Wishing you a happy holiday season, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Watch my new video below.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family! During this month of December, we will all be busy with the sights and sounds of the season. Nevertheless, I hope that you will take a few moments to remember the true meaning for why we celebrate Christmas. In the spirit of giving, please remember those around us who are not as fortunate. By lending a hand, volunteering our time, or contributing a gift no matter the size, we each can make this holiday season better for those in need. Please join me in doing so. This column is to keep you informed about what is going on at your State House and around our district during the past month of November.

As to the Avondale Water System, Rep. Roland Smith, Senator Massey and I continue to be real busy working with VPSA, Aiken County, and Avondale as we try to bring the transfer to reality. Other members of the Aiken County legislative delegation including Rep. Bill Clyburn have been particularly helpful to the effort. Many folks are working hard to meet the deadlines for both the transfer agreement and the federal monies that are available for improvements. We are both encouraged and hopeful because VPSA has asked for bids on the first phase of work to be done and the County and Avondale have resolved most of the issues between them.

Second, here is the latest on the July bills and the water rate hike. As you may know, on August 24, the Circuit Court issued a Temporary Injunction stating that Avondale cannot charge the new rate for service between June 25 and August 1 due to a lack of notice to the customers after the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the new rate schedule on June 18. Avondale appealed that decision to the South Carolina Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in early November that the injunction was improperly granted and any request for an injunction should have started with the PSC. Immediately, Avondale wrote citizens and requested that all bills be paid by the end of November. Concerned citizens filed a request with the PSC seeking a similar injunction. On November 19, the PSC denied the injunction request, but the PSC did rule that the July bills are not due until the end of January of 2010. The PSC noted that it wanted to give the citizens more time to pay the July bills. Thus, contrary to Avondale’s recent letter, the July bills are not due until the end of January of 2010.

Third, as to other issues regarding the rate hike and adjusting it for the future, the PSC decided to hold off addressing those until the end of January so that any PSC action would not interfere with the pending transfer of the Avondale system. I am hopeful that we are seeing the last two months of the existence of the Avondale system. If you have questions, please call Representative Roland Smith, Senator Massey, or me.

At the House of Representatives, a resolution to impeach Governor Sanford was prefiled on November 17. Soon after, a committee of seven (7) members from the Judiciary Committee was formed to investigate and to take testimony. As of December 2, this committee had met twice and is expected to meet at least four more times over the month of December. Based on what I have read and what I am hearing, I will be surprised if the Governor is impeached. Nearly all of the folks who have contacted me are clear that they want the legislature to focus on the real issues affecting our citizens and not get bogged down in a long drawn out impeachment process when the legislature reconvenes in January. Most other members tell me that they are hearing the same thing from their constituents. If you have a different view, please let me know.

Please know that I am always available to you and your family should you ever need assistance. I will do my best to listen to you; to help with your constituent concerns; and to be responsive to your requests. I can be reached by telephone (649-0000 or 215-3631); email (TomYoung@schouse.org); regular mail (P.O. Box 651, Aiken, SC 29802); or just pull me aside when you see me. If you would like for me to speak to your church or other civic group about pending legislation or other concerns to you, please let me know. Remember to check my website – www.reptomyoung.com – for updates about is going on at the State House and in our district. Thank you for the privilege and the opportunity to represent you.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! We have so much for which to be thankful. For many of our blessings and freedoms, we can thank a veteran on Veteran’s Day this month. Please join me in doing so and my hope is that this column will keep you informed about what is going on at your State House and around our district during the month of October.

As to the Avondale Water System, Rep. Roland Smith, Senator Massey and I continue to be real busy working with VPSA, Aiken County, and Avondale as we try to bring the transfer to reality. It is important that the community not lose the chance to receive the available stimulus funds to be used to improve the system. There are many folks working hard to meet the deadlines for both the transfer agreement and the federal monies that are available for improvements.

Second, here is the latest on the July bills and the water rate hike. As you may know,
on August 24, the Circuit Court issued a Temporary Injunction stating that Avondale cannot charge the new rate for service between June 25 and August 1 due to a lack of notice to the customers after the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the new rate schedule on June 18. Avondale appealed that decision to the South Carolina Supreme Court. That appeal is still pending. As of the time of this article on November 2, customers still are not required to pay the July bill at the new rate due to the injunction. If you have questions, please call Representative Roland Smith, Senator Massey, or me.

Third, as to the rate hike and the chance that it will be adjusted, the PSC held a public hearing on the rate hike on October 6 in Columbia. No decision has been reached by the PSC as to whether the rate will be adjusted.

The House of Representatives met on October 27 and 28 for two days in a special session that was called during the week before by the Speaker on short notice to address a technical problem in state law so that South Carolina can receive an extension of unemployment benefits from Federal funds. Although making the state eligible for these funds is important, fixing this problem does not address the two larger issues facing the state and taxpayers as to the Employment Security Commission. One is restructuring the Commission and redefining how unemployment benefits are distributed in South Carolina. The other is paying back the unemployment trust fund which has been depleted from a surplus of $800 million in 2000. These issues will be at the forefront of the 2010 General Assembly.

Additionally during the two day special session, the House and the Senate voted unanimously and Governor Sanford signed legislation granting incentives to Boeing to build its new assembly line in the Charleston area instead of Seattle, Washington. The Governor and legislative leaders say that this investment is a great win for South Carolina because much like BMW’s investment back in 1992 near Greenville, Boeing’s investment should bring thousands of jobs to the state both directly and indirectly. I hope that this investment will have a positive impact on us here in Aiken County. It is encouraging to see both the legislature and the Governor working together on this project.

Finally, a resolution to impeach Governor Sanford was introduced but the Speaker ruled that it was out of order and cannot be introduced until January 2010 when the regular session begins.

