July 20 to July 25, 2011
The House of Representatives is out of session for 2011. I hope that you find this update about information around District 81 and at the State House helpful and informative:
New Jobs at Bridgestone Aiken Plant: Great News last Tuesday! Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) will expand its facility in Aiken County. The plant will begin producing an additional 4,750 passenger and light truck tires per day beginning in the second quarter of 2013. The $135 million investment will create 122 full-time and contractor positions and expand the facility by 266,000 square feet in the main plant and mixing areas. The press release from the Department of Commerce can be seen here.
Governor Haley Signs Interstate Wildlife Compact Bill: Last Tuesday afternoon, Governor Haley came to North Augusta to sign the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact legislation. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hixon from North Augusta, places South Carolina into the Interstate Wildlife Compact with nearly all other states in the U.S. It is like a driver’s license compact in that it assures non-residents from member states the same treatment as a resident for certain game and fish violations. Also, the following should be noted:
Increases the efficiency of Conservation Officers by allowing more time for enforcement duties rather than processing procedures.Poachers are held more responsible for their illegal activities. It can affect their privileges in all member states.Fish and wildlife lawbreakers cannot escape consequences just by crossing a state line.Reciprocal recognition of license suspension by member states.Parallels the driver’s license compact.No additional cost for personnel or equipment to participate in the Compact.No cost to South Carolina to join the Compact.
Further, to see Governor Haley’s comments on this bill at the signing, go here.
Federal Government Debt: As you should know, the Federal Government’s debt exceeds $14 trillion. This is an astounding sum of money. To put it in perspective, it would pay the rent for every renter in the United States for 42 years or it would pay the mortgage of every homeowner in the country for the next 16.5 years. The Federal Government needs a Balanced Budget requirement and to cut spending.
Savannah River Remediation (SRR): Last Thursday, I attended the Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA) breakfast and heard Savannah River Remediation President Dave Olson give very good presentation about SRR and its work at Savannah River Site. For a one page summary of SRR and its current work at SRS, see here.
SRS Draft Strategic Plan: Last week, the DOE released the draft 2011 SRS Strategic Plan with further details regarding how DOE will start moving toward and achieving a future vision for SRS. The plan can be seen on the SRS website by accessing the link on the right hand side of this website: www.srs.gov. According to DOE, the plan outlines how current missions support Site operations and identifies high level assumptions and strategic objectives that will drive DOE’s planning as DOE looks to transform SRS for future missions that effectively utilize the site’s physical, technological and human assets. DOE seeks your input and welcomes your comments which may be sent electronically to Richard.Olsen@srs.gov or mailed to his attention at:
Richard Olsen
U.S. Department of Energy
Building 730-B, Room 3468
Aiken, S.C. 29803
Comments will be accepted through the end of August and the final plan released in early fall.
House Returns on July 26: The House of Representatives returns to session tomorrow to consider Congressional redistricting plans.
Grass Cutting in the SCDOT Right of Way: Grass is growing in right of ways around our district. DOT has hired a contractor to cut the grass. If you are aware of an area where high grass is obstructing vision for drivers as they enter or exit certain roads in our County, please call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or let me know and I will pass on the information.
End of Session Town Meetings: Like the past two years, I plan to hold end of session town meetings around the district. Based on constituent requests, I will hold those after the summer vacation season ends. The dates, times, and locations will be provided in future updates.
Aiken County Animal Shelter & SPCA: You may have read about the overcrowding at the Aiken County Animal Shelter in the paper last week. You can follow this weblink at http://aikenspca.org/adopt to see a list of adoptable pets at both the Aiken SPCA and the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
Aiken Young Professionals 5th Friday Event: The Aiken Young Professionals and The City of Aiken are cosponsoring a community event to be held every Fifth Friday of the year. The first 5th Friday event will be held July 29, 2011 in The Alley and will feature live music by the band “Anybody’s Guess” along with games for children and specials at participating restaurants. This event is for ll ages. To learn more, go to http://www.aiken-yp.com/5thfriday/
Help for Displaced SRS Workers: If you or someone you know lost a job at SRS, there is a One-Stop Transition Center open in downtown Aiken at Park Avenue and Laurens Street to assist workers displaced at SRS with finding new work. The Center is open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.workforce.psa-inc.com.
Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse in State Government: To report waste, fraud and abuse in state government, you can call: 1-855-SC-FRAUD.
Roll Call Voting: There is a new link available to keep up with all the roll call votes in the S.C. House. That link can be accessed at either my website at www.reptomyoung.com or at the www.scstatehouse.gov website.
Facebook: I have a Facebook page for Representative Tom Young. Please “like” the page to receive updates during the week from me on Facebook.
Tom Young’s Website: My updated website can be reached at www.reptomyoung.com. There are links to a variety of constituent services; the status of sponsored bills; and roll call votes. Please add my web site as a bookmark on your computer.
State House Tours: Tours are available for the S.C. State House by calling (803) 734-2430.
Email Updates: If you know of people in or around District 81 who do not receive my updates but they would like to, please email their names and email addresses to me.
Road Issues: If you see a road problem, call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. Generally, most paved roads in the County are maintained by SCDOT and are identified on the road sign poles by a small black and white sign listing the road number, such as S-2-1669. Most unpaved roads in the County are maintained by the County.
Thank you for the opportunity and the honor to represent you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.
Sincerely,
Tom Young
649-0000 (o)
215-3631 (cell)
P.S. Please visit www.reptomyoung.com for more posts, news, video updates, and, if you have Twitter, please click here to start following me!
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