Some highlights from the
latest candidate interviews
By Brad Warthen
Editorial Page Editor
I LEARN a lot more from candidate interviews than we have room to use in endorsement editorials. So I’ve started sharing my interview notes on my blog — plus photos. Here are some tidbits from our first 11 interviews:
Sept. 6, 10 a.m. “What has gotten me into the political process is when I got my property tax,” says Ray Maly, who is challenging state Rep. Jimmy Bales. He’s dissatisfied with the recent property tax cut the Legislature threw together, because it didn’t do away with residential property taxes entirely. It’s the very idea of the tax that offends him, that he would be “paying Richland County to live in my home….”
Sept. 6, 10:45 a.m. Challenger Anton Gunn in District 79 believes property taxes were cut too much, and that lawmakers should have increased the income tax, rather than the regressive sales tax. Mr. Gunn, whom we endorsed in the June Democratic primary, was one of the more impressive candidates we spoke with in that cycle. That makes for a tough choice this fall, as he faces an incumbent we also like a lot — Rep. Bill Cotty.
Sept. 6, 1 p.m. Longtime GOP House leader Jim Harrison made Boyd Summers mad at him, and as a result, he has an energetic Democratic opponent. Mr. Summers is mad about Mr. Harrison and colleagues stripping local government of the power to regulate billboards, about their trying to send public money to private schools and about the disrespectful handling of the criminal domestic violence bill by some on a panel Mr. Harrison chairs.
Sept. 7, 10 a.m. I particularly liked an anecdote Rep. Jimmy Bales told: “At my church, people tell me ‘I vote for you,’ but I know they don’t.” He says he knows that because they say they hit the button for the straight Republican ticket first, and then push the button for him as well, not understanding that they have to do it differently to choose an individual Democrat. “People just don’t … they don’t understand it. I say, ‘Thank you.’ What else can I say?”
Sept. 7, 1 p.m. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison lists merit selection of judges as one of his greatest accomplishments, but acknowledges something needs to be done to get more women and minorities on the bench. But he worries that the best lawyers aren’t always seeking the jobs. “If you’re a successful black attorney, you’re probably making too much money to give it up, particularly early in your career,” he said.
Sept. 8, 1:25 p.m. Batesburg’s Billy Derrick, Lexington County Council’s lone Democrat, believes regional cooperation “needs to be a two-way street,” meaning sometimes the goodies need to go to the west side of the river. Still, he doesn’t blame Columbia Mayor Bob Coble a bit for having tried (and failed) to keep SCANA. He said it was “completely natural,” and in fact, “I would have been kind of disappointed had they not made a fuss.”
Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. Incumbent Republican Rep. Bill Cotty is opposed by a charismatic Democrat on one side, and a more right-leaning petition candidate on the other, and “I’m the meat in that sandwich.” The moderate Mr. Cotty wants to go into troubled school districts and create state-run charter schools. This would provide a choice for those in failing schools, only this choice would actually be accountable to the taxpayers, unlike the private schools that Mr. Cotty’s primary critics want to throw money at.
Tuesday, 1:15 p.m. “I have lived in the Swansea area all my life,” says Sadie Wannamaker. And even though she is opposed in House District 96 by Kit Spires, who defeated the vastly more qualified incumbent Republican Ken Clark in June, she is unintimidated. “I think I have a good chance.” Why? “I’m known in the community,” she said, and “He is, too.”
Wednesday, 10 a.m. Republican Denise Jones, who is challenging incumbent Rep. John Scott, has signed Grover Norquist’s “no new taxes” pledge. But although she’s tried to mail it in, it must not have gotten there, because they keep writing to ask her for it. That might be fitting, since she does support a cigarette tax increase, and other signers think that would violate the pledge. That’s the biggest reason it hasn’t passed even though 70 percent of South Carolinians are for it.
Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. Richland County Council member Kit Smith said the city of Columbia’s recent hurried action on homelessness — essentially hijacking a regional process by making unilateral decisions about a permanent one-stop center — has thrown the county for a loop. Basically, city leaders “prematurely brought it out to the community with a scare tactic,” forcing a hasty decision. She said the problematic relationship between Richland County and Columbia “is a constant — sort of like race,” on issue after issue.
Thursday, 9:30 a.m. When we asked Rep. John Scott about his Republican challenger, he reminded us: “You know, I’ve got this new me?” he said. “If I can’t say something good …,” and left it at that, except to say, “We can’t afford to have inexperienced people at the helm.” Indeed, we were somewhat shocked back during the primary season by the transformation of the former in-your-face lawmaker into the kinder, gentler John Scott. But we’re starting to get used to it. In fact, we kind of like it, now that we’re sure that’s really him.
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Cotty proposes a very solid idea of providing options in the low socio-economic school districts. Much better than the private choice, market model that appears to be working so well in SC child care.
S.C. students far from goals on PACT scores
BILL ROBINSON and DEVON MARROW
Elementary and middle school students lost ground in the push to move more children toward state and federal academic achievement goals by the end of the decade and beyond.
Elementary school students generally performed better on Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests than their middle school counterparts. But fewer in both groups earned a passing score when compared with 2005, according to statistics released Friday by the state Department of Education.
It means a majority of S.C. students are a long way from meeting a 2014 federal goal that every child be “proficient” in math, reading and language skills.
“It’s going to be hard to walk out this door in January because we have worked at this and we have worked with teachers and we want to make it absolutely right,” said S.C. Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, who is not seeking re-election in November.
As required by state law, roughly 300,000 students in grades three through eight took PACT. The tests cover math, English/language arts, social studies and science.
Scores will be plugged into a formula used to determine school ratings, which will be published in reports cards scheduled for release in November.
