Well, it's finally over. And the crooks and liars actually managed to get out our vote instead of repress it.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Warren. I am so looking forward to watching her kick some butt in D.C. I'm assuming Scott Brown is going to retire his truck and take his Hummer out of storage.
Good to see the back end of this baby.
Also congrats to the women (and men) who turned out to turn out Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin from the halls of Congress. Maybe they'll have time to visit the library and read up on the human body, sex, and science in general.
I worry about South Carolina, though. We may not be as dumb and dirty as Florida, but we do have the governor who spent a fortune of taxpayer dollars to make sure those old folks who have been voting since 1960 show some photo ID, while sleazoids were working to keep potential opponents off the ballot, crooks were robocalling misinformation, and crazies were putting flyers out at Doschers telling people to vote on Wednesday.
Next time we'll need to be more on top of it than we have been. I hate to say it, but that means we need to start now. After Alvin Greene two years ago, and this year's Peas & Carrots, we need to reform our election laws as well as our state Democratic Party, and we mostly need to work to inform the people of South Carolina about the people who represent us.
It's time to retire this blog, but I hope you'll continue to follow me at The Ironic Cherry.
Thanks to those two great women that this blog has followed, Bobbie Rose and Carol Tempel. I'm hoping we hear lots more from them as well.
After the disappointment of Carol Tempel losing to Tea Party youngster Peter McCoy, and my anger at voters who don't listen, really listen, to the issues and realize what is at stake, I got to thinking about what Carol really accomplished.
First of all, she was not allowed to run as a Democrat due to some well-designed fine print which kept many good people off their party's ballot. She decided that it would be wrong to let this House seat go uncontested. Carol decided that the people in her district had a right to hear the issues and debate over her opponent's record and his plans for the future.
On the ballot, she was not only unable to run as a Democrat, she was unable to run as a Green Party or Working Families fusion candidate.
Further, the SC House of Representatives may not be doing much for their constituents, but they were able to successfully tackle redistricting, to assure incumbent re-election. The district that Carol ran with was bizarre and schizophrenic, and it accomplished its purpose. It divided the James Island community, and gave Peter McCoy the advantage by adding white, pro-big-business, pro-tax-cut voters.
Still, Carol managed to get the endorsement of the Post and Courier, quite a feat for a third party candidate.
And she may not have won the election, but she forced McCoy out into the open.
She worked tirelessly, and I believe she accomplished what she set out to do. She got people in House 115 to hear the candidates, and two sides of the issues.
The fact that over 4,700 people voted for Carol is proof that she was heard.
It was an amazing race, and Carol's loss is truly our loss. But we should all thank her for what she has done for her community.
We are all so election weary, but I just have to share with you Peter McCoy's last-minute mailing, just because it is hilarious, and we are all in need of a little humor right about now.
Half of the mailing is all about Peter, with a cute photo and the usual stuff, how he is 100 percent in the pocket of big business (I don't know if he admitted the “big” part or not), and how he is going to make sure that every one of us has the choice to send our kids to whichever minimally adequate school we like. So you don't need to see that, because it's same old, same old.
But the part about his opponent, Carol Tempel, is what cracked me up.
First, there was a picture of Carol:
Then, Peter went into all the terrible awful no-good very bad things about her.
Like the fact that nobody that's pro-jobs has endorsed her. Except of course, the AFL-CIO, EdFirstSC, and the Working Families Party. Oh, and those crazy liberals at the Post & Courier.
And we all know that, except for having diverse public schools that reflect the many diverse needs of the children of South Carolina, Carol is not in favor of giving parents school choice.
We all know that the main goal for Carol, if she is elected, is to spend as much money as possible. Unlike McCoy, who is in favor of giving massive tax breaks to millionaires, and then cutting government services, much like when daddy buys a new Lamborghini and then cuts your allowance to pay for it.
All of the above criticisms are just plain cruel, but the last one is the worst.
Peter McCoy has accused Carol Tempel of supporting Barack Obama! That's just too much. I mean, that puts her in the company of radical lefties like Colin Powell. And Chris Christie. And, as if that isn't bad enough, Peter says Carol is – I kid you not – “a 'community activist' for hard liberal causes.”
Now that is some cold stuff. Mostly because I have absolutely no idea what it means.
