South Carolinians have lost trust in their government and its elected officials…and for good reason. Special interests have way too much influence in Columbia! It’s time we elect a courageous leader who will stand up to the trial lawyers and other special interests, govern by principle rather than political expedience, keep promises, and solve problems instead of ignoring them for political expediency. In short, we need a proven leader.

Scott Singer has the strength of character and conviction to say no the special interests that want to spend your hard-earned tax dollars as if it were their own and is the only candidate in this race with a demonstrated track record of doing just that. For the past two terms on Aiken County Council, Scott has made the tough decisions to ensure Aiken’s future remains bright and prosperous. It’s time to send him to Columbia

Scott’s Record:

JOB CREATION & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Scott believes by investing in job-training, higher education and new technology, we can attract family-friendly economic development and recruit high-paying jobs.

In fact, Scott is the only candidate for State House who has actually created jobs. In the private sector as a senior banking executive with responsibilities for promoting economic development in low-wealth communities, as chair of a statewide economic development trade association, and as a public official, Scott has helped to create hundreds of jobs in Aiken County and South Carolina.

SRS, SRNL & THE CENTER FOR HYDROGEN RESEARCH
Scott has been a leading proponent of the Savannah River Site, the Savannah River National Laboratory and the Center for Hydrogen Research. He believes that the promise of the site will not be realized solely with environmental clean-up, but rather through a combination of new missions and technology transfer to the private sector for new and innovative commercial uses. To that end, as a leading advocate on Council, Scott authorized construction of the Center for Hydrogen Research, which now leases half its space to the SRNL and half to the private sector including Toyota and USC. Scott also participated in negotiations with key federal leaders that resulted in doubling of the fee-in-lieu of taxes to the County and improved benchmarks for plutonium disposition. Scott believes that the 21^st century will be the era of energy innovation and that the CSRA can become to hydrogen fuel-cell technology what Silicone Valley was to micro-chips.

TAXES & SPENDING REFORM

Scott has worked hard to make local government more accountable, effective and efficient. He has stood strong for Aiken’s taxpayers and utilized his strong financial and audit background to expose waste and poor management practices that have cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. He has worked with the Administrator and other department heads to streamline operations and eliminate unnecessary or duplicative processes.

Limit State Spending – Last year when faced with a $1.7 billion dollar surplus, what did our legislature do? They gave a paltry $200 million in tax relief and spent the rest, much of it on pork-barrel projects. They didn’t reduce the State’s unfunded liabilities. They didn’t allocate significant dollars to our infrastructure needs. They didn’t even put a little of the surplus away for a rainy day. Now this year they are faced with deficit! On day one, Scott will add his name to legislation that will limit the growth in state spending to inflation and increased population. Any surpluses will be invested, not spent frivolously.

Pork Barrel Spending Reform -Too often it appears that elected leaders use the treasury as a campaign kitty, channeling taxpayer dollars for pet projects to preserve incumbency rather than to meet statewide needs. Scott Singer has been one of the few leaders who has had the guts to challenge abusive pork barrel spending. He understands that, fundamentally, wasteful spending is an issue of ethics.

Restructure State Government - It’s time South Carolina brought its state government into the 21^st Century. South Carolina spends 30% more than the national average on state government primarily because of legislative control and inefficient bureaucratic structure. This has a devastating effect on our State. More authority needs to be invested in the executive branch. Just look how much more efficient the Department of Motor Vehicles is now that it reports to the Governor? I will embrace and promote the needed governmental reform.

CONSERVATION

Scott is proud of his conservation record on Aiken County Council and will take this same spirit of common sense stewardship to Columbia. He has a demonstrated commitment to clean air and water, and to conserving open space. Without his leadership Boyd Pond Park "formerly ORA" would now be just another high-end residential development, Langley Pond would not be expanding, and the Aiken County Open Land Trust would not have been able to partner with the County on the gopher tortoise tract just north of town.

South Carolina has been blessed with a rich and diverse natural heritage. Scott believes that we are vested with a sacred duty to be proper stewards of the resources upon which the quality of American life depends. Ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample green space is a sacred responsibility; one that must be met not only for the benefit of our generation, but for our children and our grandchildren.

Furthermore, Scott believes that South Carolina’s economic and environmental interests are not mutually exclusive, but rather inextricably linked. Our economic prospects in South Carolina depend greatly upon the sustainable use of ample and unspoiled natural resources. A clean and healthy environment is well served by a strong economy. History shows that poverty is a poor steward.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

As a member of Aiken County Council, Scott was out front on passing legislation calling for employers to verify the legal status of their employees and forbidding Aiken County from providing non-humanitarian benefits to illegal aliens. Those employers who fail to comply may not do business with Aiken County.

Ironically, the General Assembly appears to be on the verge of passing similar legislation at the State level.

HEALTH CARE & TORT REFORM

One of the greatest contributors to rising health care costs is the soaring medical malpractice premiums physicians and other healthcare providers are forced to pay. Scott supports comprehensive tort reform along the lines of …..

EDUCATION

Fifty-percent of our children fail to graduate from high school and South Carolina consistently ranks at or near the bottom in standardized test scores. This is a disgrace. Simply throwing more money at the problem has not, and will not, solve the problem. There are no easy answers, but doing the same things over and over and expecting different results is ludicrous. It’s time we reform the education system.

For starters, Scott believes we need to cut down on the educational system bureaucracy, invest more in early childhood education, emphasize reading at the earliest age, and strengthen our technical college system. Note: As a member of County Council, Scott is a leading proponent of Aiken Tech. He also thinks we may need to look hard at alternative educational delivery systems.

FAMILY VALUES

Scott is pro-life and believes we must ensure legislation does not have a negative impact on the family unit, which he believes is the backbone of a productive and prosperous society.