The state Education Department uses a four-tiered grading system for PACT: below basic (failing), basic (passing), proficient (the federal standard), and advanced (the highest rating).
S.C. students must score “proficient,” or a step higher, to meet federal goals.
About half the students in all six grade levels scored below “proficient” — either “basic” or “below basic” — in math and science, the subjects the federal government monitors.
At the district level, educators said the prospect of all students earning a “proficient” score by 2014 is unlikely.
“It’s impossible,” said Charlene Herring, Richland 2 chief academic officer. “Each year the goals get higher. I don’t see how it can happen, and I’m a person that believes in (student improvement).”
Maybe with full school choice, real accountability and competition, those scores might rise. With the socialist, educratic system in place now, they never will.
Lookalikes above – Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik, Mean Joe Greene, Christie Todd Whitman, Barber from Andy Griffith Show, Festus (Gunsmoke), John Edwards minus some hair, Young Barbara Bush, Minn Vikings all time great receiver ?, and 2 faces that have me stumped!!!! Not necessarily in that order…
Lex, your parrot act of using whatever you read as dialogue provides an “un-nuanced” (your term) and muddied explanation of what’s happening. Let me help you out AGAIN.
One year is not sufficient to establish the state of our schools. The scores on the PACT will fluctuate as will the stock market. In both situations, we look for a trend.
In 1998, SC passed the SC Ed Accountability Act. This included the state standardized testing and evolved into today’s PACT. This was THREE years before NCLB. Many other states established theirs only recently.
As a result, state tests differ widely. Thus, our low level is the medium level for other states. This is evident in national test scores. SC scores higher than 50% of states on 5 of 8 tests.
This is a truer picture of what’s happening, which is apparently not your interest as it does not suit your ideology.
Nice try by the troll but no cigar.
If we started this 3 years before NCLB that only means we have a 3-year headstart and should be far ahead of other states by now. Instead we can’t even remotely meet our own self-imposed standards. The trend is pretty obvious here – a very hot place will freeze over before our educrats meet even their own low standards.
That “national test scores” link doesn’t prove anything at all. It only shows that SC participated in testing. I have yet to see the troll produce a link actually supporting his 5 out of 8 claim. The only statistics I’ve seen so far show that SC had one average score (in Math for 4th and 8th graders) out of 4 subjects in one out of four years. Everything else is well below average, and of course SAT scores are way down at the bottom.
Remember, “One year is not sufficient to establish the state of our schools” so we can safely disregard that “one subject out of four in one year out of four years” aberration that the troll keeps trying to trot out as “proof” that our schools are just hunky dory. Instead we have year after year of SC not meeting its own PACT standards. That does seem to establish the sorry state of our schools pretty conclusively.
Dave, this is unfair. Since you didn’t do them in order, how are we going to debate you on the critical “look-alike” issue?
Seriously, I’m glad someone is enjoying the pictures. I put some time into shooting and processing them, and I think they add to the blog. Shooting them certainly gets on the nerves of some of the candidates, though — particularly the women.
All along, I’ve been shooting video, and haven’t been able to share it in any convenient way. I think I might put some of them on YouTube and see how that works…
Lex, I’m sure your daughter doesn’t call other people names because HH “is committed to Respecting the dignity of all human beings“. I guess that doesn’t apply to parents – great way to set an example.
BTW, regarding your claim that HH is diverse; from their own website in “fast facts”, they claim “16% diversity”.
I’m sorry you don’t know how to navigate a site. Go to the site you mistakenly used to criticize elementary and middle schools in SC: NAEP test scores. Choose SC. On the right, click on cross-state comparison maps – scale scores.
If you run your icon (the little arrow you see on your screen) over the check marks you will see the icon become a finger (yes, I’m giving you the finger). This takes you to a map that is color coded to show median scores.
I remember that you had trouble discerning the difference between mean vs median. Maybe this link will help.
The other link I provided (sorry you had trouble there as well) explains that states use different types of tests for NCLB hence we have the “apples and oranges” comparisons you seem to favor to support your ideology.
The site you originally used, NAEP scores, is apples to apples and blows your premise that “SC schools are terrible” out of the water (which is apparetnly why you stoop to name calling). I do give you credit as you changed this premise to high schools only. At least you are willing to implicity admit your mistakes.
Brad, I was thinking that was half the fun, seeing who would guess the same look-a-likes as me.. I will post my matches soon.
Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik=Ray Maley
Mean Joe Greene=Anton Gunn
Christie Todd Whitman=Denise Jones
Barber from Andy Griffith Show=Billy Derrick
Festus (Gunsmoke)=Bill Cotty
John Edwards minus some hair=Boyd Summers
Young Barbara Bush=Sadie Wannamaker
Minn Vikings all time great receiver(Chris Carter)=John Scott
John Ashcroft’s sister=Kit Smith
Lbj=Jimmy Bales
Bill Belichick=Jim Harrison
Not bad. But in person, Billy is more like Chester from Gunsmoke than he is like any Andy Griffith character. Taller, more of a regular guy than Floyd, who was one of television’s greatest eccentrics. Actually, Billy’s more like the later character that Dennis Weaver played — McCloud.
That’s how old I am. I think in terms of Chester, rather that Festus from the later period. Anyway, Bill Cotty is more like Doc than Festus.
And here’s a weird fact, for you: The actor who played Floyd Lawson on Andy Griffith was "Doc" on the original radio version of "Gunsmoke." As Keanu Reaves might say, "Whoooaa!"
Actually, I’d sort of like to see a Festus come in. I might endorse him, as long as he wasn’t up against "Matthew" Dillon.