So, folks, don't vote for Carol Tempel, unless you want to have someone up in Columbia voting to spend tax dollars on education instead of tax breaks for millionaires, bringing our federal taxes back home to fix roads, hire teachers and firefighters, and protect our environment. Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
caroltempel.com
SC House 115 incumbent Peter McCoy knows the words; he has the same playbook as all the pro-big-business candidates.How about the frightening phrase "big government"? Our Peter understands how concerned we are about wasteful government spending, as do all his extreme right-wing compatriots. When he tosses out the term "big government," though, I think about his giveaways to big manufacturers like Michelin that amount to many millions of dollars in lost revenue for few jobs.How about the cost of voter ID? I'm not just talking about the cost to those poor and elderly that have been voting for decades but have no birth certificate. There has also been the cost to the state to defend this law all the way to federal court. And don't forget the cost of issuing free ID's to people who will only require them to do what they have been doing for many years. And for a problem that has never been proven to exist. This surely is big government.And Peter McCoy would be "tough on crime," which I imagine means throwing more juveniles and mentally ill persons into prison -- on our dime -- rather than support improved educational and mental health systems in our state. Oh, by the way, if McCoy had his way, we would pay for-profit companies to run the prisons, and I'm talking big corporations, not your mom-and-pop kind of jail.So, "big government?" I would say Peter McCoy is happy to toss around big amounts of tax dollars to big corporations, and then brag about the few jobs they have "created" while their profits soar, while decreasing public services and government jobs and programs that are necessary to improve the quality of life here in South Carolina.The other side of that neat word-play of "big government," though, is what McCoy calls "small business." Yes, like Michelin.Peter McCoy has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business. Now, if you liked the Peas & Carrots he was awarded by the Citizens for Sound Conservation, a fake conservation group, you will also appreciate the NFIB, a right-wing business group that is funded by small-business guys like Karl Rove. You can bet that any old bill that might help you or me will be opposed by the NFIB. They represent big corporate dollars, not the small business people that work in your neighborhood.McCoy would have us believe that regulation is evil and prevents our small businesses from "creating jobs." In fact, big corporations have thrown big dollars at legislators to make it easier for them to undercut the small business owner. Meanwhile, laws that would protect our children from anything from asthma to cancer are being threatened by anti-regulation people like Peter McCoy. Poison in your peas and carrots? Don't blame Monsanto. And all those big corporate farms have to run their waste somewhere, don't they? Just ask your local farmer about Big Ag. When government interferes in small business, my bet is that it is big business and the legislators on its payroll that are behind it.The bottom line is, wherever a big business stands to make more profit, you will find Peter McCoy. Privatize education, get rid of the Affordable Care Act, cut James Island County Park to build 526, drill rather than develop clean energy. That's Peter McCoy.This is why Carol Tempel, Petition Candidate for SC House 115, was endorsed by the Post and Courier as well as EdFirstSC and SC Working Families.So don't let the words fool you. Look at the record behind the candidate, and throw your support behind Carol Tempel. Pass this information on to families, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Let's let Carol work for us in Columbia.
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
caroltempel.com
 Today the Post & Courier endorsed Carol Tempel for SC House #115. Kudos to the P & C.This is what they had to say:
DISTRICT 115: CAROL TEMPEL
South Carolina’s public education system continues to be a defining problem. As a Charleston County educator, Carol Tempel helped provide solutions. She could offer the same as a member of the S.C. House representing District 115.
Now retired from education, she formerly served as principal of Academic Magnet High School, recognized as one of the nation’s best “choice” schools. She also helped develop the math and science curricula for the school district. Ms. Tempel, a Democrat, makes a solid case that educational improvements are a necessary part of the state’s economic development program to provide more and better jobs for its citizens.
And she is highly motivated. Among the 250 candidates who were removed from the ballot because of a filing technicality, Ms. Tempel gathered the 2,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot as a petition candidate.
Ms. Tempel is a small business owner, and cites her personal experience with government regulation and job creation as an asset for a state lawmaker. With a Ph.D. in education, wide-ranging experience and her support of public school choice, Ms. Tempel could be a major resource for the Legislature.
We all know people who are still undecided, or may not know about voting for a Petition Candidate. There are those people who may not think their votes count.
