Posted on Feb 22, 2010

State Representative Annette Young is flat out wrong about the Employment Security Commission (ESC) statement that "she voted to defer the ESC restructuring because a legislative audit was not complete". She led the fight to re-commit the ESC bill and cast the deciding vote to keep the ESC under over-sight of the House of Representatives to protect her good friend's, former State House of Representative Becky Richardson, appointment to a part-time $106,000 ESC Commissioner's position. If she didn't think the ESC was mismanaged and out of money, she was the only one in Columbia who thought the ESC was in good shape that ultimately resulted in an $800 million loss to the State of South Carolina due to gross mis-management of the ESC Commission. The State had to borrow the missing funds from the US Government or else many thousands of entitled citizens would not have been paid their unemployment compensations. The entire General Assembly had to be called back into session in Columbia in December, 2009 for an 'extended' legislation session just to take care of the ESC 'problem' at a reported cost to the taxpayers of $70,000. What a waste of time and money. I did support and work with Annette while she held to conservative values but now, based on her recent liberal and self-serving voting record, I believe the District 98 citizens are saying 'We Can Do Better' and want trusted representation in the House of Representatives. I have also observed that Ms Young is not interested in working with the local Legislative Delegation to achieve common goals and objectives for our citizens. "We Can Do Better". As to her comments about her vote for liberal Judge Beatty to the South Carolina Supreme Court in 2008, when did she become an expert on judicial experience? There were 3 Judges who were rated as qualified for the Judgeship and once again, she went with Democrats and voted for Judge Beatty even though the State Republican Party leadership strongly supported two other Judges over Judge Beatty. Many people in Summerville now know how this 'deal' was crafted and that the 'deal' had absolutely nothing to do with how qualified or experienced Judge Beatty was in the selection process and vote by Ms Young. "We Can Do Better". Annette Young put the developers ahead of school children and taxpayers when she voted to cap Senator Rose's $2,500 school impact bill that became law. Actually, she never supported the bill and tried to kill it and gave her support for a tax free gift to builders, up to five years, for new unsold house inventories. Senator Larry Grooms knows, first-hand, about Ms Young's attempts at trying unsuccessfully to obtain votes against Senator Rose's school impact bill. Ms Young has, in recent years, promised the Dorchester County Council and the Dorchester County District 2 School Board that, because of her personal relationships with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), she would see that the County's road projects receive funding and completion. Specific projects that she promised, but remain undelivered, are State Highway 165 from Highway 61 to the new Ashley Ridge High School and Parlor Road/Old Fort Drive to Ladson Road. Many voters in House District 98 remain critical of Ms Young's orchestrating the famous Ladson Road SCDOT widening project that resulted in a two year delay in completion with heavy costs over-runs due to inapt management of the project from start to finish. It is also interesting to me that her consultant, State Representative Jim Merrill/Daniel Island would use his position to run Young's campaign. She reportedly paid him and his consulting firm/Geechie communications some $28K in 2008...hey, Jim...just how much is she paying you and is this a violation of trust and ethics to use your elected position to try and persuade the voters of District 98 to back Representative Young for re-election? Thanks, Jim, for issuing an advance warning to me in the article,.."I am a little disappointed in Hargett and looking forward to dispatching him". It is my belief that the voters of Dorchester County's State House District 98 will make the final decision as to whether or not Hargett is 'dispatched', and not Jim Merrill who probably does not know how to spell 'Dorchester'or the exact location of District 98 or the ability to recall one single real issue of importance to the good citizens of District 98. "We Can Do Better".