I am that man.

Mark Sanford eliminated funding in his budget for nursing programs at two different schools in this County. The hospital is the largest employer in Greenwood County. Greewood had an umemployment rate of 12% at the time. More recently, Sanford did the same for our Genetic Center (scientific R&D). Greenwood County has had two large lay-offs in the last six months (Greenwood Mills and Hansen Brick).

In fairness, I know that Sanford is making a point about cutting waste. However, his methods have been irresponsible. This county can not loose another job and Sanford has done nothing about it except to eliminate the jobs we already have.

Sanford ignored the local GOP when filling a vacancy for Clerk of Court. Instead, he appointed a man who had no experience for the job and in turn sued the republican County Council because his pay check was not as big as he would have liked.

Sanford came to Greenwood during the primary and endorsed a GOP candidate against Pinson who had a list of judgements for not paying his bills and taxes (including a 13K IRS tax lein).

I feel that Sanford has thrown my community under the bus, and I will not follow him just because there is an “R” attached to his name. I did what I thought was right for my county and will not appoligeze for it!

You are right about Cotty. I was wrong.

You are wrong about Pinson. There were no Moore stickers on his car, and he did not support Moore(although he had good reason not to support Sanford).

This exchange began about school choice. I support school choice, but not in any form. In Greenwood County this week, a private school eliminated it’s high school program. That leaves us a handful of private Christian schools that have K4-12 programs. Greenwood Christian,the only choice for me, is a good school, but that’s not much of a choice. There may be many choices wherever you are, but not in the Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Calhoun Falls, Ware Shoals area. With the exception of Greenwood, these areas have no tax base and no industry to speak of. No one is going to open a private school in these areas until the economic conditions improve. There are no choices here Scott. A school choice bill must have some real “choice” in it.

We can not plunge the whole state education system into an experiment. I do not oppose the forms of school choice that you support because it is a Sanford project. I oppose it because I have children in elementary school who are not lab rats for school choice supporters to experiment on.

Looks like your cowardly friend Scott just stripped away every ounce of credibility you assumed you had…

Are you the same Trey Ward that served as a co-chairman of Republicans for Tommy Moore joining such Republican luminaries as June Shissias and Scott Elliott?

Is Gene Pinson the same state representative that ran around Greenwood with a Republicans for Tommy Moore sticker on his vehicle?

Have you really checked in Bill Cotty and Tom Dantzler’s position on life? Most pro-lifers would tell you there’s a problem.

Have you looked at Adam Taylor, Dan Cooper, Gene Pinson, et.al. and witnessed their dedication to growing government at monstrous levels? Is that fiscal responsibility? It that for lower taxes? Where are our lower taxes? If I remember right, we had $1.1 billion in new revenues this year and got crumbs back from a majority Republican legislature.

And, Trey…last I checked school choice was in the Republican platform. It was supported by Ronald Reagan, George Bush, George W. Bush and every major Republican candidate for president in 2008 including Governor Mitt Romney, Senator John McCain, Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others.

Are you solely against school choice because Mark Sanford is for it? That’s what it seems like to me.

You should be glad that dueling pistols are no longer an acceptable method of settling disputes. I would not call you out for calling me stupid. I would for calling me a Democrat. More importantly, you could not show up at a duel and remain anonymous. You should have the courage to put your name on what you think and believe!

Anonymous Scott, I am not “just a warmed over Democrat”. I have served my county twice as GOP Chairman. I also worked in the Campell administration. I am sick of those who label me a RINO because I do not agree with any form of school choice that is proposed.

School choice is the only issue here. The “Gang of 14″ supports gun rights, they support life, they support less government and less taxes. You, and those like you, would replace them with people who support any version of school choice that could be passed.

God help the GOP! Democrats can not touch us. People like you will tear us apart.

I have the pleasure to remain,

Sincerely,

Trey Ward

Lower taxes, restructuring, property rights, fiscal restraint rank high on their agenda….

Unfortunately, these “Republicans” are just warmed over Democrats.