The Post & Courier knows that it's important to get our SC House back on track. So pass this endorsement around and let your friends, family and co-workers know why you are voting for Carol Tempel. Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
First of all, I apologize for the title pun, but the race is almost over, and somebody had to do it.Secondly, I know we are all election-weary. So I admit, I attended the Tempel - McCoy Forum last night thankful that it was putting us all one step closer to that #!@&! election.I've been writing about SC House 115 incumbent Peter McCoy for a few weeks now, but have never seen the man; after all, he was unable to drive all the way to Johns Island to attend the first Forum. Let me admit that I had a bad attitude going in, but then let me add about the following, as Dave Barry would say, "I am not making this up."Peter McCoy began his introductory statement by striding around the podium and to the front of the room, where he paced back and forth, much like a young Perry Mason, the better to impress the jury with his opening arguments. Because he is a very young man, and since his idol, Newt Gingrich, lost the bid for the Republican nomination, he has shorn his whiskers, he lacked the presence that he seemed to so desire.And when he addressed a particular friend in the audience to indicate to all that he knows that Joe or Ted or whoever he was wants to be able to choose where his children go to school, he was trying way to hard to mimic the now popular use by candidates of real people to seem to be in touch.That said, I'd like to talk about a couple of the issues.Peter McCoy stated that he is a proud recipient of the Peas and Carrots Award for both years that he was a legislator. Hrmph. Call me a cynic, but I am not impressed by a cute name. So I did a little research and was taken aback to learn that The Citizens for Sound Conservation, who sponsor the award, is actually a pro-business, pro-drilling, anti-environmental organization! Imagine that. Along the way, I found a great website called Barbecue & Politics, which sadly exists no longer, but their take on this fake environmental group is well worth the read.Let's talk a little about roads, bridges, traffic and 526.You might wonder, as did I, why in two years the only contribution McCoy has made to the traffic situation on James Island is to add those big, ugly and no doubt expensive street signs -- you know, the ones that tell you what street you're approaching before you get there, and those humungous stop signs and the like -- to nearly every intersection. Because, for example, you may be driving up Camp Road approaching Folly, like you do every day, and forget that it's Folly Road, or that there is a light ahead.Well, this is just my opinion, but I believe that the reason all those simple solutions to traffic congestion, like adding a right-turn lane at a traffic light, didn't get done on Peter's watch is because they would improve traffic.Confused? Hear me out.If traffic improves, then the residents will be less likely to accept the need for the 526 extension. After all, why destroy part of James Island County Park if a new street light or a turn lane eases traffic congestion? It wasn't discussed last night, but let me guess that Peter McCoy has also not supported improved public transportation, no doubt because of the cost and despite the fact that it would ease traffic and help those who cannot afford the cost of a car or the high price of gas.Peter McCoy, also a proud friend of big business as well as peas and carrots (am I being redundant here?) totally supports Route 526, coming to your town soon if McCoy is re-elected.Speaking of big business, McCoy last night brought up his support for the new Michelin Tire plant that would bring hundreds of new jobs upstate. Mm-hm. What he failed to mention, besides the fact that these would be lower-paying manufacturing jobs and that they would be upstate, is that once again he and fellow legislators have given away the store, or, to be precise, $9.1 million worth of incentives. That's our tax dollars at work, folks, going to those big guys at Michelin so that they can get cheap labor in South Carolina.
By the way, Peter was insulted when Tempel questioned his part in the bizarre redistricting lines that have cut out parts of James Island and added the way-far-away lands of Kiawah and Seabrook to SC House 115. How could she imply that he had anything to do with that? After all, there were forums, and committees, and he is just one person.The first absurd thing about the protestation is this:Try to imagine the folks at Kiawah and Seabrook insisting that the best way they could be represented would be to be grouped with two towns that are 40 minutes away.And if that sounds ridiculous, ask yourself why your representative would not have fought for lines that brought together a community, instead of isolating groups of constituents.I hate to say it, because I like all y'all from Kiawah and Seabrook, but it occurs to me that cutting out a couple of African-American neighborhoods and adding in a couple of well-to-do areas, no matter where they are, might have seemed like good business to Peter McCoy.Not that he was able to take on this bizarre redistricting scheme all by himself. I am sure he had help from others in his corrupt House of Representatives.No, not his House of Representatives. These guys may think it belongs to them, but it is our House of Representatives.
