The Way I See It - Elections show time for change
Election shows time for change
By Doug Dickerson
Staff Writer
Novermber 14, 2006
Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
-Frank Herbert
Well, it’s finally over. The 2006 election is now history and whether your candidate or political party won or lost, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that we do not have to see or hear any more commercials on TV or on the radio. Do you think the campaign signs will be removed as fast as they were being removed or stolen during the campaign? Yeah, right!
As a self-diagnosed political junkie, I will offer up some thoughts as to what has happened nationally and locally in the elections.
On the national scene, the Democrats have won both houses of Congress. The Republican Revolution inspired by Reagan and brought into reality by Newt Gingrich in 1994, took a “thumping” as President Bush said. The guiding principles of the 1994 revolution were clearly abandoned. I believe it’s not so much that the Democrats won as much as it is that the Republicans lost. The Democrats did not have to offer up an agenda or platform to pull off the victory. The Republicans made it unnecessary. Under current Republican leadership, the size of the federal government has doubled; discretionary spending has doubled while President Bush’s veto pen remained dry; bridges to nowhere were built, nothing was done about illegal immigration; and then of course there is Iraq.
The Republicans were their own worst enemy by allowing the Democrats to win without an agenda. The Democratic victory was really America saying, “ We’ve had enough.” With the Republicans we knew what we had. Now the Democrats must put forth a plan and it had better be a good one. The American people are fed up with the way things are and if the Democrats can’t produce, they will be voted out in 2008 as well.
On the local level, voter turnout this past Tuesday was an impressive 43 percent countywide. Of 78,043 registered voters, 33,740 voted. Big changes are now on the way for the Berkeley County School Board. District 2 elected Dan Kingsbury to replace Francis Brewer, District 4 elected Jimmy Hinson to replace Harriett Dangerfield and District 6 elected Terry Hardesty to replace Kathleen Bounds. Incumbent Frank Wright held off Rob Constantinou in District 8. The level of interest in the school board elections was reflective of the strong number of people who are passionate about the future of our children. In the end, the message of change and dissatisfaction over tax increases prompted voters to change course.
Dan Davis will be the next Supervisor for Berkeley County. The long and sometimes contentious campaign season from the primaries to the general election is now behind us and it’s time look ahead with expectation and hope that Berkeley County will continue to move forward with fresh new ideas.
I listened to Dan Davis speak at Cypress Gardens Tuesday evening as he shared his hopes and vision for the future of Berkeley County. Without notes or prepared remarks, Dan spoke passionately about his vision to open up County Government, expressed his desires for improving staff relations and reaching out to other government entities, such as the Berkeley County School District. I applaud his desires and trust that as he acts on those intentions, others will embrace this new spirit of cooperation, and that a new era of Berkeley County government will emerge under his leadership.
Finally, the county owes a debt of gratitude to Jim Rozier for all that he has done to improve Berkeley County and the impact that he made during his tenure as Supervisor. The growth and creation of jobs under his leadership has brought Berkeley County a long way in the past 16 years.
Regardless of whom you voted for, it’s time to set aside personal differences and work together for the entire County, not just a select few. We must embrace causes that are greater than ourselves and realize that one person alone cannot accomplish nearly as much as when we all work together.
©Summerville Journal-Scene 2006
By Doug Dickerson
Staff Writer
Novermber 14, 2006
Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
-Frank Herbert
Well, it’s finally over. The 2006 election is now history and whether your candidate or political party won or lost, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that we do not have to see or hear any more commercials on TV or on the radio. Do you think the campaign signs will be removed as fast as they were being removed or stolen during the campaign? Yeah, right!
As a self-diagnosed political junkie, I will offer up some thoughts as to what has happened nationally and locally in the elections.
On the national scene, the Democrats have won both houses of Congress. The Republican Revolution inspired by Reagan and brought into reality by Newt Gingrich in 1994, took a “thumping” as President Bush said. The guiding principles of the 1994 revolution were clearly abandoned. I believe it’s not so much that the Democrats won as much as it is that the Republicans lost. The Democrats did not have to offer up an agenda or platform to pull off the victory. The Republicans made it unnecessary. Under current Republican leadership, the size of the federal government has doubled; discretionary spending has doubled while President Bush’s veto pen remained dry; bridges to nowhere were built, nothing was done about illegal immigration; and then of course there is Iraq.
The Republicans were their own worst enemy by allowing the Democrats to win without an agenda. The Democratic victory was really America saying, “ We’ve had enough.” With the Republicans we knew what we had. Now the Democrats must put forth a plan and it had better be a good one. The American people are fed up with the way things are and if the Democrats can’t produce, they will be voted out in 2008 as well.
On the local level, voter turnout this past Tuesday was an impressive 43 percent countywide. Of 78,043 registered voters, 33,740 voted. Big changes are now on the way for the Berkeley County School Board. District 2 elected Dan Kingsbury to replace Francis Brewer, District 4 elected Jimmy Hinson to replace Harriett Dangerfield and District 6 elected Terry Hardesty to replace Kathleen Bounds. Incumbent Frank Wright held off Rob Constantinou in District 8. The level of interest in the school board elections was reflective of the strong number of people who are passionate about the future of our children. In the end, the message of change and dissatisfaction over tax increases prompted voters to change course.
Dan Davis will be the next Supervisor for Berkeley County. The long and sometimes contentious campaign season from the primaries to the general election is now behind us and it’s time look ahead with expectation and hope that Berkeley County will continue to move forward with fresh new ideas.
I listened to Dan Davis speak at Cypress Gardens Tuesday evening as he shared his hopes and vision for the future of Berkeley County. Without notes or prepared remarks, Dan spoke passionately about his vision to open up County Government, expressed his desires for improving staff relations and reaching out to other government entities, such as the Berkeley County School District. I applaud his desires and trust that as he acts on those intentions, others will embrace this new spirit of cooperation, and that a new era of Berkeley County government will emerge under his leadership.
Finally, the county owes a debt of gratitude to Jim Rozier for all that he has done to improve Berkeley County and the impact that he made during his tenure as Supervisor. The growth and creation of jobs under his leadership has brought Berkeley County a long way in the past 16 years.
Regardless of whom you voted for, it’s time to set aside personal differences and work together for the entire County, not just a select few. We must embrace causes that are greater than ourselves and realize that one person alone cannot accomplish nearly as much as when we all work together.
©Summerville Journal-Scene 2006
posted by Doug Dickerson | 10:01 AM
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