SC Leaders Speak … Pt. II
SENATE PRESIDENT OFFERS HIS THOUGHTS ON MOVING OUR STATE UP THE COMPETITIVE LADDER
FITSNews - April 2, 2008 - When we last checked in with Senate President Glenn McConnell, he was outlining his new proposal to cap government revenue in South Carolina.
“The only way we’re going to get at this problem is to cut off the spigot,” McConnell told us at the time, referring to the 41% spending increase that has taken place in state government since the passage of a so-called “Fiscal Discipline Act” in 2004.
Last week, following our interview with House Majority Leader Jimmy Merrill, the FITS gals sat down with Sen. McConnell and posed him the same question - what are three things South Carolina can do to turn around its abysmal job and income rankings? Here’s what the Senate President had to say …
RESPONSES FROM GLENN MCCONNELL:
South Carolina’s ability to compete with other states is contingent in large part on being able to provide an environment that is conducive for allowing businesses to compete nationally and internationally. That statement forms the nucleus of my belief that we can and should do all we can as a state to ensure that we attract good paying jobs and retain the ones that we already have here by making our state attractive to investment. There are several things I believe are important for us to do.
First, we need to ensure that we do all we can to keep government’s cost of doing business low. We need to keep the costs of government low so that the cost of financing government also remains low. I have sponsored and pushed a constitutional amendment that would cap the amount that government could increase each year. I would have also liked to remove the business portion of property taxes from the funding of our schools.
We also need to take a hard look at the operational costs of our local governments. It does no good for the General Assembly to work hard to save taxpayers a dollar if the local government snatches it from their wallets as soon as we send it back to them. If we as a state want to recruit business we need to make sure that the taxes and fees placed on at the local level don’t price us out of the market.
Second, I believe that we need to ensure that we have an ample and affordable supply of energy now and in the future. I think that it goes without saying that business needs energy to run and the costs of energy can make a difference in the profitability of a business. South Carolina has always been at the lead in this category and we cannot risk losing it now.
If we do not get more power available within the next two years, I have seen projections that we risk brown outs and interrupted service to our businesses and our citizens. Of course this will make attracting new business extraordinarily difficult if we cannot promise them the basic means of making their product. Therefore I think that we need to explore all options of making electricity available in the future by both reducing demand through market friendly measures and getting more environmentally friendly generation available as soon as possible.
Third, I think that our state needs to move to the forefront of providing a highly educated work force that is ready to meet the needs of the businesses that we recruit. In order improve our educational system; I believe that we need to take more risks including parental choice and charter schools. Our public schools need to be innovative and competitive while working hand in hand with the business community and higher educational institutions to turn out a quality product.
I also think that we need to take more advantage of our incredible tech schools like Trident Tech. At Trident Tech, we have been able to foster partnerships with the business community in areas as diverse as culinary arts to aeronautics to make the lowcountry a beacon to investment.
Finally, I believe that we need to cultivate the next generation of business in creating a knowledge-based economy. The endowed chairs program has been a tremendous example in this regard. In just a few years, the State of South Carolina has brought in world-class leaders in different disciplines and in their wakes has come associated businesses and investment. The impact of this technological revival has been seen from ICAR in Greenville to biotechnology at MUSC. It bodes well for the future of our state.
Not bad, Senator. Not bad. We hope to have the third installment of this series - with Gov. Mark Sanford - later this week.
Comments
By Earl on April 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
Excellent answers and great interview there. It’s always nice to see some sound and thoughtful policy discussion, and this interview series is one of the best pieces of work you’ve done to date.
The biggest weakness is our state’s workforce. We’ve offered all the incentives, laid the infrastructure, and those have certainly helped, but those kinds of buyoffs won’t work with companies who want to produce quality products and offer value to their customers.
In manufacturing, there is a saying that the cost of quality improvement is zero - it pays for itself. When it comes to workforce development, when you consider the ability to lighten the welfare rolls and increase the number of taxpayers, real education reform and prudent investments into workforce development efforts, the cost will likewise be zero.
As McConnell points out, such efforts can pay off big dividends for this state - and they certainly beat sitting there and doing nothing.
I’m sure BIN and others will throw bricks shortly, but I appreciate you taking the time to do this series of interviews. Keep it up.
By WFM on April 2nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Great interview with the Senator. As in most cases politicians are very good at telling the voters what they want to hear, but unable to backup words with action. Dont talk about it Glen, get er done. His words are basically what you hear comming from every level of politics in every state in the U.S.
By Earl on April 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
WFM - agreed. Actions say a lot more than words.
Those of us who are active in the economic and workforce arena, in the HR world and/or as those who serve on ED and WIB boards, can use all the partnership we can from the folks at the State House.
By Steve on April 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Nice to hear the good Senator dis local government. The biggest problem local government faces these days is state government.
In my county we spend over 1 mil in property taxes every year guarding mental patients at the local ER awaiting a bed in the Department of Mental Health. Our tax rate for county general operations is only 66.5 mils so you can see how this impacts our budget. The State Legislature cuts DMH funding to look good, thereby cutting beds, but doesn’t change the law to allow mental patients awaiting a bed to roam the streets. No problem; local government will pick up the tab.
This is just one example of many. Our citizens tell us they want more deputies, paid firefighters, etc. and are willing to pay for them but we can’t give them what they want because of state controls on local spending.
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