That's why we need to get out and vote for Carol Tempel on November 6. We need a candidate who will not be controlled by big business. $9.1 million to Michelin while teachers have been furloughed? Cut a highway through our County Park? It may be peas and carrots to Peter McCoy, but for the rest of us it's the quality of our life.That's why you don't need to get out and vote for Carol Tempel on November 6. You need to get yourself and a friend and a neighbor and a co-worker out to vote. And I know you know someone who is planning on voting up until November 6 when they decide it's probably not that important so they'll just skip it.It is that important. Our children, our parks, our roads, and yes, our jobs, are at stake. So let's get out and support Carol Tempel on November 6. Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
The Post and Courier featured an article Monday stating that Tim Scott is unavailable for the debate forum for his 1st District US House seat. He's busy. And also they didn't offer him other dates.Paul Gawrych, who doesn't seem to need to follow any rules he doesn't like, has also declined, on the same day, to debate Peter Tecklenburg for the position of Charleston County Auditor, also claiming a prior commitment.And we all know that Peter McCoy was inconvenienced by the invitation to debate Carol Tempel for SC House smack in between the two really far apart areas that he and fellow legislators decided to call District 115. But at least he'll be at the debate on Thursday on James Island. And hey, if you live in Kiawah and Seabrook, come on down and visit your legislator.
So here's the deal:
 Bobbie Rose is running for the US House of Representatives against Tim Scott. Unlike Tim, she wants to talk to the voters in District 1. She'll be at the North Charleston City Hall at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 10/24.If you get there at 7, you'll also be able to meet Peter Tecklenburg, who is running for County Auditor against the conveniently busy Paul Gawrych.
 Carol Tempel is finally going to be debating incumbent Peter McCoy on Thursday, 10/25, at the James Island Town Hall, at 7 p.m. Unlike some candidates, Carol worked hard to collect the required signatures in order to run as a Petition Candidate for SC House 115. She deserves our support. If you know someone who does not know Carol, who may be undecided, take them along with you.
Election Day is November 6
Support
Bobbie Rose US House #1
Peter Tecklenburg County Auditor
Carol Tempel SC House 115
Tempel v. McCoy
James Island Town Hall
7 p.m. Thursday, October 25
If you're like me, you probably have lots of questions for Peter McCoy, incumbent, who is running against Carol Tempel for SC House Seat 115.You might ask him why, under his watch, violent crime has gone up on James Island. He might say it's because we aren't tough enough on crime. But Carol Tempel believes that in order to lower crime rates you need to pay for police (not cut jobs), and improve the quality of life in the towns we live in.Improving the quality of life on James Island and all of South Carolina starts with education. But on Peter McCoy's watch, scores have gone down and dropout rates have gone up. He seems to believe that the only way we can lure businesses to South Carolina has been to offer them tax cuts and giveaways that deny us good schools and decent pay for teachers, and so many other needed government services.Yet it seems that McCoy is willing to continue to offer big businesses the run of the state in exchange for lower level jobs while the higher paying positions remain out of our reach. McCoy proudly calls himself a good friend of business.But Carol Tempel would offer businesses coming to South Carolina a fair deal, as well as trained and educated graduates from which to select. She believes there are many businesses that would be happy to call South Carolina home and give our workers good jobs without our having to sell our own selves short.One of the questions you might think to ask Peter McCoy is how he is planning on continuing to educate all the children of South Carolina by giving parents a tax deduction which gives them back a mere $280 to pick their own school, while depleting the public school budget. He complains that it costs us $12,000 to educate each student, but the quality private schools cost far more -- public schools are the best value by far.If you attend the Forum on Thursday, you might want to hear what McCoy has to say about how he is ever going to improve roads, schools, and the crime rate while flatly refusing to raise taxes -- on anyone, including and especially the wealthy and the big corporations. He probably won't mention that when the prisons are privatized, we'll be paying more for prisoners than students.It doesn't make sense. We've all seen the billboards for those candidates who promise "Fewer Taxes -- More Services." And as nice as it sounds, we all know it doesn't work. We need to invest in our children for them to grow, and we need to pay for quality education rather than more and bigger, costlier, prisons.
McCoy would also like to gut ObamaCare, and most certainly cut Medicaid and other social services spending. He spouts fake claims of Constitutional Amendments that give him the right to take away the safety nets that we have invested in.
If you believe we can do better, then show up on Thursday to ask those difficult questions. Support the candidate that is not afraid to offer positive change. Support the candidate that will listen to her constituents, and not just those groups with deep pockets.
