Sheheen, 38, a senator representing Chesterfield, Kershaw and Lancaster counties, said as he has traveled across the state he has seen three issues that are critically important in the state.
“You know these, these issues,” Sheheen said: Job creation, education and health care.
But he said there is another problem that has become apparent to him and is the reason the other problems continue: A lack of leadership.
“You think about why we haven't been able to do anything, it's because of leadership,” he said. “Pure and simple.”
Sheheen said he believes he has the ability to bring people together to solve problems.
He said to get things done there has to be a different mindset for the leadership.
“There's been a philosophy or an idea that government can't do anything right, and when you have that belief you end up with a government that can't do anything right,” he said.
Sheheen said he hopes to stop the kind of embarrassments the state has suffered recently and bring it into the spotlight for the right kind of reasons.
He said South Carolina can be “the envy of this nation. And I believe that we can do it.”
EDUCATION
County Council Chairwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney asked Sheheen several questions about education in the state, mainly what can be done to bring more South Carolinians into higher education and give teachers more job security.
Sheheen said the state needs to do more than offer scholarships because when colleges raise tuition rates those scholarships mean less and less to students.
He said as the economy climbs out of the recession, the state needs to “make a profound investment in higher education.”
He said part of the problem with schools comes from the “crazy” tax system in the state, but he said the state has a problem in that it “teaches to the test.”
“We have got an obsession about testing and not about teaching,” he said. And “really what matters in schools is teachers and the quality of teachers.
ECONOMY
Sheheen responded to a number of questions about job creation and the economy in South Carolina.
He said the state needs a governor that is directly involved in bringing jobs to the state and protecting the ones that are already here.
“We have to be vocal with our national authorities,” and let them know that it is not OK to let jobs go overseas, he said.
He said he believes the state has an opportunity to be a leader in the development of energy technology, such as wind, solar and nuclear power.
“We have to make sure South Carolina is on the cutting edge,” he said.
And he said in a later interview that the infrastructure has to be in place soon to be ready for when the economy picks up.
“I think there's a great opportunity for us because the economy hopefully .... will turn around and the question is ‘Is South Carolina going to be poised to recruit business?'” he said.
RURAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Sheheen said because he lives in Camden, he understands the importance of protecting and supporting rural areas.
“If we ignore what's happening to the Sumter counties, the Kershaw counties the Lee counties we're really missing out on the future of South Carolina,” he said.
He said he knows how difficult it is for counties like Sumter to compete for funding with Richland and Charleston counties.
“We're never going to get our share,” he said.
He said the state needs to set up a rural infrastructure fund to build up the rural areas.
Sheheen said he thinks that because he lives and represents a rural area he has “a better feel than anybody else of what's going on in South Carolina.”
CHANGING GOVERNMENT
Sheheen also said he wants to change up the government power structure.
He reminded those gathered that “our constitution was birthed in the Jim Crow era.”
He said the executive branch needs to have more power; for example, to appoint positions like the state superintendent of education.
Otherwise, he said, you have a split and dysfunctional government, but to balance that, the legislature also needs to be more active.
“It doesn't hold oversight hearings, it doesn't evaluate programs to see if they're working or not,” he said.
And Sheheen said he thinks the people of South Carolina are ready to make decisions based on ideas, rather than political parties.
“I think the people of South Carolina are ready for somebody who speaks a little bit of a different language,” he said. “I think now more than ever people in South Carolina are ready to look at substance more than simply whether there's a “D” or an “R” by someone's name.”
“You know these, these issues,” Sheheen said: Job creation, education and health care.
But he said there is another problem that has become apparent to him and is the reason the other problems continue: A lack of leadership.
“You think about why we haven't been able to do anything, it's because of leadership,” he said. “Pure and simple.”
Sheheen said he believes he has the ability to bring people together to solve problems.
He said to get things done there has to be a different mindset for the leadership.
“There's been a philosophy or an idea that government can't do anything right, and when you have that belief you end up with a government that can't do anything right,” he said.
Sheheen said he hopes to stop the kind of embarrassments the state has suffered recently and bring it into the spotlight for the right kind of reasons.
He said South Carolina can be “the envy of this nation. And I believe that we can do it.”
EDUCATION
County Council Chairwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney asked Sheheen several questions about education in the state, mainly what can be done to bring more South Carolinians into higher education and give teachers more job security.
Sheheen said the state needs to do more than offer scholarships because when colleges raise tuition rates those scholarships mean less and less to students.
He said as the economy climbs out of the recession, the state needs to “make a profound investment in higher education.”
He said part of the problem with schools comes from the “crazy” tax system in the state, but he said the state has a problem in that it “teaches to the test.”
“We have got an obsession about testing and not about teaching,” he said. And “really what matters in schools is teachers and the quality of teachers.
ECONOMY
Sheheen responded to a number of questions about job creation and the economy in South Carolina.
He said the state needs a governor that is directly involved in bringing jobs to the state and protecting the ones that are already here.
“We have to be vocal with our national authorities,” and let them know that it is not OK to let jobs go overseas, he said.
He said he believes the state has an opportunity to be a leader in the development of energy technology, such as wind, solar and nuclear power.
“We have to make sure South Carolina is on the cutting edge,” he said.
And he said in a later interview that the infrastructure has to be in place soon to be ready for when the economy picks up.
“I think there's a great opportunity for us because the economy hopefully .... will turn around and the question is ‘Is South Carolina going to be poised to recruit business?'” he said.
RURAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Sheheen said because he lives in Camden, he understands the importance of protecting and supporting rural areas.
“If we ignore what's happening to the Sumter counties, the Kershaw counties the Lee counties we're really missing out on the future of South Carolina,” he said.
He said he knows how difficult it is for counties like Sumter to compete for funding with Richland and Charleston counties.
“We're never going to get our share,” he said.
He said the state needs to set up a rural infrastructure fund to build up the rural areas.
Sheheen said he thinks that because he lives and represents a rural area he has “a better feel than anybody else of what's going on in South Carolina.”
CHANGING GOVERNMENT
Sheheen also said he wants to change up the government power structure.
He reminded those gathered that “our constitution was birthed in the Jim Crow era.”
He said the executive branch needs to have more power; for example, to appoint positions like the state superintendent of education.
Otherwise, he said, you have a split and dysfunctional government, but to balance that, the legislature also needs to be more active.
“It doesn't hold oversight hearings, it doesn't evaluate programs to see if they're working or not,” he said.
And Sheheen said he thinks the people of South Carolina are ready to make decisions based on ideas, rather than political parties.
“I think the people of South Carolina are ready for somebody who speaks a little bit of a different language,” he said. “I think now more than ever people in South Carolina are ready to look at substance more than simply whether there's a “D” or an “R” by someone's name.”
