Right now, we are seeing President Obama’s first fiscal year is paying off – with the federal deficit depleted by 13 percent. We have major Republicans running against the tax cuts on 98 percent of Americans in favor of keeping the tax cuts Bush enacted on the wealthiest two percent. In South Carolina, Republicans have cut funding again and again to major government services to the point where if there is any more cutting, there will be no such services i.e. public education.
But we have Democrats who are afraid to stand on facts. They are afraid to say taxes are a good thing. They need to be selling the point of maintaining a certain level of government services to people. A state cannot just cut its way out of trouble.
For example, Quality Counts 2010 rated South Carolina 41st in per pupil spending and equity. "Our national ranking in this category is misleading because it’s based on finance data drawn from 2007 and doesn’t reflect the impacts of the current economic downturn," (State Superintendent) Jim Rex said. "Until we fix South Carolina’s fractured tax system and reform the way we fund schools and other vital government services, we can’t be assured of making meaningful progress in spending or in equity."
So, if the plan is to cut more, it will be at the expense of children who are already suffering.
Why, then, are Democrats afraid to point this out and stand behind taxes to increase revenue for such government agencies. Democrats should also not be afraid to find new tax sources to raise additional funds as well. Lately, South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen – a Democrat – has been railing against Republican Nikki Haley for supporting a grocery tax. Well, I ask Sheheen what taxes does he support in efforts to increase revenue in a state that has seen devastating tax cuts enacted by Republicans. What, exactly, does he plan to do to raise revenue to operate the government more adequately than now. Sure, the corporate tax should not be replaced, but a minimal grocery tax should be implemented as well. It’ll take both to increase revenue for state at an adequate rate.
We may live in a Republican state, but acting as one just to secure votes doesn’t appease the base and almost surely will not drive them to the polls. They want a Democrat to sell ideas that will put government back into the black and out of the red, helping those less fortunate and paving the way to economic prosperity. They want a Democrat not afraid of telling those who need to pay taxes to do so.
In South Carolina, State Rep. Vida Miller (D) was asked whether or not she supported dredging the Port of Georgetown. The effort has been debated for years, with little to no action being taken. While stating she was for the effort "110 percent" and given the opportunity (but not doing so) to go into detail on how and why it would greatly benefit the city and county, Miller left room for her opponent to capitalize. In 2008, Miller squeaked a win out – losing all but one of the Pawleys Island precincts. You would think with Miller’s vote in favor of Act 388 – property tax reductions for homes, the Waccamaw Neck would come out in droves to support her. If Miller loses all those precincts this time, and one outside of Pawleys Island, this will be her last term in office.
And why has it come to this? Democrats are afraid to run as Democrats. Instead of going full throttle on the Party’s platform laid in front, candidates run right and cater to those who they think will elect them. Sadly, it is a practice that is doomed from the beginning.
I just don’t understand why Democrats do not rally against a political party that is undermining a state’s future in order to save the present. It’s up to Democrats to make sure the electorate understands just how deep Republican cuts in government spending go – and how much of a risk of reduced government services we’ll face regarding public education, public safety and healthcare.
Federal government stimulus packages will not last forever. I hope Democrats start lining up beside their label instead of running from it. The people they represent do not get such equal opportunity to do the same if the candidate elected isn’t who they want.
It’s that important to live up to the Democratic label. If it were not, then why run as one.
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