By fitsnews – May 31, 2011
For those of you who are new to FITS, we don’t write shiny happy political obituaries when fiscally liberal politicians kick the bucket in this state.
Sure we’re capable of generating such inspired tributes, but why should we? If politicians do nothing to move this state forward while they’re alive – and in fact cast votes that actively move it backward – then we don’t feel compelled to mellifluously praise them when they shuffle off this mortal coil.
(Click here and here to see what we’re talking about).
Besides … we’ll all be paying more than just “tribute” when the General Assembly decides to name some bridge or interchange in their honor (assuming this hasn’t happened already).
Anyway, early Sunday morning S.C. Rep. David Umphlett (RINO-Berkeley) succumbed to pancreatic cancer – six months after he was first diagnosed with the disease. A retired executive at the local electric cooperative, Umphlett was 69 years old.
First elected to the House in 2002, Umphlett was a reliable vote for bigger government. Last year, he received a “D-” on the S.C. Club for Growth’s legislative scorecards for the 2009-2010 session. During the 2007-08 session, he got an “F.”
Don’t get us wrong … Umphlett was by all accounts a swell guy. His constituents loved him, and he was universally respected by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He was also a strong supporter of land conservation and gun rights – two things that this website has consistently supported.
Of course none of that changes the fact that in addition to being a fiscal liberal he opposed a host of long-overdue economic, academic and structural reforms that could have materially advanced our state’s prosperity over the last decade.
Anyway, for the “rainbows and daffodils” take on Umphlett’s death, check out this story in the Charleston Post and Courier.
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