Remember 9/11 — Weekly Legislative Update from Rep. Tom Young – August 28, 2012 to September 11, 2012

The House of Representatives is out of session for the rest of the year.  I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Remembering 9/11:  Today, please take a moment to remember and to reflect upon the events of 9/11; the contributions of our first responders; and the devotion and sacrifice of our soldiers in uniform. On Sunday, I attended the annual 9/11 Honor and Memorial Service at Lakeside Baptist Church.  Representatives from nearly every public safety and law enforcement agency in Aiken County were present.  In addition, the families of Aiken Public Safety Master Corporal Sandy Rogers and Master Public Safety Officer Scotty Richardson were present and recognized.

South Carolina Final Accounting Report for 2011-2012 Fiscal Year:  Last week, Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom released his final accounting for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012. He commended the General Assembly for fully funding the General Reserve Fund two years ahead of schedule.  In 2010, voters in the state amended the State Constitution to require that the General Reserve Fund be maintained at 5% rather than 3% of the prior year’s general fund revenue.  Last year, in March 2011 during the budget debate in the House, Rep. Bill Taylor and I sponsored a proviso to fully fund this Fund last year (3 years ahead of schedule) from certain carry forward funds available to non-law enforcement state agencies.  That proviso did not have the votes to pass.  Nevertheless, the Reserve Fund is fully funded this year.  To see the full report, go here.

Charleston fastest-growing top 10 U.S. container port in 2012:  Several times in the past two years, I have written to emphasize how important the Port in Charleston is to our state’s economy including many companies located in Aiken County.  The Port of Charleston was the fastest-growing top 10 U.S. container port for the first six months of 2012. Charleston container volume grew 7.4 percent from January to June this calendar year, edging out other top 10 ports on both the East and West coasts.

Aiken County School District Newsletter:  The Aiken County School District has implemented an email newsletter with local school news.  To sign up, go here.

Volunteer in Local Schools:  If you would like to help with educating our children, consider volunteering in our local schools.  Please click here for more information on volunteer opportunities in our public schools. Thank you to our local Aiken Downtown Rotary Club for putting together this list of opportunities.

Improving Children’s Reading Skills:  In addition to serving as a volunteer in one of our local schools, you can also help with early literacy by volunteering with Children’s Place where you can spend time reading with a young child or helping an older child with reading. Children’s Place would also be grateful for donations of lightly used books to send into the homes of needy children.  Children’s Place will gladly help distribute those books to low income children throughout Aiken County by sharing them with all community agencies.  If you are interested in helping through Children’s Place, please contact Peggy Ford at 641-4145.

Planning for the 2013 Legislative Session:  The 2013 legislative session begins on the second Tuesday in January.  If elected to the State Senate, I appreciate input from constituents on the critical issues facing our state and area including tax reform; spending reform; K-12 education; the costs of higher education; health care; economic development; job growth; and the underfunded liabilities in our state’s retirement systems.  Your input is welcome on any issue important to you.  Please email me back or contact me by phone or in person at your convenience.

SC Traveler Newsletter: To see the latest news about tourism news and upcoming local events in South Carolina, go here.

Other Topics of Interest

Silver Bluff Road Widening – DOT Meeting:  A public information meeting for the widening of Silver Bluff Road from Richardson’s Lake Road back toward the City of Aiken be held at the Town Creek Baptist Church on September 18th from 5 -7 pm.   The City and the DOT advise that this meeting is important as this project moves closer to the right of way phase.

Dates for End of Session Town Meetings:  I have two town meetings set as follows:

  • Wednesday, October 3 at 6:00 pm at Odell Weeks Center in Aiken;
  • Tuesday, October 2 at 4:00 pm at Woodside Plantation Reserve Club House in Aiken.

Aiken Senior Extravaganza 2012:  The City of Aiken will have its annual Aiken Senior Extravaganza again on Wednesday, September 19 at the H. Odell Weeks Center from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  The event offers seniors, and those interested in issues facing seniors, an opportunity to spend a day in educational seminars and to browse the display fair. The educational seminars will be limited to the first 300 people to register including a t-shirt and catered lunch with Keynote speaker. The Health Fair and displays will be open to the public and pre-registration is not required. Age: 50 and over: Cost: FREE : Wednesday, September 19, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  For more information, please call 642-7631.

Senate Campaign Update

Senate Campaign:  Here is the latest on the Campaign for Senate District 24:

  • Bumper stickers for “Tom Young for Senate” are available.  They may be picked up at my office downtown at 409 Park Avenue SW; at the Tom Young Allstate agency on Whiskey Road next to Home Depot; or at Hixon Insurance in North Augusta.  If you prefer, I can send a sticker to you.  Just let me know.
  • The following communities in Aiken County are in Senate District 24: most of Aiken, North Augusta, Warrenville, Gloverville, Montmorenci, Couchton, New Ellenton, Jackson, Windsor, and Beech Island.
  • To learn more about my campaign for State Senate, go to www.tomyoungforsenate.com, email me at tom@tomyoungforsenate.com, or call me at 215-3631.

 

Constituent Information

Speaking with Groups Around the District: Several local groups have invited me to attend one of their meetings to provide a legislative update.  If you have a group that would like for me to come to a meeting, please let me know.

Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse in State Government:  To report waste, fraud and abuse in state government, you can call: 1-855-SC-FRAUD.

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 website can be reached at www.tomyoungforsenate.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.  If you set a tour between January and June and it is on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, please let me know so I can do my best to see you.

Email Updates:  If you know of people in or around District 81 who do not receive my updates but they would like to get them, 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 tom@tomyoungforsenate.com 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

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