's campaigns.
Update 11/17/2016 - Unconfirmed news accounts say Gov. Haley is being considered for a position in the Trump administration. Let's hope not - just sent the president-elect a tweet to that effect with a link to this blog.
Update 1/9/2017 - News reports have by now long been confirmed: Trump wants an "ambassador" (Gov. Haley) who treats the bereaved like dirt.
"A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves." - from an article by Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
Ya can't really blame the probate/trust gang for those peals of laughter. Election time, and not one word about South Carolina's probate/trust racket. The money-grubbing scum who make life miserable - and expensive - for the bereaved have got to be rolling in the aisles as a cowardly public quietly submits to abuse and lines the pockets of probate attorneys and trust operations all across the state.
This is not how democracy is supposed to work.
America has degenerated into a sleazy little rat hole of pervasive corruption in both the public and private sectors, promoted by a presstitute mainstream media that "knows better" than to "tell it like it is." The very idea of "lawmakers" quietly passing probate laws designed to pad their own pockets, assured that we no longer have a free press offering any oversight.
As attorney-legislators do everything possible to nullify wills, someone said a friend of theirs from Kentucky was told that because a will written in that state had a "death with dignity" clause, the will wouldn't be valid in South Carolina. More evidence - none was needed - that probate attorneys are no longer satisfied to be paid exorbitant fees to draw up wills. They now want to also be paid gobs of moolah to administer estates, and the more wills that get nullified, the more profitable it is for members of the probate/trust racket. The scam works best, of course, when an unsuspecting public remains unaware of absurd laws designed to enrich the bank accounts of the probate/trust gang. Never underestimate the shock when a bereaved taxpayer suddenly discovers that "their" government has turned on them like a mad dog.
There wuzza time when slobs who betrayed the public trust ran the risk of being tarred, feathered, and ushered out of town on a rail. But no more. If anything, Americans have reduced themselves to name-droppin', social-climbin' morons who consider it an honor and a privilege not only to re-elect, but also to do business with high-falutin' thugs who hold political office. Amerika may be many things - the home of the brave it's not.
If kicking people around who are struggling through the process of bereavement weren't so brutal and cowardly, it would be a hoot watching the likes of Governor Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Policy Council, and "news" organizations like WIS-10 (promoting itself as SC's news "leader") refuse to address the probate/trust racket. The only "news" about probate is blabber extolling the virtues of setting up a trust, like a guy from Ensemble Capital that I heard on the radio program "Health, Wealth, and Happiness." Never any mention, of course, of how probate got to be so untenable for the taxpaying public. Corruption reigns supreme, and the "insouciance" of western peoples has indeed assigned their democracies to the trash bins of history. Another person I spoke with about the probate/trust racket immediately noted the connection between such corruption and the record-setting low voter turnout - I quit voting long ago - for South Carolina's last mid-term election.
I'll betcha every gang member involved in the probate/trust racket makes it a point to show up in church every Sunday without fail. Nuthin' like devotion to the Golden Rule...
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an e-mail expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
Update 4/19/2017 - AFTER the election, Senator Setzler's CONFLICT OF INTEREST was exposed. It's now a matter of public record that Tricky Nikki receives income from his probate-dealing law firm.
Update 3/11/2017 - Probate attorney Nikki Setzler - re-elected again - is no doubt glad mainstream media keeps things quiet about the probate racket. Wonder if trust firms like Caldwell, Inc. contribute to Setzler's campaigns.
Update 11/17/2016 - Unconfirmed news accounts say Gov. Haley is being considered for a position in the Trump administration. Let's hope not - just sent the president-elect a tweet to that effect with a link to this blog.
Update 1/9/2017 - News reports have by now long been confirmed: Trump wants an "ambassador" (Gov. Haley) who treats the bereaved like dirt.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
For SC's probate racket, silence is golden
Update 2/15/2019 - The so-called Freedom Action Network (FAN) of South Carolina is refusing to publish my submitted post on their Facebook page warning South Carolinians that time limits have been placed on wills. Maybe FAN has bosses in the SC legislature that won't let 'em spread the word.
"...they cannot rescue themselves via the voting booth. In my opinion, the American people will remain serfs until they wake up to Revolution." - Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
It's been a hoot watching the charade of silence surrounding South Carolina's probate racket. From Governor Haley to mainstream media, the guideline is "keep it quiet," and news blackouts are in full swing, most notably, perhaps, by South Carolina's "News Leader," WIS-10. Even the SC Policy Council dares not address the issue. I've sent both of these "news" organizations links to this blog. A Facebook message (with a link to this blog) to the local radio show, "Return to Joy," - which purports to help folks struggling through the process of bereavement - got no reply.
A couple of months ago, I tuned in to another local radio spot, Frankie Griffin's "Success in Real Estate Show," and was treated to blabberings from a spokesperson for Caldwell, Inc., extolling the virtues of setting up trusts to avoid probate. How the taxpayer-funded nightmare of probate got started in South Carolina wasn't mentioned, and a "caller" chimed in with remarks about how simply having a will no longer offered any assurance that the probate process would be reasonably simple. Interesting that Caldwell, Inc. was founded shortly before the SC legislature turned the taxpayer-funded probate process into an attorney-serving nightmare for heirs. Realtor Frankie Griffin, incidentally, also promotes Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) - I call 'em neighborhood gangs - and he's quick to point out that HOAs have been granted police powers and can file liens and foreclose on properties.