Peter McCoy supports the 526 Extension, despite the very loud concerns of his constituents. Tempel knows that James Island and Johns Island are two very different communities that represent very different problems -- and potential solutions -- as an alternative to having that big superhighway tear up our neighborhoods.
Support
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
Carol Tempel has worked hard -- as an educator, an entrepreneur, and a fighter for her community. When the fine print in the new rules eliminated her and hundreds of potential candidates from this year's ballot, Carol kept on fighting, and got the signatures she needed to run in this election.
Fight for Carol by showing up at the James Island Town Hall on Thursday. Keep the momentum going, and let her know you are behind her and believe in what she has been fighting for -- a voice in Columbia, good schools, good jobs, good communities, not just on James Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah and Seabrook, but throughout South Carolina.
 I was at a Round Table discussion hosted by my favorite County Councilwoman, Anna Johnson, a couple of weeks ago. As the meeting wound down, and since the issue of whether to complete Route 526 would soon be bouncing back to the County Council, Councilwoman Johnson asked for an informal vote as to how many people were in favor/against/undecided. What she learned was that of the 30 or so attending, only one was in favor, two or three undecided, the rest opposed.
I was tremendously impressed that, after years of this fight, Ms. Johnson continued to be determined to take the pulse of her constituents at every available opportunity.
Likewise, Carol Tempel, Petition Candidate for SC House #115, has stated that she will insist on a transparent process, and that her constituents are kept informed and have input throughout.
What a great idea -- participatory Democracy!
We who live in those potentially affected areas and drive those potentially affected roads, are really the only ones who know how such a drastic change would affect our lives. It is politicians who make their decisions based on the most profitable outcome; it is representatives who base their decisions on the needs and wishes of the people.
Let's make sure to elect a woman who will represent us.
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House #115
 Our old friend, Peter McCoy, Republican and friend of the Charleston Tea Party, has been revving up for Halloween early by trying to scare voters.Actually, he's not saying it himself, because he is a nice guy, and he knows well enough that here in the Lowcountry attacking your opponent is just not the polite thing to do.So Webmaster at Charleston GOP did McCoy's dirty work. Or he thinks he did.This anonymous writer described Peter's opponent, Carol Tempel as (I kid you not): "...the most liberal candidate for office in the state..." and sends out a challenge to GOP faithful:
All you Conservatives out there need to send questions to [email protected] to ensure that the debate remains on the issues that matter to our state and highlights the major differences between the very conservative McCoy and the very liberal Tempel.
It appears that it's time for the grown-ups in the room to take this silliness down a notch or two. I can't imagine what the "most liberal" candidate in the state would be like, but she sure isn't someone who is going to come along and snatch your children's education dollars out from under them, for example, by trying to sell you parents a tax deduction that would give you $280 to fund your kids' education while at the same time weakening our public schools.
The "most liberal candidate in the state" wouldn't plan on cutting budgets for teachers, fire fighters and police in order to line the pockets of big corporate interests here in South Carolina. And she would not support privatizing important government services, so that your taxes are paying for corporations to make profits first, and for those important services, second.
Carol Tempel may not be the "most liberal candidate in the state", but she knows that only by investing in the education of all South Carolina's children will we be able to grow the leaders of tomorrow. Good education leads to good jobs. Children who go to good schools, and know that they will be able to go to good colleges or career training programs, will have the confidence to be good citizens.
The poverty and unemployment that continues to wreak havoc on this state can only be turned around by wise investment of our citizens' tax dollars, including making the best use of our federal tax dollars.
I don't really think you would call someone a conservative who would spend money poorly, by protecting the wealth of some, and leaving the rest to fend for themselves. This path leads to increased dropout rates and crime, greater rates of teen pregnancy, and more lives of poverty and hopelessness. For those who have worked hard throughout their lives, but have hit a rough patch, McCoy would not offer a safety net, even one that our hard work and tax dollars should have ensured us.
Keeping the money flowing upward is the real scary prospect. It hasn't worked up till now, and it won't ever work. Carol Tempel will fight for equal opportunity, so that South Carolina can begin a true and long overdue renewal.
So by all means, all y'all, liberal, conservative and anywhere in between, bring your hard questions to the debate. Carol Tempel would love to answer those questions. She is not as scared of having a real exchange of ideas as her opponent appears to be.
The debate will be on Thursday, October 25th, from 7-8, at the James Island Town Hall.
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House #115
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