Tom Davis Is Rocky Balboa
Whether in Washington D.C. or Columbia S.C., it’s tough to find leaders these days who are willing to stand up for the limited government principles this country was founded on.
At the state and federal level, we’re rushing headlong into nanny state socialism in virtually every area of our lives … with escalating taxpayer debt and evaporating individual liberties the toxic byproducts of government’s unsustainable spending addictions.
We simple don’t trust the free market anymore, or the American citizen for that matter.
After all, government can do it better, right?
And failure should be rewarded, shouldn’t it?
And why not just spread the wealth around, after all?
Thankfully, State Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) is an exception to the “Republicrat” rule.
“To wit,” Davis staked out some free market ground you don’t often see these days in an op-ed addressing the recent debate over South Carolina’s Stalinist … errr, state-run Ports Authority.
From Sunday’s Post and Courier:
I believe unequivocally and unapologetically that job creation, capital investment and higher income levels come directly from the private sector taking the lead. The best thing government can do is stay limited to certain well-defined core functions — and then stay out of the way. Sen. (Larry) Grooms disagrees, arguing in opinion pieces and in legislative debate that our state-owned port system is preferable to one operated by the private sector because: “Private operations exist for the benefit of owners. Our State Ports Authority exists for the benefit of the people of South Carolina.”
Yes, private operations exist for the benefit of owners. But that is the essence of our free market economy, the idea that the pursuit of self interest benefits society as a whole since competition leads to lower prices, improved quality, less corruption, less red tape, and quicker delivery.
That is why, worldwide, 93 of the top 100 ports have privately operated marine terminals. And why our sister states are moving quickly to leverage private capital and expertise. Even in these difficult economic times, private companies are willing and able to invest billions to make our ports system competitive again. But we shut them out. That’s why, along with Charleston Rep. Jimmy Merrill, I have filed legislation that would replace our State Ports Authority board with a president/CEO who is appointed by and directly accountable to future governors. Sen. Grooms opposes that bill because, in his words, “it creates an easy path to privatization.” I support it for that very same reason.
Hell yeah.
In fact, why can’t the next chairman of the SCGOP insist that everybody who wants to run as a Republican in this state sign a piece of paper saying they believe that?
You know, we had high expectations for Tom when he was elected last November, and so far he’s exceeding all of them – in his own inimitable, honest and earnest way.
Seriously, folks. It’s gotten to the point where the former Chief-of-Staff to Gov. Mark Sanford is actually having to downplay all the accolades he’s getting.
No wonder he’s at the top of so many conservative watchlists for the 2010 gubernatorial nomination – including ours.
Keep it up, Tom.
Your voice is a refreshing departure from the vast majority of crap we hear from so many of our politicians these days.
Comments
By Free marketer on March 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 am
The guy seems smart and on-the-money in terms of policy, but isn’t his senate seat the first elective office he’s held? That’s a heck of a jump, from freshman state senate to governor. Probably a better bet for 2014.
By Crooner on March 3rd, 2009 at 10:45 am
Exactly what individual liberties are evaporating? The right to marry whomever you want? The right to be free from unreasonable searches?
Or is the right not to pay your share of taxes?
By bo on March 3rd, 2009 at 11:19 am
free marketer—hell no it’s not too quick a jump. i would take most any business guy in the state as governor over most of the urchins in columbia. he is what we need.
By Philip Branton on March 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
PORT BOY…???
Well, ol’ TOM needz to get busy!!
Let’s review what he has stood UP for….?
CORRUPTION…?? Hmm, where is his VOICE in Lower Richland…
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/701867.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=9910970#Comments_Container
ENERGY from WIND..?? Hmm.. he has been a CASPER on this blowing subject. He needs to be ASK if he KNOWS where HOGBACK Mtn is and if it has WIND..?? When is the last time he took a walk on the beach and felt….WHAT..!?!
Energy from TRASH…?? Hmm…. Has he stolen someone’s “CANNON” and focused it on DHEC ?? Cherokee County and Harvey Peeler..??
ENERGY from SC FARMERS…?? Does he know the Diesel FUEL budgets for OUR entire state’s school bus fleet…or public transit ?!? Where does that money GO …?? OUT OF STATE ..?? Does he know ANYTHING about ALGAE Bio-Diesel..?? Does the PUBLIC Care if he KNOWS…??
OBAMA ..WANTS ….CHANGE !! SO…just what type of CHANGE is he going to deliver for Obama…!?! …or SC ?? …or Republicans..??
By mijeel on March 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
What, exactly, are the specific skills that determine whether someone is qualified to hold elective office? Is it simply holding previous elected office?
The de facto training program in politics we have in place requiring people to “climb the ladder” from one elected office to another doesn’t seem to be serving us too well, in my opinion. Few are the “professional elective office holders” produced through said de facto training program that don’t end up losing their integrity and/or core values over time.
