Dear Friend,

About this time each year you normally receive a letter from me which recounts the highlights, and low points, of the previous year as well as my thoughts about the year just beginning. This year I am breaking from that tradition and this email is to let you know I will send a letter just a few weeks after the legislative session begins.

This year I feel I must first get back to Columbia and see for myself what the General Assembly decides is important before I give you my thoughts. My fear is that their priorities may not match my own which will be passing H.3101 which prevents the implementation of Obamacare in SC, a full accounting of the billion-dollar debt bomb passed by the Assembly (I voted NO) and signed into law last June, even stronger defense of our 2nd Amendment rights, and the prioritization of our budget to ensure that all legal requirements are met first.  If you remember, I offered amendments to fully fund Education, Local Governments, School Buses, and our Roads with money we had on hand.  However, these amendments were voted down in favor of special interest projects.  Too many times the special projects are funded and we are left with a simulated “crisis” to fund core services.  One positive from my prioritization fight at the Senate podium was that I got them to put $50 million in road funding on the line in recurring General Fund dollars – something that has never been done in our state!  I plan to stay on point and work with the Finance Committee in shaping our state budget into a prioritized budget based on needs and not wants.

These are my priorities because I believe them to be the priorities of my constituents and most across South Carolina, but as I mentioned, I fear we may be in the minority with regards to representation across much of the state. The SC Chamber actually rewarded legislators who voted for the debt bomb, placing an uncalled for burden upon our children and grandchildren without so much as knowing the terms of the loan. It would be like you borrowing money for a car (or home), signing the papers, and finding out months later what your interest rate and payoff is.  This type of irresponsible behavior is what helped lead to the housing crisis a few years ago!  The State Chamber has a very different idea of business friendly than I do as an actual business owner, but this often happens when it’s someone else’s money. Fortunately, our local Chamber of Commerce often disagrees with the State Chamber and understands that we have to live within our means.  The insult added to the injury is that we actually had the money on hand and could have used it for roads instead of taking on this debt. Not one mile of road will be paid with interest on debt!

Senator Bryant and myself were successful in 2012 in forcing the use of money on hand to dredge the port of Charleston when others simply wanted to borrow, but 2013 was the year that most everyone decided to borrow from our children and grandchildren. I am fortunate to have some true conservative colleagues in the Senate who help me look out for our pocketbooks but unfortunately there are simply not enough of us.

I don’t know yet what will be important to the borrowers in 2014, and sometimes it is not exactly what they say it is, so I want to get there and see for myself before I write you again. I realize this is not your typical uplifting email most politicians would send out to start off the New Year, but I feel in these times it is far more important that I be completely honest with you rather than just sending you a fluff piece.  With that said, I do sincerely hope that each and every one of you has a great start to their year, and I’ll be in touch soon.