SC State Representative Tim McGinnis (and former CFS Rotary Club member) was our speaker Wednesday. McGinnis highlighted that we ARE residents of South Carolina; we must do better for the state. “Let’s be proud of our [new] home. Let’s put up some street lights! Let’s catch up our education system. Let’s build I-73 out to I 95!” Representative Tim noted that local governments should be ashamed about the lack of progress in the I-73 project. These are just a few of the projects that Tim is fighting for, for the betterment of the State and the region. “Let’s not think of some new grand plan, let’s get the basics right,” declared McGinnis.
The majority of the discussion time was allocated to talking about State education reform. The current bill has “sweeping reforms” which would consolidate small rural districts, provide more support for the Technical College system, and give teachers a RAISE. We need to prepare students for the jobs of the future and yet we have functional illiteracy problems right here in Horry County and throughout the state.
Representative McGinnis, when he is not owning and operating the Famous Toastery, will be leading in the discussions about Santee Cooper, the state owned electric utility. Santee Cooper provides service only to Horry, Georgetown and Berkeley counties, but is a potential bargaining chip when trying to lure companies to the State. But in the meantime, we’ve lost a railroad line and a promised interstate which was never built; both are deterrents to economic development.
