Shirley Hinson for the State Senate
The last couple of weeks have been tough, with the passing of my friend, Senator Bill Mescher. He certainly leaves some big shoes to fill in the State Senate.
The candidate best qualified for that job is Goose Creek Representative Shirley Hinson.
I haven’t always been a friend of Shirley’s. In 2000, I ran the campaign of her now-former husband, Jimmy Hinson, which ended in a close finish in a tough, high-profile GOP run-off. To her critics who are still holding the personal issues over her, I say it’s long past time to put that issue behind, get over it, and move forward. Regardless of what you think, it's long past and not relevant.
Over the last eleven years in the House, Shirley Hinson has learned the ropes in the General Assembly. She won’t start as a novice in the Senate, which will be critical in making sure Berkeley County’s primary Senate district is well-represented. To that end, her willingness to stand up and be heard on issues important to her county mean she will put that experience to work.
On the important issues of the day, Shirley is the right voice to bring to the table in the Senate. She is a fiscal conservative who played a leadership role in working to end “alternative” school district funding which unethically burdened taxpayers with the load of billions of dollars of school debt.
Shirley doesn’t just attack the problems at the legislative level. She came home and worked to unseat members of her county’s school board who were some of the biggest hogs at the alternative funding trough. This included campaigning for her ex-husband, who was her 2000 opponent. Having run the campaigns of the two candidates who ousted the county’s most atrocious alternative funding advocates, I found Shirley to be one of our best allies, fully committed to protecting the taxpayers.
Shirley has also worked to support continued efforts at restructuring. The Senate, long a dead-end for reform efforts, will find it a little harder to get away with “business as usual” with Shirley among them.
In Shirley Hinson, we find a legislator who is tough campaigner, thoughtful about the issues which affect her constituents, and outspoken when it counts. These qualities are crucial in serving in public office, and would serve her, and the people of Berkeley County, well in the Senate.
She has learned much in her career of public service, and has much to offer in the State Senate. The voters of her district would be wise to give her a much-deserved promotion in the upcoming special election.
The candidate best qualified for that job is Goose Creek Representative Shirley Hinson.
I haven’t always been a friend of Shirley’s. In 2000, I ran the campaign of her now-former husband, Jimmy Hinson, which ended in a close finish in a tough, high-profile GOP run-off. To her critics who are still holding the personal issues over her, I say it’s long past time to put that issue behind, get over it, and move forward. Regardless of what you think, it's long past and not relevant.
Over the last eleven years in the House, Shirley Hinson has learned the ropes in the General Assembly. She won’t start as a novice in the Senate, which will be critical in making sure Berkeley County’s primary Senate district is well-represented. To that end, her willingness to stand up and be heard on issues important to her county mean she will put that experience to work.
On the important issues of the day, Shirley is the right voice to bring to the table in the Senate. She is a fiscal conservative who played a leadership role in working to end “alternative” school district funding which unethically burdened taxpayers with the load of billions of dollars of school debt.
Shirley doesn’t just attack the problems at the legislative level. She came home and worked to unseat members of her county’s school board who were some of the biggest hogs at the alternative funding trough. This included campaigning for her ex-husband, who was her 2000 opponent. Having run the campaigns of the two candidates who ousted the county’s most atrocious alternative funding advocates, I found Shirley to be one of our best allies, fully committed to protecting the taxpayers.
Shirley has also worked to support continued efforts at restructuring. The Senate, long a dead-end for reform efforts, will find it a little harder to get away with “business as usual” with Shirley among them.
In Shirley Hinson, we find a legislator who is tough campaigner, thoughtful about the issues which affect her constituents, and outspoken when it counts. These qualities are crucial in serving in public office, and would serve her, and the people of Berkeley County, well in the Senate.
She has learned much in her career of public service, and has much to offer in the State Senate. The voters of her district would be wise to give her a much-deserved promotion in the upcoming special election.
So, why don't you quit throwing stones from behind your mask of anonymity? I'm sure my readers - all 60 or 70 of them - would like to know you who are and upon which authority you base these accusations.
Just like Anon 2321, I would love to know who I am talking to.
I think you are doing the right thing here, supporting the candidate can and will get the job done.
As to Hinson, as I read elsewhere last week, I also trust that Ceips follies shant be repeated in fundraising with the house caucus. You've got a better feel for who's up for that race, though I still wonder if a Rozier hat will be thrown into the ring, which could be an interesting race.
Rozier said he was done in politics, and regardless of what his critics have had to say, he's a man you can take at his word.
Although she has been vocal about stopping waste, Ms, Hinson has been largely ineffective in her efforts. Additionally, she has not shown much awareness in what is going on either in the legislature or in our district. For example, she was unaware of the extent of out-of-state students receiving in-state tuition rates, was out-maneuvered on the alternate school funding issue, and apparently let Anderson County rob us blind through the so-called “Competitive Grant” Fund administered by the Board of Budget and Control.
About the only thing Ms. Hinson has done is to undermine good legislation. For example, she opposed the Cervical Cancer Prevention Act on “moral grounds” even though its passage would have both saved lives and the taxpayers from having to pay for treating cervical cancer patients.
On this last point, I note that many of those who post to this BLOG think that the personal lives of Shirley Hinson, Jimmy Hinson, Rudy Giuliani, Scarborough, Bob Peeler, and other political candidates are none of the public’s business. While I tend to agree with these BLOGGERS, I also note that, with the exception of Rudy G., all of these candidates have campaigned on family values issues. Jimmy Hinson made a big deal out of Shirley’s adultery and yet, when challenged on his residency in the recent School Board race he admitted to the crime of fornication.
That’s right—we still have such a crime on the books in South Carolina. And Jimmy is setting a bad example for our kids by being so open about his living arrangements.
If all these people are serious about wanting to change the level of discourse, they would work to change some of the draconian moral laws in this State. For example, I was married for twenty-five years and my husband cheated on me almost from day one. Finally, I had an affair. Even though I put my husband through college, worked full-time during most of our marriage, and worked twenty years in my husband’s business, I neither received an interest in the business (because it was in my husband’s name) or alimony (because of my adultery.) This is simply unequitable.
One final thought—I appreciate the fact that you prefer people to post their names; however, because of where I am employed I do not feel
I prefer responsible commentary, from whoever provides it, but I do find that those people with names tend to be more responsible.
As for myself, I talk a lot about issues, except for social ones, and I kept my mouth shut about last year's Marriage Amendment. I'm not perfect, by no means, and IMHO nobody with two divorces is really qualified to talk about how to make marriage stronger.
There are a lot of issues regarding divorce, custody, and Family Court that deserve a second (or third) look. But geez, where would I even start with that can of worms?
I appreciate your stopping by to share some thinking - we don't get people who can yak as long as I do very often. Be sure to come back and see us, and share some thoughts anytime.
Check out http://parentsrights.blogspot.com for some ideas on needed family Court reform. Specifically, log on to http://parentsrights.blogspot.com/2005/05/some-suggestions-for-reform-we-have_09.html. Read the post, and post a comment. I am interested in your views.
One of the great things about Bill Mescher (the real "American Dream") was that he tried to push reform where needed.
That is all I have to say for now. Thank you again.