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Article published Oct 19, 2004
Peeler will add more clout to the Spartanburg County
delegation
Harvey Peeler has brought a pragmatic brand of
conservatism to the South Carolina Senate for the past 24 years. Voters from
Senate District 14 should re-elect him.Peeler has represented Cherokee and parts
of York and Union counties. Recent re-apportionment has also placed a small
portion of Spartanburg County in his district.That adds the Senate veteran to
the Spartanburg County delegation and gives the county some additional clout.
Peeler chairs the Medical Affairs Committee and is next in line to chair the
Senate Finance Committee. Although he has spent more than two decades in the
Senate, he is only 56 years old, which gives him a potentially lengthy career to
come.Peeler has represented his district well over the years. He was
instrumental in getting state Highway 5 improved and widened. He helped to
locate a branch of Spartanburg Technical College in Gaffney.He has shown good
sense in Columbia in the initiatives that he has supported. He supports Gov.
Mark Sanford's proposal to gradually lower the state income tax rate in order to
improve the state's business climate and spur economic development.But, even
better than that, Peeler supports a more complete restructuring of the state tax
system. South Carolina's tax system has been burdened by many years of
legislative quick fixes. Small and often temporary tax relief measures have left
the system with imbalances and inequities.The state needs to develop a new tax
system that adequately distributes the burden of financing state government and
allows local governments to raise the revenues they need. Peeler supports an
effort to restructure the system.He also supports changing some of the rules in
the Senate that allowed it to be bogged down this year with pointless
filibusters. He is in favor of lowering the number of votes needed to shut down
a filibuster and believes there will be less legislative bobtailing -- adding
unrelated bills to important legislation.Peeler is opposed by Democrat Rick
Dizbon, a retired educator committed to helping the state's public education
system. Dizbon is a well-spoken advocate for schools, but he does not have the
breadth of understanding of state government or the experience and influence
that Peeler can bring to his representation of the district.