Job loss No. 1 topic in South Carolina primary

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | February 1, 2004 | Zachery Coile

[mac_truck]

Bishopville, S.C. -- Robert Peeples, nursing a Bud Light at Waldo's Watering Hole off Interstate 20, ticks off a list of the nearby textile mills that have closed in the last few years -- Reeves Brothers, Burlington, National Dye -- taking with them hundreds of local jobs.

[KC_Conspirator]

In 2000, the raging political debate was over the Confederate flag flying over the Capitol in Columbia.

That is because there was a Republican primary, and the media was trying to defeat Bush by calling him a racist. Now that democrats are running, its all hush-hush in the media, even though a democrat raised that Confederate flag.

[Bobby Chang]

What they don't say is the liberal leadership in South Carolina elected in 1998 helped create an increased government operation which has failed miserably with higher taxes, increased government, and every liberal philosophy in the world.

The "First Steps" government programme for "increased government-run education" and a new state-run gambling entitlement have helped cause the demise of the state, and I haven't heard anyone discuss those facts.

Mark Sanford was elected because of the James Hodges administration's utter failure, and we are STILL paying for the failures of the Hodges administration.

Why aren't we hearing any discussion of how Hodges wrecked South Carolina by pushing liberal government entities which have failed miserably?

All of that has hurt the state, and I have NOT heard ANYONE discuss that fact at all.

[lelio]

Why aren't we hearing any discussion of how Hodges wrecked South Carolina by pushing liberal government entities which have failed miserably?

How much does that compare to people that will work for 15 cents an hour? Granted wacky liberal governments can severly hurt the economy, but is that true in this case?

What's going on in the north part of the state as alluded to in the article? Are there new companies hiring up there?

[Bobby Chang]

There is plenty of research in that part of the state, because the politicians favour that part.

[visualops]

There is record growth in the upstate.
I moved up here from Charleston several years ago and it was a very good move.

[Henchman]

Jos in, jobs out, NAFTA, Clintoon ate 600000 of the 3 million jobs lost. The difference belongs to Bush. Clinton feasted on the Reaganomics and he, with Greenspan, eventually permitted the excesses to trash the economy.

But Bush has been the Administration for almost 4 years. Bush has made efforts, cut taxes, spent more money than is coming in (like a Democrat) to generate jobs and trashed the value of the Dollar Vs the EURO etc to tilt jobs and tourism here.

The problems he doesn't tackle are illegal workers here taking American jobs and it ain't just mowing lawns. He permits corporations to ship manufacturing and tech jobs off shore and along with those jobs go the related midlevel and office jobs. Call illegals "guests" and they will rip the building trades. Bush wants the illegals and their "American" children to vote Republican, screwing the people. My Great Grandfather didn't leave his estate (the US or money) to a third worlder, who is Bush to ROB our children of their inheritance?

If Bush doesn't stop the illegals, I will not vote for him unless Hitlary gets a spot on the ticket. Kerry by himself can't take an independant position and he couldn't be worse than Bush. As far as Al-Quaeda goes, the next President will have to deal with them...and the withdrawal of our target troops from Iraq. Knock out Syria and Iran if need be, but get out. Rebuild Iraq when the Arab countries rebuild the Twin Towers.

[EagleMamaMT]

Read later.

[mac_truck]

Why aren't we hearing any discussion of how Hodges wrecked South Carolina by pushing liberal government entities which have failed miserably?

You raise some very good points, but I'm guessing the loss of jobs (or the lack of jobs) is going to be attributed to the Bush administration regardless. I also think the future of free trade will become a campaign issue in the fall. Even more so if Edwards is on the ticket for the dems.

I do recall Hodges joining with a number of other southern governors several years ago, to lobby the administration to not expand the Vietnamese export quotas on textiles. That effort failed, and most of the Dem governors involved got voted out.

[mac_truck]

Don't worry. There's plenty of time to raise the flag issue after the primaries are over. Pundits think Sharpton can pull in 25% of the black vote, but what about the rest?

[KC_Conspirator]

I remember the 2000 primary where Bush was blamed for the Confederate flag. However, the media also for the first time said that SC was a new, enlightened place, since John McCain was ahead in the polls and projected to win and beat Bush. But SC reverted back to days of lynching in the eyes (and stories) of rthe liberal media the next day when Bush pulled out a win. I will never forget CNN and the NY Times.