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Article published Oct 18, 2004
A
relatively new House member, Scott Talley has pushed innovative
solutions
Scott Talley has only served two terms as the
representative for District 34 in the state House, but he has already led his
colleagues to find innovative solutions to state problems.Talley sponsored the
South Carolina Textile Communities Revitalization Act. The law provides tax
incentives for individuals and companies to redevelop vacant textile mills in
the state.It's a good solution to a major problem in the Upstate. Many of our
communities were built around textile mills that are now closed and vacant.
Talley's measure gives communities a better chance to keep these mills from
becoming eyesores and turning them back into economic assets.While that was
Talley's most high-profile legislation, he has been successful in passing other
measures as well, including a new law that enhances the privacy of vital records
the state keeps on its citizens.If he wins a third term, Talley plans on
pursuing a worthwhile agenda founded on fiscal conservatism.Talley wants to
weigh the several options under consideration in Columbia for reducing or even
eliminating property taxes. He supports Gov. Mark Sanford's proposal to
gradually reduce the state income tax.Talley makes his living as a lawyer, but
he supported tort reform in this year's session. He also voted to sustain a
number of the governor's vetoes when many in the House were overriding them just
to prove that they still held the power in Columbia and weren't willing to give
it up.He supports combining the state's health care agencies but doesn't support
other necessary components of government restructuring such as the appointment
rather than the election of minor constitutional offices.Republican Talley is
opposed by Democrat Royce Justice, a retired teacher. Justice is committed to
education, which is his primary focus, but he seeks to become a champion of the
status quo. He resists innovative solutions such as the statewide charter school
district. He wants the state to "stick with the tried and true" and spend more
money on it. But spending more money on the same methods that have given South
Carolina its current educational problems isn't the solution.Talley has shown
himself to be willing and able to seek workable solutions. He should be
re-elected by voters of House District 34.