This is not a tacit endorsement of Sen. Davis however it appears Sen. Davis is a well-organized, diligent, intelligent, well-spoken person whose ideas and values seem to comport well with the principles espoused (although often not upheld) by conservative Republicans. That his tenure in elected office is short shouldn’t matter.
By Mega-dumper on March 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Philip,
Judging from the editorial below, it seems that Davis has jumped on your pet project.
Charleston Post and Courier
Timeout on dumping permits
Monday, March 2, 2009
Nine states think South Carolina is a great place to dump their waste — hundreds of thousands of tons of waste each year. South Carolina’s Legislature should act to change that.
The solution that is being considered in the state Senate is a simple one that should work: Call a “timeout” so that no new dumps can be approved this calendar year.
By the end of 2009, the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, which regulates landfills, is scheduled to have rewritten its regulations. Officials readily admit the rules are flawed.
As the regulations exist, companies can receive DHEC permission to build new dumps that the state doesn’t need — including megadumps that could cover 5,000 acres with waste piled up some 300 feet.
They can get away with this because of flaws in the way DHEC assesses dumping needs. The winners in that situation are states like New York, New Jersey and North Carolina that ship us their waste.
Already, South Carolina has twice its needed solid waste landfill capacity, and if proposed megadumps in Williamsburg and Marlboro Counties are built, that capacity will be three times the state’s needs.
Tom Davis of Beaufort, one of four senators pushing for the moratorium, calls it “predatory dumping” and says allowing megadumps is “mortgaging the state’s future … You just need to see one of those dumps. They are gargantuan, and they smell bad. … The moratorium would simply delay further permitting activity until the admittedly broken regulations are fixed.”
That might appear to be an easy sell. It doesn’t draw any lines in the sand — only gives DHEC time to fix what’s broken. It gives poor, rural counties, which are often targeted for dumps, a chance to avoid being a “pay toilet,” as Sen. Phil Leventis of Sumter puts it.
The waste industry, however, has money and muscle. Sen. Davis says that the array of lobbyists who have been hired to protect the companies’ interests is “the most powerful I have ever seen.”
Our legislators should stand up to those pressures and vote for the moratorium.
DHEC wants to grant permission for landfills based on whether there is a need for them. That’s a better idea than allowing huge tracts of South Carolina to be dedicated to out-of-state garbage.
By wondering on March 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
is davis a right wing nut like his mentor (sanford)?
By Philip Branton on March 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Mega-dumper……
Yes, I commend the time OUT and I will applaud Tom’s voice in the PRESS since NO ONE else has the GUTz !!
Tom, needs to pull the sheets back our state BED and let the citizens see the truth…!! They can handle it !!
He needs to start calling BOTH sides out …!!
Citizens are freak-a-zoid on BOTH parties ..!! Tom, needs to DIAGRAM in flow chart form with names and DATES on the shenanigans going on within each PARTY..!?!
All over the STATE….!!!
He needs to call the RAIL boyz …out!! (Coal vs Nuclear)
He needs to call the TRASH boyz …out!! (H, B &B) (Plasma ENERGY)
He needs to call the Democrats …out!! (CASINOs..? ..TERM LIMITS)
He needs to call the RINOs …..out !! (Line ITEM VETO)
He needs to call the Myrtle boyz …out!! (Biker Bucks)
He needs to call the Jim REX & boyz …out!! (School CHOICE)
He needs to grab someone over at Agriculture by the THROAT and get them a ticket to check out the Algae Bio-Diesel coming on line and find some SC Farmers who want to produce ENERGY……..!! (Fist POUNDZ!!)
He needs to give a colonoscopy to ALL Utility CEO’s and ask if they know what fell at HOG BACK Mtn due to WIND…?? Have them down to Beaufort or FOLLY to stake out the FIRST Coastal Windfarm…!!!
……and by ALL means……when SANFORD speaks….TOM needs to scream !!
Either for …or against !!
BUT HE NEEDS TO GET ALL CITIZENS…..ATTENTION !!!
By Strunk and White on March 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I only agree with about half of what he says, but I admit the guy can flat out write. He had me nodding my head.
By Connie on March 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Tom Davis is fighting the good fight- but he is more like the stick figure, non-smiling version of Rocky. However, the guy seems to have the brains and policy credentials to walk into the office today. He is definitely a better alternative to Jeff Gordon, Foghorn Leghorn, or the George W. Bush of SC politics.
By Nate on March 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Tom seems like a smart guy. No-nonsense. If only we had more of those and less of the good ol’ boys SC would be a lot better…
By Strunk and White on March 3rd, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Mr. Branton, you frighten me.
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