Please know that I am always available to you and your family should you ever need assistance. I will do my best to listen to you; to help with your constituent concerns; and to be responsive to your requests. I can be reached by telephone (649-0000 or 215-3631); email (TomYoung@schouse.org); regular mail (P.O. Box 651, Aiken, SC 29802); or just pull me aside when you see me.

If you would like for me to speak to your church or other civic group about pending legislation or other concerns to you, please let me know. Please see my website – www.reptomyoung.com – for updates about what is going on at the State House and in our district. Thank you for the privilege and the opportunity to represent you.

The House met on October 27 and 28 for two days in a special session that was called during the week before by the Speaker on short notice to address a technical problem in state law so that South Carolina can receive an extension of unemployment benefits from Federal funds. Although making the state eligible for these funds is important, fixing this problem does not address the two larger issues facing the state and taxpayers as to the Employment Security Commission. One is restructuring the Commission and redefining how unemployment benefits are distributed in South Carolina. The other is paying back the unemployment trust fund which has been depleted from a surplus of $800 million in 2000. These issues will be at the forefront of the 2010 General Assembly.

Additionally during the two day special session, the House and the Senate voted unanimously and Governor Sanford signed legislation granting incentives to Boeing to build its new assembly line in the Charleston area instead of Seattle, Washington. The Governor and legislative leaders say that this investment is a great win for South Carolina because much like BMW’s investment back in 1992 near Greenville, Boeing’s investment should bring thousands of jobs to the state both directly and indirectly. I hope that this investment will have a positive impact on us here in Aiken County. It is encouraging to see both the legislature and the Governor working together on this project.

Finally, a resolution to impeach Governor Sanford was introduced but the Speaker ruled that it was out of order and cannot be introduced until January 2010 when the regular session begins.

If you need me or have a particular concern, please contact me. Thank you for your interest and the opportunity for me to serve our District.

Since my last column in this paper last month, a lot has happened in our district during the month of September. The purpose of this column is to keep you informed about what is going on at your State House and around our district.

As to the Avondale Water System, Rep. Roland Smith, Senator Massey and I continue to be real busy on three fronts. First, after many meetings and long hours of negotiation, Valley Public Service Authority’s Board approved an agreement to take over the Avondale Water System from Avondale. Several issues need to be worked out involving both the water and the sewer but we are getting closer to seeing this transfer become a reality. Upgrading the water and sewer infrastructure is vital to improving the quality of life in this part of Aiken County. Avondale, Aiken County, and VPSA’s board, staff, engineers, and attorneys must work together to meet the deadlines for both the transfer agreement and the federal monies that are available for improvements. [Read more...]

Twenty years ago in 1989, I graduated from Aiken High School. During that same year, former Governor Carroll Campbell and Lt. Governor Nick Theodore authored a bipartisan report prepared by the “Commission on the Future of South Carolina” intended to provide a comprehensive vision for making South Carolina better by the year 2000 and into the 21st Century. (The Report Summary can be found below!) Recommendations from that report included the following: [Read more...]

While school may have been closed the past few months, I know that you have been working towards starting the new school year and greeting your new students with the same passion, love, and talents you always bring to your
profession.

The first few weeks of the school year are certainly a busy time for you and I just wanted to briefly say “THANK YOU” and wish you the very best this year!

If I can ever help you by speaking with your class or arranging a tour for your students, please let me know.

Since my last column in this paper last month, a lot has happened in our district during the month of August. The purpose of this column is to keep you informed about what is going on at your State House and around our district.

As to the Avondale Water System, Rep. Roland Smith, Senator Massey and I have been extremely busy all of the month of August on two fronts. First, here is the latest on the transfer of the system from Avondale to Valley Public Service Authority. After many meetings and many long hours of negotiation, Avondale and VPSA are both working on what we hope and pray will be the final contract to solidify the transfer. We have been fortunate to obtain commitments for both Federal Stimulus and Federal Grant funding to help pay for many of the necessary improvements for the water system. These funds are contingent on the system being transferred from Avondale to an eligible entity like VPSA before certain deadlines. We are working hard with Avondale, VPSA’s board, staff, engineers, and attorneys to meet those deadlines. [Read more...]

Local legislators obtained a temporary restraining order against Avondale Mills Thursday preventing the company from collecting payment from, cutting service to or imposing any fines on the customers of its water and sewer system.

The restraining order follows in the wake of a decision by the S.C. Public Service Commission (PSC) to reinstate water and sewer bill rates to Graniteville and Vaucluse customers who were surprised to find in July that their rates had risen drastically, some as much as 700 percent.

The bills, with rates topping out above $700 for some, would have been due Saturday.

“We were forced to come to court today,” said Sen. Shane Massey, who has been working with Rep. Roland Smith and Rep. Tom Young on the issue from its outset. The three held a press conference on the courthouse steps Thursday after receiving the order from Judge Michael Baxley. “These folks did not know their bills were going up,” Massey added. [Read more...]

Since my last column in this paper last month, a lot has happened in our district during the month of July. The purpose of this column is to keep you informed about what is going on at your State House and around out district.

First, as to the Avondale Water System servicing both Graniteville and Vaucluse, Avondale’s new water and sewer rates went into effect in July. Apparently, no residents were aware that the increase had gone into effect because Avondale did not mail notice of the new rates until the new bills at the new rates went out to residents. Under the new rate structure, a customer receiving 5,000 gallons of water and sewer service a month will pay $69.00 on the Avondale system. A customer using the same amount of water and sewer will pay $39.40 on the Valley Public Service Authority system. Under the old Avondale rate structure, a customer using 5,000 gallons of water and sewer paid about $12.00 per month. Many residents received bills exceeding $150.00 for the month of July and some bills exceeded $600.00. [Read more...]