As we leave 2014 behind we have recently mailed out our annual update letter – please click here for a PDF version – full text version below.
As we have in the past, we will be emailing updates throughout the session and if you are not on our list and would like to receive, please subscribe on the right side of my website or use the contact form and we will happy to add you.
ANNUAL LETTER:
2014 certainly went by rapidly, and I hope your year was blessed like mine. I send you this brief note to let you know what I see on the horizon for 2015 as we enter another legislative session in Columbia and I continue to have the honor of serving you. We saw quite a bit of change in 2014 with newly elected state officials and the demise of the Speaker of the House. It’s hard to know exactly what those changes will mean, especially for the House of Representatives, but I plan to focus on just a couple of issues upon which I hope to make real progress.
As I see people at church, out to eat, the grocery store, the gas station, and in public and private conversations, our roads remain the biggest concern. Transportation infrastructure clearly will be a main topic of discussion. You are aware of the condition of our roads. They are in bad shape, and that is why I, along with some of my conservative colleagues, have introduced amendments over the past couple of years to put real money into our roads. However, our colleagues didn’t see that as a priority—at least not a priority that can be tackled without taxing you first. While campaigning, our governor promised to veto any increase in the gas tax, while also promising to unveil her comprehensive infrastructure plan in January. Hopefully we will hear from her this month and can start to tackle this major issue facing our state – without resorting to the same old “raise taxes first” mentality.
Some recent scandals by elected officials have renewed calls for ethics legislation. Several bills dealing with Ethics have been pre-filed. Often, legislators like to pass bills that “seem” to fix an issue so they can stand up and take credit when actually nothing has really changed. There will be a lot of debate but hopefully a bill passes which makes real changes and actually prevents this type of behavior from occurring.
Since day one, I have fought to prioritize the state budget and fund core services first. Recently you have seen me be very outspoken about lawmakers not following the laws that we pass. How can we have honest conversations about whether entities are properly funded or not if we don’t follow our funding laws to begin with? Our Local Government Fund, Education Finance Act, and our School Buses haven’t been funded per the statutes in many years. This is wrong! The laws need to be followed or they need to be changed. Pork projects don’t need to take priority!
I plan this coming year to keep my focus on things that I believe I can influence and that, for me, are of utmost importance. I am absolutely committed to working on a solution to our crumbling infrastructure, prioritizing our state budget, and working to restore confidence in our state government. I cannot be sure that I’ll win this year, but I can be sure that I, and you, will be heard. Please follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter and sign up for my bi-weekly update at www.SenatorMartin.com email Shane@SenatorMartin.com or on my mobile 864-804-8499.
Regards,
Shane
thank you for all the help I received during the remodel on my house dispute
[…] From his website: […]
Shane… transportation is a hot button but how transportation money is spent is more of an issue to me than how to raise more funds… our state can talk a lot about needing more money and gas taxes to improve roads, but where in the heck did hundreds of millions of dollars come from to build sound barriers for twenty miles on both sides of the I-20 interchange in Columbia… we seem to be able to find a billion to build a pretty bridge in Charleston or hundreds of millions to sound proof an interstate so somebody can sell nice homes with ease of access to the interstate, but we can’t allocate enough to fix a pothole in a county road… I think that our decisions on where monies will be spent simply overlook areas that are not of interest to either politicians in general or business development projects… we can find money to build infrastructure for business development but there is no priority on fixing and maintaining what we already have in place… there is no balance and ‘rural’ ends up getting overlooked or underfunded… and I am not trying to throw all politicians under a bus, but politicians are the ones who approve the departments, the leadership, and the funding
Hello Shane, thank you for the update. Re: the SCDOT, suppose it’s simplistic, but why doesn’t the DOT place a moretorium on some their more controversial, coastal counties, nice to have but, we can not afford, big ticket projects until they can catch up the more critical maintenance on infrastructure that is in dire need of attention. It’s an enigma to me how and why the coastal counties continue to receive a disproportionate share of the tax revenue. I understand the scope and
importance of development, but why does the DOT continue adding major projects in the lower part of the State when they can’t maintain what they have in the Upstate? All this is thinking / complaining out loud, no need to reply.
Anyway, thanks for all you do. We appreciate your hard work on our behalf. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with the polictal frustrations you have to deal with.
Paul
Thanks you for not wavering on needless tax increases. Trust me, this is one of the most important issues that face us today. WHY can’t we do what we are tasked to do with the tax money ALREADY being collected?? There is always the call for “well, we just have to have more money!” bull!! We just need the right people in charge of spending OUR money. I am sick to death of the spineless leaders both local and federal. There will be a revolution if this persists.
I second what Mr Peeler is stating. Government waste is something that continues to bother voters. They become disconnected as they feel the politicians will only handle the problem the same way as in the past. Get the waste first and use that money to repair the roads