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Sheheen responds to Sanford's speech

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Sheheen responds for Democrats

The Democratic response to Gov. Sanford’s State of the State address:

COLUMBIA -- State Senator Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, released the text of the Democratic response to Governor Mark Sanford’s 2007 State of the State address Wednesday evening. The Camden Democrat laid out the Democratic agenda for the 2007 legislative session.

The proposals include an increase in the state cigarette tax to fund greater opportunities for affordable health insurance for South Carolinians, targeted tax relief for the middle-class, combating South Carolina’s continued high jobless rate, an increase in the minimum wage and continuing to support public education.

Good evening, I’m Senator Vince Sheheen from Camden, and I am honored tonight to give you the response of the South Carolina Democrats in our legislature.

The elections are behind us now.  It is time to take up the business of the people of South Carolina.  The time for partisanship is over, and the time for partnership must begin.   

For too long, South Carolina has sat still or made only gradual progress.   For too long, we have seen our neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina move further and further ahead of us in the areas of economic development, job growth, education, and the quality of their citizens’ health. 

While Democrats stand ready to modernize the structure of our government, we will not allow the governor and legislature to use the government’s current structure as an excuse for failing to tackle the difficult issues our State faces today.

South Carolina Democrats offer a new vision for our State. In our legislature, the Democrats represent the full spectrum of economic, religious, and racial differences that form this great state.  And we are in a position to forge these differences into a positive harmony that can move our state forward if given the chance.

And so in the legislature this year, we Democrat’s plan to put forward a Middle Class Protection Agenda based foremost on the values of hard work, fair pay, and economic security.  Included in this agenda will be affordable healthcare for people who work, quality public schools across our state, and greater financial prosperity for our citizens.

Right now, affordable health insurance is the single greatest obstacle to small business growth within the State.  As a small business owner, I can attest to the ever increasing burden that rising health insurance rates for employees places on our ability to create jobs.

Even worse, much of the middle class in our state is caught- between the rock of having no health insurance, and the hard place of paying up to $1000 per month or more just to try to keep their families insured. 

In fact, over 850,000 of our fellow citizens are now uninsured.  These are regular folks just like you and me, they earn too much to qualify for government help but too little to afford the Insurance Company’s premiums.  This has become an impossible dilemma for our citizens and a drag on our economy.  While other states have taken action, our state leaders have ignored it for long enough.

South Carolina Democrats have a plan for utilizing a reasonable tax on cigarettes to tackle this health insurance problem.  Through our plan, the state can help small businesses provide coverage to employees and their families, while also covering more of this state’s children. 

Education is the one issue that is fundamental to improving our economic potential and our quality of life.  This past November, our commitment to public education was strengthened with the election of new State Superintendent of Education – Dr. Jim Rex.  We look forward to working with Dr. Rex as we continue the push for historic improvements in our schools.

And as a father of three children in our public schools, I appreciate Dr. Rex’s innovative ideas on teacher pay, reasonable student testing, and accountability within our schools.

We also stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues on education. However, we cannot agree to Governor Sanford’s past plans for public, tax- payer dollars going to private schools with no accountability for the money.  Democrats will continue to challenge any efforts to drain needed resource away from our children’s classrooms.  We simply can’t afford it.

For the last three years, South Carolina’s jobless rate has been one of the worst in the nation.  The General Assembly, Democrats and Republicans must continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring jobs to our state, and we must urge Governor Sanford to do the same. 

South Carolina Democrats support reform of our workers compensation system focused on keeping small business premiums affordable while at the same time protecting our employees.

Middle class families are shouldering too much of the state’s tax burden.  As the legislature has altered tax policy over the last decade, the middle class’s share of the cost of running government has gone up.  Democrats will insist that any future tax relief target the middle class. The middle class in this state funds an increasing share of our government while at the same time seeing huge increases in college tuition for their children, huge increases in health insurance costs for their families, and continued high gas prices.  

Democrats believe deeply in the values of hard work and fair pay.  The minimum wage in this state has remained at the same level for over a decade.  In that time, providing for a family has become more expensive and earning a living wage has become more difficult. 

If the federal government fails to act this year to help those workers who need help the most by raising the minimum wage, then this State must take action into its own hands to ensure that families have a fair living wage. 

South Carolina Democrats are proud of what our leaders have accomplished throughout the years for our state.  Whether it be creating our technical college system, guiding us through the difficult years of desegregation, forming public kindergartens, or funding college scholarships- it has been democratic leaders in South Carolina who have led the way toward improving our great State.

This year’s Democratic agenda is no different. 

We will focus on the middle class- by relieving the financial burden of health insurance; insisting that any tax relief be targeted to those who deserve it the most; ensuring that South Carolinians are paid a living wage; and continuing our historic support for public education.

But Democrats don’t work alone.  And so we invite our Republican colleagues and the Governor to join us as we dedicate ourselves to building a brighter future for our great state.

Good night and God bless us all. 

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