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Senate 36 contest repeats 1996 race, Land vs. Gibbons

MANNING — In a repeat of the 1996 general election, Sen. John Land, a Clarendon County Democrat, is once again facing a challenge from Republican Bob Gibbons in the Nov. 2 general election.

Land, a Manning attorney, is seeking his eighth four-year term. In addition to his Senate tenure, he also served one term in the House.

Gibbons, who is retired from the military, is the state's American Legion Commander. He is from the New Zion community of Clarendon County.

If elected, Gibbons says he'll work hard to help Republican Gov. Mark Sanford pass his government restructuring agenda and any effort to reduce the income tax rate.

Focused on education, Land, on the other hand, says he'll continue to "back the governor when he's right, and I fight him when he's wrong."

Neither candidate had primary opposition.

In the 1996 general election, Land won two-to-one districtwide by a vote of 9,179 to 4,591. In Calhoun County, the margin of victory was closer, with Land taking 1,470 votes to 1,019 for Gibbons.

District 36 includes all of Clarendon and Calhoun counties, as well as parts of Sumter and Florence counties. There are a total of 49,442 registered voters in the district. Of those, 27,708 are black, 21,473 are white and 261 designated "other." Clarendon County has 20,236 registered voters compared with 9,636 in Calhoun County, 15,504 in Sumter County and 4,066 in Florence County.

John Land

"Education, education, education," Land says, will be the key focus of the next term.

"I'm committed more than ever before to work hard to improve education in our state," the veteran lawmaker said. "If we ever expect to compete with the rest of the state in the global economy, we have to provide young people and all people with a first class education."

In addition to public school education, Land says the colleges and technical schools need to be "available to upgrade the skills of our technical workers at all times."

"To have the jobs in South Carolina we want — the high-paying, skilled jobs — we must have that first class education and we don't have it," he said. "We make sporadic improvements in some parts, but we need a comprehensive statewide (plan). Next, we'll work for equality in funding across the state — where a child in (poor, rural) counties have the same opportunities as if they lived in the richest district."

Health care is also a critical issue, Land says. It's important that the state, like neighboring North Carolina and Georgia, "buy down from the federal government every dollar we can for Medicaid" and especially for the program that targets children in need. With four federal dollars available for every one dollar the state puts up, he says, it's a "deal hard to turn down. But every year, South Carolina turns down what Georgia and North Carolina take ... It's a shame our neighbors can scrape together the money.

"We have to be sure we have affordable health care that's available to our citizens," he said. "And, people not covered by Medicaid when they could be and children ... when they go to the emergency room, they get treated and we (people with health insurance) end up paying through the back door."

Those are the top issues, Land says, jobs, education and health care.

"Education means kindergarten through college. Our tuition is increasing every year at our colleges. Some have increased nearly 100 percent in the last two years," he said. "The middle class can't afford it and the poor certainly can't."

Although he says, "if not for the lottery scholarships, we'd really be in a crisis," Land also expresses concern that the lottery scholarship money is not need-based aid and is "going mostly to the upper classes." He calls for more of a mixture, with need-based students who don't quite make the grades to otherwise qualify for the scholarship.

Land is a native of Clarendon County and a lifelong resident of Manning. He has a degree in vocational forestry from the University of Florida and a bachelor's and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife have three children.

Bob Gibbons

Active in American Legion affairs statewide and on the Planning and Public Service Commission in Clarendon County, Gibbons says he has the citizens' perspective that will provide fresh ideas.

Fresh ideas, he says, are needed to reduce taxes and to make state government more accountable.

"I'm in favor of the governor's restructuring plan and tort reform," he said. "I support the governor's plan and the bills that he would put through. I'd try to get those bills passed and not get bogged down with filibusters. I understand my opponent likes to filibuster."

If you like Mark Sanford and George Bush, Gibbons says, he supports that same team.

"I'm not in favor of gun control," he said. "And, I'm in favor of hunters being able to use dogs."

In addition, Gibbons explains that, while it's his habit to use his seatbelt, "we are getting a little over board in governmental control in our personal lives. I do question it being mandatory."

Economic development and education are the important issues, Gibbons says.

"We need jobs and industry in our area," he said. "I'd be willing to work with the Commerce Department and the Parks, Recreation and Tourism, particularly, for them to help us get some jobs through their office."

As for education, Gibbons says the work force needs to be educated to bring in the higher technical jobs.

"We need to start early," he said. "Fourth graders need to know how to read or they'll have problems in school."

Also, Gibbons says that the public school systems need to "squeeze every bit of green out of the dollars they receive."

"I am sure there is some wasteful spending in the management of some schools. We need funds located to the classroom, not in the district office or administrative areas," he said. "Equal funding for all school districts sounds good, but will it work? I don't think putting more money into inefficient school systems will bring them to where they need to be."

To succeed, Gibbons says, all involved in education must accept the responsibilities and discipline needed to get ahead in life. Devotionals or prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance should be included.

A native of Clarendon County and a resident of New Zion, Gibbons attended Spartanburg Methodist College for one year and received an associate degree from Victor Valley College in California. Retired after 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, he was an instructor for the State Law Enforcement Division and served as chief of security at several large industries.

Since 1999, he has devoted full time to the American Legion. He is chairman of the of New Zion United Methodist Church, where he is also a former chairman of the board of trustees and lay delegate to the annual conference. Also, he is chairman of Clarendon County's Planning and Public Service Commission. He and his wife have four children.