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Article published Jan 11, 2004
General Assembly: True success will rely upon setting aside
partisanship
JOHN DRUMMOND
For the
Herald-Journal
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "We must become the
change we want to see." These words offer vision for South Carolina's General
Assembly as we begin the 2004 session.In order to accomplish what must be done
in the tough session ahead, the General Assembly must set aside the partisan
politics that has plagued our state for the past several years. Both parties
have proven in recent legislative sessions that following the dictated party
lines in our votes results in nothing other than rancor, indecision and
ineffectiveness.The citizens of our state, the media and members of the General
Assembly understand the important issues facing South Carolina. Unfortunately,
the political gamesmanship of partisan strategists has taken over our
proceedings and infects every attempt at thoughtful debate and honest,
courageous decision making, and the trend is growing worse each year.More
progress will be made if we can stop the finger-pointing and partisan bickering.
The honorable men and women who serve in the General Assembly must once again
embrace open discussion, honest nonpartisan debate and compromise in order to
address the serious issues facing our state. I urge the media and public to
"call us down" whenever the General Assembly allows some campaign-oriented
political agenda to take precedence over the needs of the people of South
Carolina. And I challenge my fellow members on both sides of the aisle to work
this session to do what we were elected to do.Let's address, in a constructive,
nonpartisan way, an aging and deteriorating road system that contributes to
South Carolina ranking second in highway deaths and negatively impacts economic
development; tens of thousands of children eligible for, yet going without basic
health care coverage; an educational system that, while improving, is not
producing the skilled work force that South Carolina needs to prosper in the new
economy; higher education in need of serious reform; the financial crippling of
the agencies responsible to help our fellow citizens in need of mental, physical
and other forms of health care; the reduction in the ranks of our state troopers
by more than 20 percent; dedicated state employees whose take-home pay is less
today than it was three years ago; the need to attract new knowledge-based
business as well as manufacturers to the state; and so many other compelling
issues.These are tough issues that can be addressed meaningfully only with a
return to nonpartisan deliberation and common-sense compromise.I have learned in
my four decades of service in the General Assembly that a person often can
contribute best by saying what many people feel but few are willing to say. I
offer these thoughts in true hope that we will take a different approach this
session and "become the change we want to see."John Drummond of Greenwood is
president pro temporeemeritus of the S.C. Senate.