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
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
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.
At the Tempel Town Hall, I heard that Tim Scott had also refused to debate his opponent, Bobbie Rose. When I called his campaign office to confirm this, there was no one there, so I left a message. I figured they must all be out meeting with Scott's constituents, you know, to let us know what he's done for us over the past two years, and what we would like him to tackle should he get re-elected. And after all, we know Scott's not in the halls of Congress, as they have just "completed" the shortest work year the House has ever scheduled themselves. But to be safe, I also sent out an email, asking if this rumor was true.
Surprisingly, I did not get a reply. So let's assume that Tim Scott really does not plan on debating Bobbie Rose. It's my opinion that, since his hero Jim DeMint faced all those jeers at his first debate back in 2004 when he said unwed mothers should not be allowed to teach, and Sarah Palin had to field all those unfair questions by Katie Couric just four years ago, many of the radical right have opted to be selective about where and with whom they meet.
I may be wrong.
It may be that Tim Scott is busy doing the People's business.
So let's see what Tim Scott has been up to.
Well, he spoke at the Republican National Convention.
A black man who came up from poverty in South Carolina, he obviously had an important story to tell. They gave him two minutes.
Way back in April he received the Thomas Jefferson Award. This is awarded by the International Distributors Foodservice Association. They honor representatives who fight for "free enterprise". They do this by analyzing the votes of members of Congress. You might want to take a peak at the scores for 2009-2010.
At the very same time, Scott received the Defender of Economic Freedom Award from the Club for Growth. You know these guys; they're the ones who give big dollar support to folks like Tim Scott to cut taxes and regulation, in other words, "defend economic freedom."
Okay, so that was April. What's he done lately? Well, as I reported on a few weeks ago, Tim Scott was smiling at the cameras as he received the Standing Up for Seniors Award from the little known but warm-and-fuzzy-sounding fake-grass-roots group RetireSafe.
It's safe to say that there are people that know where Tim Scott is at all times. They are not us. Tim Scott reports to those who stand to make lots more money by assuring that he votes against the interest of the average worker, student, or senior. And then they give him awards for doing it.
They own PAC's, SuperPACS and those other fund-raising groups that are just known by their numbers, that are all ways of allowing big monied interests to give huge amounts to candidates without having to tell anyone who they are.
So I can see why Representative Tim Scott does not want to bother himself with a debate. Obviously, he is very busy. And it's okay that he doesn't need to sell himself to us, because, to be frank, we couldn't afford him.
 Government didn't just happen, and our government was not imposed on us, and it has been working for us for quite some time. But there are many of us today who believe government should just get out of the way. If we look at the poor employment figures for South Carolina, we can see firsthand the results of cutting back government. We have lost jobs in education and in public health and safety. We have inadequate government funding to build and upgrade roads and schools. Our electrical grid is fragile. We have lost opportunities in developing clean energy and moving ahead with fast and efficient public transportation. When we lose government jobs, when funding is cut for important government projects and even more jobs are lost, the effect ripples throughout our communities. Those lost jobs are individuals who have to struggle to pay for the roof over their heads, and are no longer able to spend money in the community. When that happens to the extent that we have seen over the past years, businesses are forced to cut back, and more jobs are lost. South Carolina House Representative for District 115 Peter McCoy has fought over the past two years to chop and slash government spending, so that big tax savings can go to big business. He does not recognize the damage that those tax cuts do in terms of loss of government jobs and services, and contracts to small businesses to improve our communities. In fact, those tax cuts he brags about actually cost us more in lost services. When will private sector jobs come back? Those jobs will come back when people in the community have the financial security that will allow them to spend and grow their neighbors' small businesses. When those small businesses grow, they hire. Carol Tempel understands the way government jobs fuel our communities, and our businesses. This is why she will fight for smart taxation and spending, so that Charleston and South Carolina can begin to grow again.
Choose
Carol Tempel
South Carolina House 115
Petition Candidate
 Carol Tempel knows what works and what doesn't. She has run a successful small business, and she has been a top school administrator right here in Charleston. Now she wants to put her talents to work for a greater goal -- she wants to change the downward spiral of education, jobs and quality of life in Charleston and in South Carolina.
Her opponent, Peter McCoy, doesn't just follow the Tea Party dictum of cut taxes and services, he doesn't just believe that less government is ALWAYS better government, he has worked in Columbia for nearly two years to cut services to hard working South Carolinians. His latest scheme is to give back $280 to families with school-aged children and tell them, "Good luck finding a quality education with that."
Carol knows that when public education is done right, it is the best value democracy can offer. But when our legislators chop at our education funds year after year, we are left with fewer teachers, larger classes, buildings falling into disrepair, school programs that have fallen behind for want of supplies and technology.
Yet Peter McCoy continues to believe that if we just chop a little more off, the problem will fix itself.
It hasn't happened yet, and it's not going to.
So give your support and your vote to Carol Tempel for South Carolina House #115.
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
 It's not even close to Halloween but South Carolina's Representative in Congress, Tim Scott, is sending out those scary emails. After letting us know that he wouldn't be allowed (because of those nasty Democrat regulations) to communicate with us before the election, he proceeds to show us exactly why such a rule, even convoluted as he describes it, exists.The most important message Scott can send out at this time is to, for God's sake, stop those Democrats from getting away with the tax hikes that are going to send us "over the fiscal cliff" at the end of the year.
Well, Bobbie Rose is not afraid of Tim Scott's scary stories. She knows that it was the Bush tax cuts that "sent us over the cliff" as far as the deficit is concerned, and that it will take job security to bring economic health back to the small businesses here in South Carolina. Good and necessary government jobs don't just improve our children's education, but put teachers back on the payroll and off the unemployment rolls. When teachers are back to work, they are able to spend money in their communities. When small businesses increase earnings, they grow, and when they grow, they hire.
We can move forward, with Federal programs to increase fuel efficiency, to create businesses that innovate and strengthen our environment, rather than continue to support the old dirty fuel corporate interests that get Tim Scott's votes. Scott would have us believe that regulation is a dirty word, when in fact, keeping our towns and waterways clean and safe through smart regulation is what is really good for business, and for the people of South Carolina.
So those tax hikes that Tim Scott wants us to run from in horror are actually the fuel that the high earners need to give back to create those good government jobs. That will begin to create the upward spiral that has been stalled by Tea Party fanatics like Scott.
Bobbie Rose is the woman who will fight to get the government working for us again. Teachers, police, firefighters, roads and bridges, schools, power grids, public transportation; this is what we need here in South Carolina to get us growing again.
We need to say no to the message of fearmongering that Representative Tim Scott sends us, and we need to let Bobbie Rose truly bring jobs back to South Carolina.
Visit Bobbie at: bobbierose.us and find out how you can help!
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