McGILL:  South Carolina is worth fighting for

By Yancey McGill, special to Statehouse Report

To the people of South Carolina,

When I first thought of running for governor, I decided that I needed t0 travel the state and hear directly from you, the citizens, what the problems were, and to see them with my own eyes. I traveled to every corner of this state, I met many of you, made several life-long friends, and frankly, saw some things that could not be ignored.

I’ve seen schools in horrible shape without working heat or air conditioning, and then drove by brand new district offices with luxury cars sitting in the parking lots.  I’ve spoken to teachers who are forced to administer nearly 100 standardized government tests to their students and, rather than truly educate our children, they are pressured to teach to these tests for the sake of money, which isn’t being properly spent.

I’ve seen awful roads that you are forced to pay a gas tax to fix when I know that the DOT is awash in money. I know that a few powerful politicians have control of that money, decide where it goes, pumping it into their own districts, and hording the rest for favors. If you’re in a small district, your roads get left out unless your representative is able to cut deals with the powerful.  I know because I’ve had to do it.

I’ve met and talked with people who are worried about their jobs and families because of a mishandled project they are expected to keep paying for. Our state legislature is responsible for governing and monitoring itself. Some of our elected officials seem to only be interested in endless debate and chasing headlines, which is just a way to avoid doing real work for the people they represent, kicking the can down the road on important issues they don’t want to deal with.

I’ve seen our constitutional rights being threatened and outside forces trying to change and eliminate everything that makes South Carolina the place we know as home. These are just a few of the things I’ve witnessed and sadly, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We fix these problems with the common sense and morality we were all taught as children. We must publicly audit every state agency and disclose to you where every penny is being spent and kept. We must through transparency ensure that your tax money is being spent the correct way.

We need more teaching and less testing to ensure our children receive the education they deserve and to put the passion back into teaching for our educators.

We must expose those who have abused the public trust and prosecute them.  We must expand the ethics commission so that the legislature no longer gets to police itself.  We must restore more control of your tax money to local governments where your voice is stronger, and decisions are made by the people who will be affected by them.

Above all else; we must stand together as a state and say: no more.

I am running for governor to represent the people of South Carolina, all the people of South Carolina — not special interests, not just one group, but every citizen of this great state.

I may not have the big money that some of my opponents do but I believe my campaign has something more powerful behind it: the strength, pride and hope that I see in each and every one of you who I meet. Simply put; I am running for governor because I believe, like all of you, that South Carolina is worth fighting for. Thank you and God bless.

Yancey McGill of Kingstree is a former lieutenant governor and state senator who is running for the Republican nomination for governor.  More:  https://www.mcgillforgovernor.com/

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Between now and June 12, the date of the state’s primary elections, Statehouse Report will run opinion pieces by gubernatorial candidates with primary challengers.  Five Republicans and three Democratic candidates for governor have been invited to submit messages they want to share with voters

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