1:30 p.m.
There wasn’t much to argue with in terms of what state Sen. Tommy Moore had to say. The Democrat who would be governor talks about education, jobs and healthcare.
He didn’t have much to say about his Democratic opponents, but he repeatedly said things to distinguish himself from the Republican incumbent.
He kept telling us how he was a product of a mill village, and of public schools. And when it comes to school "choice," he wants “to make every school in South Carolina the best choice.”
He marveled that anyone could make it "the centerpiece of the last two or three years" to push "tax credits for those who make over $50,000 a year, for them to have the choice," leaving those most in need of a good education behind.
As for public school funding, he noted that he did not vote for the budget for fiscal year ’04-’05, when the base student cost called for by law was not fully funded. He repeated more than once what he heard the governor say at a press conference then, that "We are just where we want to be." He found that appalling.
He would raise the cigarette tax so as not to leave federal Medicaid money on the table. He says he’s willing to change his mind when someone has a better argument, and takes pride in bringing conflicting parties together on divisive legislative issues.
That’s all fine. But I was struck by the almost lethargic manner in which he presented his case. If he has a fire in the belly for this race, I couldn’t see the smoke. Maybe I’m wrong, though. See the video clip (but be warned that it takes a while to load), and see what you think.
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Tommy Moore has been in office too long without doing anything. Time’s up.
http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=SC&VIPID=730
Voted in 1996 to continue chain migration
Rep. Sanford in 1996 voted for the Chrysler-Berman Amendment to H.R.2202. It was a vote in favor of a chain migration system that has been the primary cause of annual immigration levels snowballing from less than 300,000 in 1965 to around a million today. Rep. Sanford supported provisions that allow immigrants to send for their adult relatives. Then each of those relatives can send for their and their spouse’s adult relatives, creating a never-ending and ever-growing chain. The bi-partisan Barbara Jordan Commission recommended doing away with the adult-relative categories and chain migration (begun only in the 1950s) in order to lessen wage depression among lower-paid American workers. The House Judiciary Committee agreed with the Jordan Commission and passed H.R.2202, which would have effectively ended chain migration. But on the floor of the House, Rep. Sanford helped kill the reform by voting for the Chrysler-Berman Amendment which stripped out the legal immigration reforms. Rep. Sanford’s vote was important; the reformers were only 28 votes short of approving the end of chain migration. Rep. Sanford helped continue a level of immigration that the Census Bureau projects will result in a doubled U.S. population in the next century. The Chrysler-Berman amendment passed the House by a vote of 238-183.
Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998
Rep. Sanford helped the House pass H.R.3736. Enacted into law, it increased by nearly 150,000 the number of foreign workers high-tech American companies could hire over the next three years. Although the foreign workers receive temporary visas for up to six years, most historically have found ways to stay permanently in this country. Rep. Sanford voted for more foreign workers even though U.S. high tech workers over the age of 50 were suffering 17% unemployment and U.S. firms were laying off thousands of workers at the time.
Voted in 1998 to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers
Before the House passed the H-1B doubling bill (H.R.3736), Rep. Sanford had an opportunity to vote for a Watt Substitute bill that would have forbidden U.S. firms from using temporary foreign workers to replace Americans. Rep. Sanford opposed that protection. The substitute also would have required U.S. firms to check a box on a form attesting that they had first sought an American worker for the job. Rep. Sanford voted against that. The protections for American workers fell 33 votes short of passing.
Tried to create massive new foreign agriculture worker program in 1996
Rep. Sanford voted IN FAVOR of the Pombo Amendment to H.R.2202. He was voting for a massive new program that would have allowed agri-business to import up to 250,000 foreign farm workers each year for a period of service of less than a year. A bi-partisan congressional commission working with the Bush Administration (1989-93) had concluded that there were at least 190,000 farm workers already in America who were out of work at any given time. The federal commission said the oversupply of farmworkers was a major reason why farm workers’ real incomes had fallen by almost half over the previous two decades. Rep. Sanford rejected the recommendations of the commission and took the side of growers who asked for a larger labor supply. The amendment — which had no provisions for ensuring that the temporary workers did not stay in the U.S. as illegal aliens — failed by a 180-242 vote.
Tried to continue foreign nurse guestworker program in 1996
Rep. Sanford supported continuing a guestworker program for foreign nurses through his vote IN FAVOR of the Burr Amendment to H.R.2202. Those favoring the amendment said many rural areas had a shortage of nurses and needed the foreign workers. The 262-154 majority, however, let the foreign nurses program end, contending that there are more than enough Americans trained in nursing to do the job if the pay and working conditions are appropriate.
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT???