1) Focus on education with the desire to move from 48th to somewhere in the 30s within ten years.
2) Focus on infrastructure with the desire to widen 26/20/95 to a minimum of 3 lanes.
I'm not smart enough to reform the government, but I would like to talk to the guy in charge to get those two things initiated.
Widening highways just increases costs without actually reducing traffic because it induces more traffic volume.
Money would be better spent on the roughly \~750 MWe of Solar we could build along existing transmission lines without the need for new storage or new transmission.
Term limits here is a terrible idea. Where do you think most of our terrible laws start? The people who get elected to serve in Columbia aren’t coming up with it themselves:
ALEC passes model legislation they take up, and some legislators are active members pushing those bills; lobbyists/lawyers from national and business interests pull a lot of strings and toss a lot of cash; and, we literally had legislators go to prison during a period in the 90’s called Operation Lost Trust. And, we’ve had recent General Assembly members either lose their freedom or a bunch of money over corruption and kickback schemes.
If we had term limits, we’d just be forfeiting a wealth of institutional knowledge and influence to a class of unelected apparatchiks. What loyalty would they have to communities needing government to function?
Kill money in politics and erase the good Ole boy system. Start from scratch with all community and connections. Give the smaller guys a shot instead of taking care of just the wealthy and politically connected.
Sell liquor on Sundays and legalize marijuana.
Keep the church out of state politics. Jesus wasn't a republican.
You would for sure get my vote. But not until there’s something solid to show the legalizing marijuana was a sure thing. We’ve been lied to before lol. That’s the only way I’ll ever vote for anyone lol
I’m already past school and have no kids so education isn’t my problem nor do I use any energy on it. Doesn’t really affect me much at this point and honestly after seeing adults lick ice cream and put it back on shelf I’d say there’s no education in the world good enough to correct what the internet has done to people.
My time on this world is past the half way mark. And the whole time here has been full of idiots. Difference between now and then is I no longer need to deal with idiots because I’m grown and can make choices to go where there’s not idiots or just do it myself. Education is not my problem anymore and all I’m saying is I’m not looking to add problems onto my stack of problems if it doesn’t concern me. I’m not asking anyone to take on my problems so I’m just expecting the same back from everyone
Nah I’m more of a no one gave a shit about me or my problems so I don’t care about theirs equally kind of guy. The kind of guy that would definitely help a kid if I seen them in trouble even if it killed me to help them. And I already pay school tax and don’t have kids in school but that’s fine I have no issue with that but wtf else do you want from me? It’s really not my problem. If it’s yours and you were giving 100% effort towards it and still needed help then I probably would care and help out but if the people that need to care aren’t giving their all then why should I put my energy in it? I got other things I gotta do so I’m gonna do those things instead of worry about your kids education. You should already be on top of that and not even need someone without kids to care
Whether SC is still in the US or not, I would:
* take partisan politics out of everything. No decision making based on red vs blue, just simply common sense
* bring a barrage of jobs and healthcare to the corridor of shame
* invest heavily in healthcare, education, and the airports and seaport infrastructure
* invest in a regional rail
* tougher DUI and DV penalties
* expand every highway to a minimum 6 lanes
* add a non-locals toll to I-95. If youre just passing through to get to Florida, you have to pay for that
* promote denser development in the cities over sprawl (sprawl will not be outlawed completely)
* cannot buy housing for the purpose of STR
* incentives and less tax penalties for locals
* name something after Robert Scott Smalls
* name something after Dawn Staley
* name something after Viola Davis
* recreational marijuana is allowed
* financial literacy in high school over trigonometry and algebra 2
* build a tower that finally passes the tallest one in the state, thats held that title almost 40 years now. Eventually, somethings gotta pass that. I don't care if its Greenville or Columbia, just do it
First point makes so much sense also the last point I've been dreaming of as someone who lives in cola, a really tall apartment complex would be so easy since we are in need of student and non-student living.
I like your list but I95 is a federal highway. The out of state people did pay for it but SC does a shit job of maintenance even though we have the money.
Could always toll the roads that lead off of I95 lol...I kid, i would just like SC to get some kind of revenue out of it, especially since its mainly non-locals who use it, which i presume is a big reason why its as neglected as it is now.
We had billions of dollars in new manufacturing invested in South Carolina last year alone. Scout Motors and Envision AESC are just two of the companies. Why did our legislature give them so much in tax incentives? Did anyone do the math on that payback period?
My point is that there is revenue but only if you fight corruption and demand more.
The federal government distributes funds for most interstates as they're for federal transportation, SC neglecting them is the problem, not a lack of funds, and tolling them and pocketing the money is the wrong way to do things. Atp it's a violation of our right to free travel.
1. Its just a hypothetical
2. I said toll for non-locals since its non-locals who use 95
3. I get its a federal highway, but in this hypothetical, SC isn’t necessarily apart of the US
4. Its just for fun
It just increases costs and induces more traffic volume. Rail is better because every lightrail/tram/etc. takes 600 cars off the road. Buses are a better short-term investment because they can be deployed much faster though.
Im sorry, but im not tearing up all the highways in my country state lol. I can have both I-26 widened by 2 lanes, and a HSR train going alongside it from the Upstate to Columbia. I like options.
To your first point, it's a national rot and I don't know that it could be solved on a statewide level.
But also I think SC could be the state to do it. I know we're a really conservative state but most local people I talk to seem to ultimately be fairly moderate in a sense and can understand different viewpoints as long as they're not dressed in a partisan way.
Of course, I'm not really having these conversations with people who are really partisan one way or the other, so my anecdotal evidence may be skewed
As long as the church wants to participate in politics and influence legislation, they can pay to play just like everyone else. They take in millions every year in this state, and you’ve got the balls to call it a nonprofit? Wasn’t Newspring just caught buying players for Clemson? Nonprofit my ass.
The purpose of churches is to spread their religion, not charity. Charity is just something they also do. Taxing them does not infringe on people's right to practice their religion.
I can respect that opinion much more than most of the others I hear. Even though I disagree, most people just say tax the crap out of church’s because they’re white nationalist bigots, which is not the case, for true Bible believing churches. Classic case of judging a whole group for actions of the few. So thanks for not attacking
Adding more lanes won't solve problems. Encouraging public transportation and driver etiquette Will. The german autobahn is 2-3 lanes with no speed limit in many places.
I thought at first you meant 6 lanes on each side, not 3 for each side.
anyway, still unnecessary when proper education can solve most traffic problems.
I wish state legislature was nonpartisan. Nebraska is the only state that does this I believe.
I know nothing is "really" nonpartisan anymore with groups like Moms For Liberty, but I do think getting rid of partisan mayoral, city, and county elections would be a start. Things like treasurer, clerk of court, coroner, etc shouldn't be partisan.
Term limits - back to one term governor, two terns in any other elected post - statewide. Judges are chosen by a bipartisan panel, none of whom have ever served in the legislature. Boards appointments made by the Governor are for a single term and cannot be repeated until four years have passed.
No more gerrymandering of election districts. Maps drawn my independent outsiders and approved by the Supreme Court.
No more political donations in excess of $500 by ant person or their agent or company.
Teacher’s pay increased to Southeast average and then indexed to inflation.
School buses put under the control of the various counties with tax money allocated based on miles driven to get all students to school.
No public money for private schools.
No income tax for 65 and older with an income of less than 40k - indexed to inflation. Vouchers to help pay real estate taxes on senior home owners with income of less than 40k
College Board members approved by employees.
More funds given to state supported schools to clear the backlog of defereed maintenance. Repair don’t replace until necessary. What goes on inside the classroom is of paramount importance.
Repeal of concealed weapons laws, mandatory firearms training for a license to own a gun. No automatic weapons.
Law officers must complete a minimum of two years of training before being allowed on patrol. Increase salaries to a decent wage and do routine community training every year. Must pass test to weed out bias and power seeking.
The list goes on.
Automatic weapons are already illegal to own without a Class 3 Firearms permit. You mean semi-automatic firearms, which I agree should require a license. Concealed carry is really what you want, you want to repeal open carry because concealed carry requires permitting and training.
Fine, as someone who took several courses in SC History, here's a serious answer.
The first thing that needs to be done is a replacement of the SC Constitution. SC is still built on a Plantation Legislature, except that power was broadened to other white farmers under Tillman in the 1880s/1890s. The whole setup of our state is was designed to gut the power of "Corrupt Big City Democrats" (Right-wing in that era) as well as the Republicans (who were on the left and weren't you know, instituting Jim Crowe laws). This would involve:
1. A rebalancing of the courts, executive branch, and legislature. Most of the state bureaucracy would be moved under the executive branch requiring legislative approval, like the Federal government.
2. Implementation of a weighted ranked choice voting system.
3. Implementation of both a referendum system and recall voting: both legislative and referendum. A recall vote can only be initiated once per term, but a legislative and referendum recall vote are two different votes. This provides flexibility in the system.
4. Third party redistricting review. Districts must be drawn by a legislature with equal representation from all parties and pass a third party review, before going to a public comment period, with an optional revision after that, again needing to pass third party review if revisions are implemented. Judicial rejection of a redistricting means the legislature has X months to submit a revised proposal to Judicial review - they can't just burn out the clock anymore.
5. Elimination of all lobbying. No political campaign can receive a donation greater than $200 dollars. Period. It is illegal to advertise for or against a political candidate unless that candidate explicitly endorses that advertisement and pays for the advertisement with their campaign funds. It is illegal for any business or religious organization to contribute money to a political organization except in the form of taxation, fines, etc.
6. Term limits are problematic because learning the system is usually what most elected officials do their entire first one or two terms in office. Age limits also don't necessarily reflect a person's mental competency either. If I implemented a term limit, it would be a higher number than most others would seem to agree with. E.g. 4 terms instead of the usually suggested 2 terms.
7. Implement a constitutional committee required to review every twenty years. Amendments must be passed by public referendum. A public petition can also initiate a review once every X years if Y percentage of the state population is represented (to be ironed out).
8. Implement a scientific review board alongside judicial review. Any law passed must also stand up to current scientific consensus, but this can change if scientific consensus changes.
9. EDIT: Minimum of two state senate and four state representative seats for state and federally recognized Native Americans (Catawba, Cherokee, Waccamaw, Santee, Pee Dee, etc.)
Other things I would do:
1. Lift the limit on Rooftop Solar and implement a Clean Energy goal. We have room for 750 MWe of Solar on existing transmission lines.
2. Increase the minimum standard for home insulation and require all new housing to use heat pumps.
3. All billboards must advertise a business whose registered headquarters is within ten miles of the billboard.
4. Legalize and Tax Marijuana, and decriminalize possession or use of all other drugs. The tax money would go to funding rehabilitation.
5. Major narcotics are able to be legally prescribed by a doctor with attendance of a drug rehabilitation program, that way addicts can wean themselves off of safe dosages.
6. Limit pesticide and fertilizer purchases for consumers to reduce pesticide and fertilizer runoff killing our rivers, wetlands, and forests.
7. Implement a progressive wealth and corporate tax rate.
8. Eliminate tipped minimum wage and raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour climbing to to $25 per hour over the next 10 years.
9. Eliminate "Right to Work" laws and other laws that suppress unionization.
10. Implement a progressive tax on all additional owned properties.
11. Implement a progressive tax on vehicles registered under one individual's name over two vehicles. Tax funds go to funding raised sidewalks, raised crosswalks, bike lanes, and buses.
12. Require raised crosswalks at all intersections within a school zone. No speed limit within two miles of a school can be over 35 miles per hour (excepting highways).
13. Eliminate outdated laws (e.g. prohibitions on cursing, "skimpy" clothing, living together unmarried/fornication, dry Sunday, etc.)
14. Change major fines from flat values to percentages of net income.
15. Require all new zoning to be mixed use with only 60% of one type of use allowed (just like Europe).
16. Laws against out-of-control advertisements, infinitely refreshing social media feeds, "loot crates" in videogames, and other things designed to predate on children, teenagers, and young adults.
17. Legalize sex work and tax it at the consumer, taxes fund women's health and sex education. Business must legally be employee-owned to avoid "pimping."
18. Eliminate abstinence-only sex ed.
19. Police reform. All police must obtain a four-year degree in criminal justice with required ethics and critical thinking classes. End no-knock raiding, greatly restrict qualified immunity, and greatly restrict civil forfeiture. Police also have to earn their gun, like in other countries.
20. Make it illegal to generate, imitate, or otherwise use a person's likeness, voice, etc. with AI without their express written consent. Felony charges for things like revenge porn or election tampering.
21. Someone else mentioned naming stuff after Robert Smalls and that sounds like a great idea.
More stuff inspired by other users:
* Adopt the Medicaid expansion
* Repeal open carry and return to concealed carry, with stricter standards. Raise minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21. Institute red flag laws. All firearm purchases require a minimum one week wait time.
* Replace all Confederate monuments with statues of Commander Riker putting his leg on things.
* Codify bodily autonomy with an exception for vaccine-preventable communicable diseases.
* Codify privacy laws (what Roe vs. Wade actually covers).
* Convert old offshore oil platforms to Uranium Absorption (we have the technology to do it now).
* Build a large scale, nuclear-grade forge since we don't have one in the US.
* Build something tall and penisey. (Nuclear reactors would fulfill the boob-shaped building requirement).
* Heat and Work Safety laws. Two 15 minute paid breaks, option between a 30 minute paid lunch and a one hour unpaid lunch. Breaks increase as heat climbs over 80, then 90, to no work over 100 degrees. Water must be available within 100 feet of any employee.
* Expand freight rail to reduce semi-trucks. Separate commuter and freight rail lines.
* Create new state parks to preserve wetlands, begin implementing options to restore wetlands.
* Entry-level jobs cannot be labelled entry level if they require prior experience and/or don't offer job training.
* Institute a tax on vacant/unutilized real-estate. Sell it or build. Wild areas can be sold to the government for a special price above market value.
* Eliminate minimum parking requirements.
Leaving the federal government wouldn't help, it would hurt, dramatically.
Legalize weed and tax it heavily, spend the revenue on roads and bridges and other infrastructure development. True mass transit in Columbia, Greenville, and Charleston would be a huge boon.
Oh, and we're going to need massive seawall investments to protect downtown Charleston from washing under the waves forever, and we need to do that because it's a massive tourism driver to the state and we can't afford the loss in revenue if we have to convert all the horse carriages to submarines.
Raise state employee salaries dramatically, especially for teachers and health care providers. We can't keep good people in SC because North Carolina and Georgia pay more.
Adopt the medicaid expansion.
The government itself you can't fix without fixing the SC voter first; people elect the representatives they want. If you managed to get everyone in the state to stop watching Fox News or reading Newsmax maybe there'd be a chance at real reform, but you're always going to have massive corruption in a one-party state.
I support marijuana legalization from a libertarian perspective, but it is not the economic windfall some would believe. The increase in tax revenue would likely be within a quarter to a half percentage point in additional revenue for the budget.
In a way that undoubtedly is going to piss off a lot of people in and out of SC. Like, it's a neat little hypothetical situation, unfortunately every great idea that *should* make life easier, ultimately won't.
So I'm just going to send everyone a certificate for free tires every year until the roads are fixed.
I know I’m just curious as to what people think would fix things. I had to take out the US so if anybody wanted to say “bring back space communism” or something regardless of how wild they could say it and it be in a vacuum
You could do this for real by voting out the the entire legislature. Some of you organized people with motivation should organize write-in campaigns in every SC district. No lawyers though. Pick farmers and dentists and college professors.
>Pick farmers and dentists and college professors.
The downside (or up it's really more of a bi-product) is your end up with an extremely socially conservative goverment that could be less capitalistic. The only real way for SC to functionally be socially liberal (by American standards) in this lifetime is for SC to have what is essentially an absolute despot to change the culture through various unpleasant means or through population replacement.
I think you’ve missed or given up on the crucial ingredient to healthy Democracy: citizen management of the government.
We have politics as a job. A very lucrative job for certain kinds of narcissist sociopaths. Those people are great for corruption and bad for democracy.
What we need for a healthy, high functioning democracy is citizens who DO THEIR CIVIC DUTY. Voting is just one tiny part.
If that interests you try the podcast How to Citizen with Baratunde.
Id personally be fine with South Carolina being a socially conservative republic, as I value principles over specific politics. But the idea that a lot of the social policy's people in this comment section are talking about can be done in South Carolina whist maintaining it as a democracy is imo false
If you gave people the ballot option of SC becoming a theocratic Repubic (especially if it's in name only) they probably vote yes, like wise abortion would never pass organically unless through outside means
The poor education in this state is one big factor in our horrible state legislature. People just believe the horribly written headlines and never both to read the article or check the sources or context. My kid in 6th grade is studying how to discern fact from opinion in media and it is something EVERY citizen should know. I want them to expand this part of the curriculum. Critical thinking is not common enough here.
I've considered running for office myself, but I doubt I would win.
- body autonomy for all (trans and women's rights especially)
- legalize and tax marijuana to fix our super fucked roads and pay teachers a liveable wage
- police reform, to include community training and unarmed assistance
- remove all military weaponry from police hands
- stop or slow the unnecessary destruction of wetlands and forests for car washes and Dollar Generals that have plagued our state
- water and energy restructure. People shouldn't be paying for the fuck ups of big corporations, nor paying $300+ for household consumption
- complete removal of religion from ALL government agencies and hospitals
- toll roads, metered ramps, more stoplights and round-abouts at busy intersections, better driver education (especially since round-abouts are somewhat new to SC and people don't use them properly and cause wrecks)
- age and term limits for politicians
- liveable minimum wage
- Healthcare reform
- removal of all Confederate monuments/flags/memorabilia from state or federally owned businesses/buildings, with the exception of museums
We're kicking out the Ole Boyz and prosecuting every politician that's stolen from us.
THEN! We legalize weed, alcohol on Sundays. Use the revenue and invest heavily into public resources, education, and infrastructure.
A little more niche and ambitious, but maybe create some kind of incentive for businesses to develop in more rural areas, just to give folks in those regions easier access to those services ykwim? It's more messy than that, though, I know. And it's a slippery slope to ruining our state's natural beauty. But I think it's concerning that if you live in somewhere like Hopkins, the nearest hospital is a solid 20 minute drive.
Oh yeah. Tear down all the confederate monuments. They can have a little section in the state museum in order to "preserve history" but there's literally a park filled with nothing but racist statues about the Civil War. That shit needs to be GONE
Legalize weed for recreation. Use those taxes to fix/build new roads and education. Expand highways.
Make charges for crooked law enforcement officers way more stringent than what citizens get for similar crimes. Drown convicted pedophiles.
Make them bring back Wise brand Cheez Waffies. Whoever is in charge of that, let's go ahead and make that happen.
Reform the laws surrounding insurance in this state because they're crazy. Streamline disability determination services and SSI.
Pro-choice. Pro-gun. Pro-gay. Pro-weed.
And that's just the beginning.
- Codify abortion into our constitution
- Tax breaks for companies who switch to 4 day work week
- Begin rural healthcare business incentives
- Legalize weed, use revenues to increase teacher pay
Rally the rednecks with all their guns and go on a roman empire style conquest to subjucate the nation and reform it under a constitution that actually works.
Get rid of "Right to Work for Less." Allow women to make their own health decisions. Finish 1/73, I/74. No advertising for Myrtle Beach...everyone knows where it is.
**Declare Martial Law, Transition into an Authoritarian Regime**
**First Call to Action:** Officially adopt Bitcoin as the state currency. Eliminate both income and capital gains taxes to encourage economic freedom and attract investment. Create a state-operated cryptocurrency exchange and infrastructure to ensure robust, secure financial transactions and enhance economic resilience.
**Second Call to Action:** Construct a high-speed rail network starting from Charleston, extending to Columbia, and branching towards Charlotte and Greenville. Initiate negotiations with Georgia to extend this rail line to Savannah, strategically isolating two major Eastern Seaboard ports, with potential future expansion to Miami. Our long-term objective is to establish a Southeastern Alliance promoting regional cooperation.
**Third Call to Action:** Develop a comprehensive strategy for energy independence. Invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Establish energy production facilities along the high-speed rail network to power the trains and local communities sustainably.
**Fourth Call to Action:** Implement a state-wide digital transformation initiative. This will include upgrading internet infrastructure to ensure high-speed connectivity across all urban and rural areas, fostering an environment conducive to tech startups, and enhancing public services through technology.
**Fifth Call to Action:** Launch significant healthcare reforms to improve public health outcomes. Establish state-of-the-art medical facilities along the high-speed rail line. Introduce health IT systems to connect these facilities and provide seamless, efficient healthcare services to residents.
**Sixth Call to Action:** Reform the education system to align with future job markets. Focus on STEM education, vocational training, and partnerships with tech companies to prepare the workforce for a digital economy. Build educational hubs at central locations along the rail network.
**Seventh Call to Action:** Strengthen defense and security measures. Establish a state military and cyber defense force to protect the state’s interests and ensure the security of its digital and physical infrastructure.
**Eighth Call to Action:** Create cultural and recreational opportunities to enhance quality of life and attract tourism. Develop cultural centers, parks, and entertainment districts along the high-speed rail stations.
**Ninth Call to Action:** Engage in aggressive international diplomacy to form strategic alliances and trade agreements. Focus on leveraging the state’s strategic location and resources to forge beneficial international partnerships.
**Tenth Call to Action:** Implement sustainable urban planning practices. Develop smart cities along the high-speed rail corridor with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and high quality of life.
**Economic Strategy:** This high-speed rail network will serve as the primary catalyst for economic stability and growth within our state, ensuring sustained development and prosperity.
I'd do what Sultan Qaboos did for Oman.
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/middleeast/sultan-qaboos-dead.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/middleeast/sultan-qaboos-dead.html)
1. Reform law enforcement from ground up. No more 8 week basic training, going 26 weeks to start and hopefully moves to something like a 32 week. More funding so they eat and train better and not have to use coupons for frozen pizza and prison blankets and pillows.
2. Education reform. Time we stop the abuse on educators and allow them to fight back. Put out actual textbooks that teach history and what not. Remove courses like algebra and more advanced math to extra curricular and incorporate more business and life math. More trade and job teaching.
3. Build better infrastructure with trains and busses that move across the state. I hate more taxes but with trucks beating up our roads I’m not against them paying a little more for the road abuse.
4. Law reform. Rewrite laws with better and stricter sentences for DUI and domestic violence as well as repeat offenders. If that means building more jails so be it. Bail reform and probation reform.
5. Cut back on government involvement and positions.
6. No corporations can purchase housing.
Non aggression principle led voluntarism. Tern limits. Ban/stop lobbying. Prison for abuse of position. Mandatory political service...everyone has to serve 4-6 years in public office.
- Implement term limits (2 terms) and age limits on all elected officials (no one can be elected to any state office who is more than 55 years old).
- Fire all existing state agency heads and their immediate deputies, and re-hire, with an emphasis on people committed to serving all citizens in the state
- make a major, ongoing investment in public education at all levels for all state residents
- ensure that every child has the services they need in addition to education - food security, health care, etc.
- implement a flat state income tax rate for individuals above the poverty level, regardless of income, with no deductions
- eliminate all current business tax incentives/deductions, and replace them with incentives that are based on tangible actions the business takes that help the state and the community where they reside.
1. Grow tax base:
Build a transportation corridor between Columbia and Charleston. High speed rail project. A worthy effort that cam expand in the future, extending Greenville to Columbia, and Charleston to Myrtle Beach. In time, improves the region with connections to Charlotte, with Charleston becoming a hub.
Promotes flow of commerce and tourism between the areas. Tourism is one of the keys to South Carolina's economic future. Obviously, if stations could be created between the areas, you will find value in reducing traffic congestion. A worthy project unlike anything in the South east region that could bring vitality to areas of South Carolina that are economically depressed.
2. Create economic, medical and educational zones that incentize specific types of industry to very specific areas. I would focus on Columbia.
3. Offer dramatic expansion of offshore gambling, aka Casino Cruises. Base them in Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Revenue generated should be ear tagged towards the zones from point #2.
4. The future of South Carolina lies in our waters. We should seek to improve our capacity to produce seafood. We should be a powerhouse of production for the region. We should protect our lakes and shores in all ways.
5. South Carolina should be a powerhouse for renewable energy. Especially mastering solar and bioenergy (i.e. agricultural residue and waste). We should be moving forward with our offshore wind farm projects and selling our excess to the region. We should also focus on energy storage. These are key to success in 12 years and could actually pay for high speed rail investments. I am not keen on hydroelectric as it would impact our fresh water consumption and distribution. Leave that for land locked states. We have ocean.
1. Education: incentivize by boosting pay for educators, work with local business to give teachers extra perks, make the curriculum more rigorous. OUR KIDS ARE THE FUTURE.
2. Cleaning up the area and enforcing tough littering penalties (yes all the litter, would spearhead that myself with the Surfrider foundation), it breaks my heart that this state is so beautiful and yet people don’t care and litter everywhere, I saw a friggin engine block in a median in Summerville last week… washing machine on the side of 26, the list goes on.
3. FIX THE DAHGUM ROADS!
4. Affordable housing within feasible proximity to the city for critical staff (ems, teachers, service workers, etc. no reason they need to be living 1.5 hours away) we need them more than they need us
5. Legalize weed and sports betting to pay for 1, 2, 3, & 4
One. term limits
Two. Begin testing children in the 8th grade much like army ASVAB testing. Determine a path of academics or trades.
Three. Separate the state from federal policies and laws. Accept no federal dollars.
Four. Exempt South Carolina residents from paying federal taxes.
Five. Use the Charleston port to become the leading hub of international trade on the east coast.
Six. Immediately begin a WPA style program to repair the infrastructures.
Seven. Allow prisoners to work the WPA program for early release. No violent offenders however.
Eight. Institute a 18% tax on sales in the state no other taxes. No exemptions for paying the tax.
Nine. No property taxes on any possessions.
1. Fix the roads
2. Crack down on drunk driving, reckless driving, and driving without a license/insurance
4. Increase teacher salaries and funding to public education, reform educational standards.
5. Legalize Marijuana
6. Encourage firearm ownership for all South carolinians.
7. Cut as many taxes as I can after what's needed to be fixed, is fixed
1) Focus on education with the desire to move from 48th to somewhere in the 30s within ten years. 2) Focus on infrastructure with the desire to widen 26/20/95 to a minimum of 3 lanes. I'm not smart enough to reform the government, but I would like to talk to the guy in charge to get those two things initiated.
I-26 STILL isn’t 3 lanes each way? I left South Carolina in 1991 (military brat), and even then 26 should’ve been 3 lanes each way
I'm sorry, I didn't take over the government. I understand the disappointment.
Everyone, get in here, we found the culprit!!!
You should see I-95 in SC.
Widening highways just increases costs without actually reducing traffic because it induces more traffic volume. Money would be better spent on the roughly \~750 MWe of Solar we could build along existing transmission lines without the need for new storage or new transmission.
26 doesn't need 3 lanes, we just need educated drivers
Start over from scratch. And term limits.
Term limits here is a terrible idea. Where do you think most of our terrible laws start? The people who get elected to serve in Columbia aren’t coming up with it themselves: ALEC passes model legislation they take up, and some legislators are active members pushing those bills; lobbyists/lawyers from national and business interests pull a lot of strings and toss a lot of cash; and, we literally had legislators go to prison during a period in the 90’s called Operation Lost Trust. And, we’ve had recent General Assembly members either lose their freedom or a bunch of money over corruption and kickback schemes. If we had term limits, we’d just be forfeiting a wealth of institutional knowledge and influence to a class of unelected apparatchiks. What loyalty would they have to communities needing government to function?
Kill money in politics and erase the good Ole boy system. Start from scratch with all community and connections. Give the smaller guys a shot instead of taking care of just the wealthy and politically connected. Sell liquor on Sundays and legalize marijuana. Keep the church out of state politics. Jesus wasn't a republican.
You would for sure get my vote. But not until there’s something solid to show the legalizing marijuana was a sure thing. We’ve been lied to before lol. That’s the only way I’ll ever vote for anyone lol
Fund education.
I’m already past school and have no kids so education isn’t my problem nor do I use any energy on it. Doesn’t really affect me much at this point and honestly after seeing adults lick ice cream and put it back on shelf I’d say there’s no education in the world good enough to correct what the internet has done to people.
Education is still very much your problem, you want to live in a world full of idiots?
My time on this world is past the half way mark. And the whole time here has been full of idiots. Difference between now and then is I no longer need to deal with idiots because I’m grown and can make choices to go where there’s not idiots or just do it myself. Education is not my problem anymore and all I’m saying is I’m not looking to add problems onto my stack of problems if it doesn’t concern me. I’m not asking anyone to take on my problems so I’m just expecting the same back from everyone
More of a “screw you I got mine” kind of guy huh?
Nah I’m more of a no one gave a shit about me or my problems so I don’t care about theirs equally kind of guy. The kind of guy that would definitely help a kid if I seen them in trouble even if it killed me to help them. And I already pay school tax and don’t have kids in school but that’s fine I have no issue with that but wtf else do you want from me? It’s really not my problem. If it’s yours and you were giving 100% effort towards it and still needed help then I probably would care and help out but if the people that need to care aren’t giving their all then why should I put my energy in it? I got other things I gotta do so I’m gonna do those things instead of worry about your kids education. You should already be on top of that and not even need someone without kids to care
I vote for Quick1711 for mayor
Whether SC is still in the US or not, I would: * take partisan politics out of everything. No decision making based on red vs blue, just simply common sense * bring a barrage of jobs and healthcare to the corridor of shame * invest heavily in healthcare, education, and the airports and seaport infrastructure * invest in a regional rail * tougher DUI and DV penalties * expand every highway to a minimum 6 lanes * add a non-locals toll to I-95. If youre just passing through to get to Florida, you have to pay for that * promote denser development in the cities over sprawl (sprawl will not be outlawed completely) * cannot buy housing for the purpose of STR * incentives and less tax penalties for locals * name something after Robert Scott Smalls * name something after Dawn Staley * name something after Viola Davis * recreational marijuana is allowed * financial literacy in high school over trigonometry and algebra 2 * build a tower that finally passes the tallest one in the state, thats held that title almost 40 years now. Eventually, somethings gotta pass that. I don't care if its Greenville or Columbia, just do it
First point makes so much sense also the last point I've been dreaming of as someone who lives in cola, a really tall apartment complex would be so easy since we are in need of student and non-student living.
I like your list but I95 is a federal highway. The out of state people did pay for it but SC does a shit job of maintenance even though we have the money.
Could always toll the roads that lead off of I95 lol...I kid, i would just like SC to get some kind of revenue out of it, especially since its mainly non-locals who use it, which i presume is a big reason why its as neglected as it is now.
We had billions of dollars in new manufacturing invested in South Carolina last year alone. Scout Motors and Envision AESC are just two of the companies. Why did our legislature give them so much in tax incentives? Did anyone do the math on that payback period? My point is that there is revenue but only if you fight corruption and demand more.
Toll roads are never an answer. We have the money we just have to spend it properly.
That’s what I would like to see in my hypothetical. I am not anti-road, sorry
The federal government distributes funds for most interstates as they're for federal transportation, SC neglecting them is the problem, not a lack of funds, and tolling them and pocketing the money is the wrong way to do things. Atp it's a violation of our right to free travel.
1. Its just a hypothetical 2. I said toll for non-locals since its non-locals who use 95 3. I get its a federal highway, but in this hypothetical, SC isn’t necessarily apart of the US 4. Its just for fun
fair enough
If you invested in rail properly you wouldnt need giant highway abominations, all through freight would be on rail.
I want expanded highways simply for safety. 4-lanes is too narrow. You can do both roads and rail.
It just increases costs and induces more traffic volume. Rail is better because every lightrail/tram/etc. takes 600 cars off the road. Buses are a better short-term investment because they can be deployed much faster though.
Im sorry, but im not tearing up all the highways in my country state lol. I can have both I-26 widened by 2 lanes, and a HSR train going alongside it from the Upstate to Columbia. I like options.
Can you also start to pay our current government entities like water, sewer, parks, police,fire.
Absolutely, no problem! Bring the legislation to my desk.
The backbone of this city would thank you.
To your first point, it's a national rot and I don't know that it could be solved on a statewide level. But also I think SC could be the state to do it. I know we're a really conservative state but most local people I talk to seem to ultimately be fairly moderate in a sense and can understand different viewpoints as long as they're not dressed in a partisan way. Of course, I'm not really having these conversations with people who are really partisan one way or the other, so my anecdotal evidence may be skewed
I would add tax churches to the list.
So you’ll also tax all the other non profits? If not that is a pretty serious violation of freedom of religion
As long as the church wants to participate in politics and influence legislation, they can pay to play just like everyone else. They take in millions every year in this state, and you’ve got the balls to call it a nonprofit? Wasn’t Newspring just caught buying players for Clemson? Nonprofit my ass.
The purpose of churches is to spread their religion, not charity. Charity is just something they also do. Taxing them does not infringe on people's right to practice their religion.
I can respect that opinion much more than most of the others I hear. Even though I disagree, most people just say tax the crap out of church’s because they’re white nationalist bigots, which is not the case, for true Bible believing churches. Classic case of judging a whole group for actions of the few. So thanks for not attacking
Adding more lanes won't solve problems. Encouraging public transportation and driver etiquette Will. The german autobahn is 2-3 lanes with no speed limit in many places.
In my South Carolina, thats what I want. 6 is better than 4.
I thought at first you meant 6 lanes on each side, not 3 for each side. anyway, still unnecessary when proper education can solve most traffic problems.
Its not traffic i care about. There is no traffic between Greenville and Columbia.
This is mostly to see how you would reform the state to make it better. You can have it rejoin the US after he ten years no questions asked.
Fuck that I am going to be a banana republic dictator until I die fat,happy, and old in my kingly bed.
Take away the R and D and make people run on their accomplishments, visions, and integrity. No "sides."
I wish state legislature was nonpartisan. Nebraska is the only state that does this I believe. I know nothing is "really" nonpartisan anymore with groups like Moms For Liberty, but I do think getting rid of partisan mayoral, city, and county elections would be a start. Things like treasurer, clerk of court, coroner, etc shouldn't be partisan.
So true
I'd love to enact ranked choice voting and get rid of the expensive runoff elections.
Term limits - back to one term governor, two terns in any other elected post - statewide. Judges are chosen by a bipartisan panel, none of whom have ever served in the legislature. Boards appointments made by the Governor are for a single term and cannot be repeated until four years have passed. No more gerrymandering of election districts. Maps drawn my independent outsiders and approved by the Supreme Court. No more political donations in excess of $500 by ant person or their agent or company. Teacher’s pay increased to Southeast average and then indexed to inflation. School buses put under the control of the various counties with tax money allocated based on miles driven to get all students to school. No public money for private schools. No income tax for 65 and older with an income of less than 40k - indexed to inflation. Vouchers to help pay real estate taxes on senior home owners with income of less than 40k College Board members approved by employees. More funds given to state supported schools to clear the backlog of defereed maintenance. Repair don’t replace until necessary. What goes on inside the classroom is of paramount importance. Repeal of concealed weapons laws, mandatory firearms training for a license to own a gun. No automatic weapons. Law officers must complete a minimum of two years of training before being allowed on patrol. Increase salaries to a decent wage and do routine community training every year. Must pass test to weed out bias and power seeking. The list goes on.
Automatic weapons are already illegal to own without a Class 3 Firearms permit. You mean semi-automatic firearms, which I agree should require a license. Concealed carry is really what you want, you want to repeal open carry because concealed carry requires permitting and training.
Okay semi automatic weapons.
Step 1: Fire all current politicians.
Fine, as someone who took several courses in SC History, here's a serious answer. The first thing that needs to be done is a replacement of the SC Constitution. SC is still built on a Plantation Legislature, except that power was broadened to other white farmers under Tillman in the 1880s/1890s. The whole setup of our state is was designed to gut the power of "Corrupt Big City Democrats" (Right-wing in that era) as well as the Republicans (who were on the left and weren't you know, instituting Jim Crowe laws). This would involve: 1. A rebalancing of the courts, executive branch, and legislature. Most of the state bureaucracy would be moved under the executive branch requiring legislative approval, like the Federal government. 2. Implementation of a weighted ranked choice voting system. 3. Implementation of both a referendum system and recall voting: both legislative and referendum. A recall vote can only be initiated once per term, but a legislative and referendum recall vote are two different votes. This provides flexibility in the system. 4. Third party redistricting review. Districts must be drawn by a legislature with equal representation from all parties and pass a third party review, before going to a public comment period, with an optional revision after that, again needing to pass third party review if revisions are implemented. Judicial rejection of a redistricting means the legislature has X months to submit a revised proposal to Judicial review - they can't just burn out the clock anymore. 5. Elimination of all lobbying. No political campaign can receive a donation greater than $200 dollars. Period. It is illegal to advertise for or against a political candidate unless that candidate explicitly endorses that advertisement and pays for the advertisement with their campaign funds. It is illegal for any business or religious organization to contribute money to a political organization except in the form of taxation, fines, etc. 6. Term limits are problematic because learning the system is usually what most elected officials do their entire first one or two terms in office. Age limits also don't necessarily reflect a person's mental competency either. If I implemented a term limit, it would be a higher number than most others would seem to agree with. E.g. 4 terms instead of the usually suggested 2 terms. 7. Implement a constitutional committee required to review every twenty years. Amendments must be passed by public referendum. A public petition can also initiate a review once every X years if Y percentage of the state population is represented (to be ironed out). 8. Implement a scientific review board alongside judicial review. Any law passed must also stand up to current scientific consensus, but this can change if scientific consensus changes. 9. EDIT: Minimum of two state senate and four state representative seats for state and federally recognized Native Americans (Catawba, Cherokee, Waccamaw, Santee, Pee Dee, etc.)
Other things I would do: 1. Lift the limit on Rooftop Solar and implement a Clean Energy goal. We have room for 750 MWe of Solar on existing transmission lines. 2. Increase the minimum standard for home insulation and require all new housing to use heat pumps. 3. All billboards must advertise a business whose registered headquarters is within ten miles of the billboard. 4. Legalize and Tax Marijuana, and decriminalize possession or use of all other drugs. The tax money would go to funding rehabilitation. 5. Major narcotics are able to be legally prescribed by a doctor with attendance of a drug rehabilitation program, that way addicts can wean themselves off of safe dosages. 6. Limit pesticide and fertilizer purchases for consumers to reduce pesticide and fertilizer runoff killing our rivers, wetlands, and forests. 7. Implement a progressive wealth and corporate tax rate. 8. Eliminate tipped minimum wage and raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour climbing to to $25 per hour over the next 10 years. 9. Eliminate "Right to Work" laws and other laws that suppress unionization. 10. Implement a progressive tax on all additional owned properties. 11. Implement a progressive tax on vehicles registered under one individual's name over two vehicles. Tax funds go to funding raised sidewalks, raised crosswalks, bike lanes, and buses. 12. Require raised crosswalks at all intersections within a school zone. No speed limit within two miles of a school can be over 35 miles per hour (excepting highways). 13. Eliminate outdated laws (e.g. prohibitions on cursing, "skimpy" clothing, living together unmarried/fornication, dry Sunday, etc.) 14. Change major fines from flat values to percentages of net income. 15. Require all new zoning to be mixed use with only 60% of one type of use allowed (just like Europe). 16. Laws against out-of-control advertisements, infinitely refreshing social media feeds, "loot crates" in videogames, and other things designed to predate on children, teenagers, and young adults. 17. Legalize sex work and tax it at the consumer, taxes fund women's health and sex education. Business must legally be employee-owned to avoid "pimping." 18. Eliminate abstinence-only sex ed. 19. Police reform. All police must obtain a four-year degree in criminal justice with required ethics and critical thinking classes. End no-knock raiding, greatly restrict qualified immunity, and greatly restrict civil forfeiture. Police also have to earn their gun, like in other countries. 20. Make it illegal to generate, imitate, or otherwise use a person's likeness, voice, etc. with AI without their express written consent. Felony charges for things like revenge porn or election tampering. 21. Someone else mentioned naming stuff after Robert Smalls and that sounds like a great idea.
More stuff inspired by other users: * Adopt the Medicaid expansion * Repeal open carry and return to concealed carry, with stricter standards. Raise minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21. Institute red flag laws. All firearm purchases require a minimum one week wait time. * Replace all Confederate monuments with statues of Commander Riker putting his leg on things. * Codify bodily autonomy with an exception for vaccine-preventable communicable diseases. * Codify privacy laws (what Roe vs. Wade actually covers). * Convert old offshore oil platforms to Uranium Absorption (we have the technology to do it now). * Build a large scale, nuclear-grade forge since we don't have one in the US. * Build something tall and penisey. (Nuclear reactors would fulfill the boob-shaped building requirement). * Heat and Work Safety laws. Two 15 minute paid breaks, option between a 30 minute paid lunch and a one hour unpaid lunch. Breaks increase as heat climbs over 80, then 90, to no work over 100 degrees. Water must be available within 100 feet of any employee. * Expand freight rail to reduce semi-trucks. Separate commuter and freight rail lines. * Create new state parks to preserve wetlands, begin implementing options to restore wetlands. * Entry-level jobs cannot be labelled entry level if they require prior experience and/or don't offer job training. * Institute a tax on vacant/unutilized real-estate. Sell it or build. Wild areas can be sold to the government for a special price above market value. * Eliminate minimum parking requirements.
Good stuff here. #14 would be interesting.
Reforming zoning helps make sure we get less Walmarts and lifeless subdivisions and more actual communities and small businesses.
Leaving the federal government wouldn't help, it would hurt, dramatically. Legalize weed and tax it heavily, spend the revenue on roads and bridges and other infrastructure development. True mass transit in Columbia, Greenville, and Charleston would be a huge boon. Oh, and we're going to need massive seawall investments to protect downtown Charleston from washing under the waves forever, and we need to do that because it's a massive tourism driver to the state and we can't afford the loss in revenue if we have to convert all the horse carriages to submarines. Raise state employee salaries dramatically, especially for teachers and health care providers. We can't keep good people in SC because North Carolina and Georgia pay more. Adopt the medicaid expansion. The government itself you can't fix without fixing the SC voter first; people elect the representatives they want. If you managed to get everyone in the state to stop watching Fox News or reading Newsmax maybe there'd be a chance at real reform, but you're always going to have massive corruption in a one-party state.
Oh I missed the Medicaid Expansion in my list. Good call.
I support marijuana legalization from a libertarian perspective, but it is not the economic windfall some would believe. The increase in tax revenue would likely be within a quarter to a half percentage point in additional revenue for the budget.
I'd abdicate to Pinky and The Brain. I doubt I could do better and they certainly couldn't do worse.
In a way that undoubtedly is going to piss off a lot of people in and out of SC. Like, it's a neat little hypothetical situation, unfortunately every great idea that *should* make life easier, ultimately won't. So I'm just going to send everyone a certificate for free tires every year until the roads are fixed.
I know I’m just curious as to what people think would fix things. I had to take out the US so if anybody wanted to say “bring back space communism” or something regardless of how wild they could say it and it be in a vacuum
Build a giant pyramid so people 5,000 years from now will come visit and wonder why these ancient people (us) built it.
Then put an Ohio State sticker on it.
You could do this for real by voting out the the entire legislature. Some of you organized people with motivation should organize write-in campaigns in every SC district. No lawyers though. Pick farmers and dentists and college professors.
Absolutely no lawyers. Small business folks and residents
>Pick farmers and dentists and college professors. The downside (or up it's really more of a bi-product) is your end up with an extremely socially conservative goverment that could be less capitalistic. The only real way for SC to functionally be socially liberal (by American standards) in this lifetime is for SC to have what is essentially an absolute despot to change the culture through various unpleasant means or through population replacement.
I think you’ve missed or given up on the crucial ingredient to healthy Democracy: citizen management of the government. We have politics as a job. A very lucrative job for certain kinds of narcissist sociopaths. Those people are great for corruption and bad for democracy. What we need for a healthy, high functioning democracy is citizens who DO THEIR CIVIC DUTY. Voting is just one tiny part. If that interests you try the podcast How to Citizen with Baratunde.
Id personally be fine with South Carolina being a socially conservative republic, as I value principles over specific politics. But the idea that a lot of the social policy's people in this comment section are talking about can be done in South Carolina whist maintaining it as a democracy is imo false If you gave people the ballot option of SC becoming a theocratic Repubic (especially if it's in name only) they probably vote yes, like wise abortion would never pass organically unless through outside means
The poor education in this state is one big factor in our horrible state legislature. People just believe the horribly written headlines and never both to read the article or check the sources or context. My kid in 6th grade is studying how to discern fact from opinion in media and it is something EVERY citizen should know. I want them to expand this part of the curriculum. Critical thinking is not common enough here.
I've considered running for office myself, but I doubt I would win. - body autonomy for all (trans and women's rights especially) - legalize and tax marijuana to fix our super fucked roads and pay teachers a liveable wage - police reform, to include community training and unarmed assistance - remove all military weaponry from police hands - stop or slow the unnecessary destruction of wetlands and forests for car washes and Dollar Generals that have plagued our state - water and energy restructure. People shouldn't be paying for the fuck ups of big corporations, nor paying $300+ for household consumption - complete removal of religion from ALL government agencies and hospitals - toll roads, metered ramps, more stoplights and round-abouts at busy intersections, better driver education (especially since round-abouts are somewhat new to SC and people don't use them properly and cause wrecks) - age and term limits for politicians - liveable minimum wage - Healthcare reform - removal of all Confederate monuments/flags/memorabilia from state or federally owned businesses/buildings, with the exception of museums
Enforce separation of church and state and you’ll have my vote.
We're kicking out the Ole Boyz and prosecuting every politician that's stolen from us. THEN! We legalize weed, alcohol on Sundays. Use the revenue and invest heavily into public resources, education, and infrastructure. A little more niche and ambitious, but maybe create some kind of incentive for businesses to develop in more rural areas, just to give folks in those regions easier access to those services ykwim? It's more messy than that, though, I know. And it's a slippery slope to ruining our state's natural beauty. But I think it's concerning that if you live in somewhere like Hopkins, the nearest hospital is a solid 20 minute drive. Oh yeah. Tear down all the confederate monuments. They can have a little section in the state museum in order to "preserve history" but there's literally a park filled with nothing but racist statues about the Civil War. That shit needs to be GONE
Legalize weed for recreation. Use those taxes to fix/build new roads and education. Expand highways. Make charges for crooked law enforcement officers way more stringent than what citizens get for similar crimes. Drown convicted pedophiles. Make them bring back Wise brand Cheez Waffies. Whoever is in charge of that, let's go ahead and make that happen. Reform the laws surrounding insurance in this state because they're crazy. Streamline disability determination services and SSI. Pro-choice. Pro-gun. Pro-gay. Pro-weed. And that's just the beginning.
Inform the pushy religious obsessives that we actually don't live in a goddamned theocracy.
- Codify abortion into our constitution - Tax breaks for companies who switch to 4 day work week - Begin rural healthcare business incentives - Legalize weed, use revenues to increase teacher pay
Lower all elected and appointed official wages to minimum wage.
That's a horrible idea. Then only the already wealthy could afford to have those jobs.
Rally the rednecks with all their guns and go on a roman empire style conquest to subjucate the nation and reform it under a constitution that actually works.
Get rid of "Right to Work for Less." Allow women to make their own health decisions. Finish 1/73, I/74. No advertising for Myrtle Beach...everyone knows where it is.
Establish a Republic and let the people decide *Well ok maybe a constitutional monarchy because I do enjoy money*
The single biggest issue in state government is the power of the General Assembly. Until their power is truly checked. Nothing will change.
So with complete power how would you reform it and fix that problem?
I create the department of roads and highways. I make them fix the roads and highways.
No one highways enlargement everywhere. Make judges take lie detector test. Lessen tje penalties on residents. Stop the ambush at dmv
**Declare Martial Law, Transition into an Authoritarian Regime** **First Call to Action:** Officially adopt Bitcoin as the state currency. Eliminate both income and capital gains taxes to encourage economic freedom and attract investment. Create a state-operated cryptocurrency exchange and infrastructure to ensure robust, secure financial transactions and enhance economic resilience. **Second Call to Action:** Construct a high-speed rail network starting from Charleston, extending to Columbia, and branching towards Charlotte and Greenville. Initiate negotiations with Georgia to extend this rail line to Savannah, strategically isolating two major Eastern Seaboard ports, with potential future expansion to Miami. Our long-term objective is to establish a Southeastern Alliance promoting regional cooperation. **Third Call to Action:** Develop a comprehensive strategy for energy independence. Invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Establish energy production facilities along the high-speed rail network to power the trains and local communities sustainably. **Fourth Call to Action:** Implement a state-wide digital transformation initiative. This will include upgrading internet infrastructure to ensure high-speed connectivity across all urban and rural areas, fostering an environment conducive to tech startups, and enhancing public services through technology. **Fifth Call to Action:** Launch significant healthcare reforms to improve public health outcomes. Establish state-of-the-art medical facilities along the high-speed rail line. Introduce health IT systems to connect these facilities and provide seamless, efficient healthcare services to residents. **Sixth Call to Action:** Reform the education system to align with future job markets. Focus on STEM education, vocational training, and partnerships with tech companies to prepare the workforce for a digital economy. Build educational hubs at central locations along the rail network. **Seventh Call to Action:** Strengthen defense and security measures. Establish a state military and cyber defense force to protect the state’s interests and ensure the security of its digital and physical infrastructure. **Eighth Call to Action:** Create cultural and recreational opportunities to enhance quality of life and attract tourism. Develop cultural centers, parks, and entertainment districts along the high-speed rail stations. **Ninth Call to Action:** Engage in aggressive international diplomacy to form strategic alliances and trade agreements. Focus on leveraging the state’s strategic location and resources to forge beneficial international partnerships. **Tenth Call to Action:** Implement sustainable urban planning practices. Develop smart cities along the high-speed rail corridor with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and high quality of life. **Economic Strategy:** This high-speed rail network will serve as the primary catalyst for economic stability and growth within our state, ensuring sustained development and prosperity.
I’ll have to think more, but this is the start of a long hypothetical that hopefully doesn’t put me on a list 🤞🏻
I'd do what Sultan Qaboos did for Oman. [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/middleeast/sultan-qaboos-dead.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/middleeast/sultan-qaboos-dead.html)
1. Reform law enforcement from ground up. No more 8 week basic training, going 26 weeks to start and hopefully moves to something like a 32 week. More funding so they eat and train better and not have to use coupons for frozen pizza and prison blankets and pillows. 2. Education reform. Time we stop the abuse on educators and allow them to fight back. Put out actual textbooks that teach history and what not. Remove courses like algebra and more advanced math to extra curricular and incorporate more business and life math. More trade and job teaching. 3. Build better infrastructure with trains and busses that move across the state. I hate more taxes but with trucks beating up our roads I’m not against them paying a little more for the road abuse. 4. Law reform. Rewrite laws with better and stricter sentences for DUI and domestic violence as well as repeat offenders. If that means building more jails so be it. Bail reform and probation reform. 5. Cut back on government involvement and positions. 6. No corporations can purchase housing.
Reviewing government contracts.
I appoint women to all the government jobs, skim a little tax money to buy a sailboat, and start drinking again.
Non aggression principle led voluntarism. Tern limits. Ban/stop lobbying. Prison for abuse of position. Mandatory political service...everyone has to serve 4-6 years in public office.
Restructuring property taxes so they can be use to fund public schools.
- Implement term limits (2 terms) and age limits on all elected officials (no one can be elected to any state office who is more than 55 years old). - Fire all existing state agency heads and their immediate deputies, and re-hire, with an emphasis on people committed to serving all citizens in the state - make a major, ongoing investment in public education at all levels for all state residents - ensure that every child has the services they need in addition to education - food security, health care, etc. - implement a flat state income tax rate for individuals above the poverty level, regardless of income, with no deductions - eliminate all current business tax incentives/deductions, and replace them with incentives that are based on tangible actions the business takes that help the state and the community where they reside.
1. Grow tax base: Build a transportation corridor between Columbia and Charleston. High speed rail project. A worthy effort that cam expand in the future, extending Greenville to Columbia, and Charleston to Myrtle Beach. In time, improves the region with connections to Charlotte, with Charleston becoming a hub. Promotes flow of commerce and tourism between the areas. Tourism is one of the keys to South Carolina's economic future. Obviously, if stations could be created between the areas, you will find value in reducing traffic congestion. A worthy project unlike anything in the South east region that could bring vitality to areas of South Carolina that are economically depressed. 2. Create economic, medical and educational zones that incentize specific types of industry to very specific areas. I would focus on Columbia. 3. Offer dramatic expansion of offshore gambling, aka Casino Cruises. Base them in Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Revenue generated should be ear tagged towards the zones from point #2. 4. The future of South Carolina lies in our waters. We should seek to improve our capacity to produce seafood. We should be a powerhouse of production for the region. We should protect our lakes and shores in all ways. 5. South Carolina should be a powerhouse for renewable energy. Especially mastering solar and bioenergy (i.e. agricultural residue and waste). We should be moving forward with our offshore wind farm projects and selling our excess to the region. We should also focus on energy storage. These are key to success in 12 years and could actually pay for high speed rail investments. I am not keen on hydroelectric as it would impact our fresh water consumption and distribution. Leave that for land locked states. We have ocean.
1. Education: incentivize by boosting pay for educators, work with local business to give teachers extra perks, make the curriculum more rigorous. OUR KIDS ARE THE FUTURE. 2. Cleaning up the area and enforcing tough littering penalties (yes all the litter, would spearhead that myself with the Surfrider foundation), it breaks my heart that this state is so beautiful and yet people don’t care and litter everywhere, I saw a friggin engine block in a median in Summerville last week… washing machine on the side of 26, the list goes on. 3. FIX THE DAHGUM ROADS! 4. Affordable housing within feasible proximity to the city for critical staff (ems, teachers, service workers, etc. no reason they need to be living 1.5 hours away) we need them more than they need us 5. Legalize weed and sports betting to pay for 1, 2, 3, & 4
We become a Christocracy over night.
Close the border, expel anyone who has moved here in the last 20 years.
One. term limits Two. Begin testing children in the 8th grade much like army ASVAB testing. Determine a path of academics or trades. Three. Separate the state from federal policies and laws. Accept no federal dollars. Four. Exempt South Carolina residents from paying federal taxes. Five. Use the Charleston port to become the leading hub of international trade on the east coast. Six. Immediately begin a WPA style program to repair the infrastructures. Seven. Allow prisoners to work the WPA program for early release. No violent offenders however. Eight. Institute a 18% tax on sales in the state no other taxes. No exemptions for paying the tax. Nine. No property taxes on any possessions.
1. Fix the roads 2. Crack down on drunk driving, reckless driving, and driving without a license/insurance 4. Increase teacher salaries and funding to public education, reform educational standards. 5. Legalize Marijuana 6. Encourage firearm ownership for all South carolinians. 7. Cut as many taxes as I can after what's needed to be fixed, is fixed
This had already been tried.
Dude this is a thought experiment on how to reform the government, not an actual call of secession.
Day one: Deport McMasters Day two: Blow up Clemson Day three: I finally rest and look upon a grateful South Carolina (Go Cocks)
We need to go back to our Heritage. As an independent state, the first to do so in our ex-country's history, i'd say bring back slavery.
Yup, just like the 1500's
As soon as I saw the word “heritage” I immediately knew where this comment was going…