Ah, that orchestrated effort at brainwashing a gullible, cowardly public. The "Home of the Brave" is apparently scared to death of a gang of self-serving attorneys in the legislature, not to mention the American Bar Association.
Meanwhile, Kenny Bingham's bill regarding time limits on wills never even got a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. The effort at keeping things quiet regarding Chairman Bingham's watered-down bill - time limits on wills need to be abolished, not reformed - have been incredibly successful, and as things unfolded, I realized just how determined South Carolina's corrupt power structure is to bury the issue. The realization prompted me to re-publish a post I had previously removed, and include a detailed explanation of how the came to be published.
In my open remarks to Senator Setzler, I asked what it will take for the taxpaying public to get some fundamental decency out of this government. But here's a better question:
How much longer will the taxpaying public sacrifice its time, money, and effort at the alter of a pervasively corrupt power structure?
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an e-mail expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
Update 12/19/2017 - According to the SC Secretary of State, the SC Policy Council's president, Ashley Landess, is paid a whoppin' $104,681 per year. No wonder the Council wants people to donate. I blogged about Ms. Landess' absurd response to SC's nuclear power scandal.
Update 4/18/2017 - The probate-dealing law firm - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - that I've been protesting in front of across from the Lexington Probate Court sure has gone silent since I exposed what they said to me about my presence.
Update 2/23/2017 - Today I stood in front of the SC State House holding up a sign that directed folks to this blog, and it was a hoot watching a WIS-10 "news" crew drive nonchalantly by, apparently knowing better than to investigate and submit a story.
Update 1/27/2017 - In addition to having a slew of attorney-legislators, South Carolina now has an attorney-governor. Henry McMaster has yet to breathe a word about the probate racket.
Update 6/9/2016 - Dr. Paul Craig Roberts references a great article that discusses efforts to keep the public unaware of corrupt laws. South Carolina's probate racket epitomizes this sorry state of affairs.
Update 7/14/2016 - Caldwell, Inc. recently came up with a new radio ad. Their previous ad belted out "Probate is avoidable, peace of mind is attainable," but any reference to probate has now been removed. My, my, wonder why.
"...they cannot rescue themselves via the voting booth. In my opinion, the American people will remain serfs until they wake up to Revolution." - Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
It's been a hoot watching the charade of silence surrounding South Carolina's probate racket. From Governor Haley to mainstream media, the guideline is "keep it quiet," and news blackouts are in full swing, most notably, perhaps, by South Carolina's "News Leader," WIS-10. Even the SC Policy Council dares not address the issue. I've sent both of these "news" organizations links to this blog. A Facebook message (with a link to this blog) to the local radio show, "Return to Joy," - which purports to help folks struggling through the process of bereavement - got no reply.
A couple of months ago, I tuned in to another local radio spot, Frankie Griffin's "Success in Real Estate Show," and was treated to blabberings from a spokesperson for Caldwell, Inc., extolling the virtues of setting up trusts to avoid probate. How the taxpayer-funded nightmare of probate got started in South Carolina wasn't mentioned, and a "caller" chimed in with remarks about how simply having a will no longer offered any assurance that the probate process would be reasonably simple. Interesting that Caldwell, Inc. was founded shortly before the SC legislature turned the taxpayer-funded probate process into an attorney-serving nightmare for heirs. Realtor Frankie Griffin, incidentally, also promotes Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) - I call 'em neighborhood gangs - and he's quick to point out that HOAs have been granted police powers and can file liens and foreclose on properties.
Ah, that orchestrated effort at brainwashing a gullible, cowardly public. The "Home of the Brave" is apparently scared to death of a gang of self-serving attorneys in the legislature, not to mention the American Bar Association.
Meanwhile, Kenny Bingham's bill regarding time limits on wills never even got a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. The effort at keeping things quiet regarding Chairman Bingham's watered-down bill - time limits on wills need to be abolished, not reformed - have been incredibly successful, and as things unfolded, I realized just how determined South Carolina's corrupt power structure is to bury the issue. The realization prompted me to re-publish a post I had previously removed, and include a detailed explanation of how the came to be published.
In my open remarks to Senator Setzler, I asked what it will take for the taxpaying public to get some fundamental decency out of this government. But here's a better question:
How much longer will the taxpaying public sacrifice its time, money, and effort at the alter of a pervasively corrupt power structure?
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an e-mail expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
Update 12/19/2017 - According to the SC Secretary of State, the SC Policy Council's president, Ashley Landess, is paid a whoppin' $104,681 per year. No wonder the Council wants people to donate. I blogged about Ms. Landess' absurd response to SC's nuclear power scandal.
Update 4/18/2017 - The probate-dealing law firm - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - that I've been protesting in front of across from the Lexington Probate Court sure has gone silent since I exposed what they said to me about my presence.
Update 2/23/2017 - Today I stood in front of the SC State House holding up a sign that directed folks to this blog, and it was a hoot watching a WIS-10 "news" crew drive nonchalantly by, apparently knowing better than to investigate and submit a story.
Update 1/27/2017 - In addition to having a slew of attorney-legislators, South Carolina now has an attorney-governor. Henry McMaster has yet to breathe a word about the probate racket.
Update 6/9/2016 - Dr. Paul Craig Roberts references a great article that discusses efforts to keep the public unaware of corrupt laws. South Carolina's probate racket epitomizes this sorry state of affairs.
Update 7/14/2016 - Caldwell, Inc. recently came up with a new radio ad. Their previous ad belted out "Probate is avoidable, peace of mind is attainable," but any reference to probate has now been removed. My, my, wonder why.
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