Swatzel's challenge to Vida Miller supporters
Published in the October 13, 2010 edition of the Georgetown Times
Supporters of liberal Democrat Rep. Vida Miller have characterized recent mailers by the Georgetown County Republican Party as “untrue” and containing “innuendo.”
We meticulously researched Rep. Miller’s record on various public policy issues and believe voters are entitled to know the truth about her actual voting record in Columbia.
Our postcards simply factually recite Rep. Miller’s documented record.
Here’s a synopsis of the issues raised in our postcards:
• Rep. Miller in 2005 refused to vote in favor of putting the S.C. Marriage Protection Amendment on the ballot, and in 2007 refused to vote to ratify the amendment even after 77 percent of her constituents voted in favor of it. The official House Journal recorded Miller as “present” but not voting in each case.
• Rep. Miller accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from big-name liberals John Edwards, Joe Biden, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Jim Clyburn, and Dick Gephardt, as documented by official campaign finance reports.
• Rep. Miller from 2004 to 2008 voted to sustain the governor’s vetoes of excess government spending only 17 out of 473 times, consistently earning an "F" on the S.C. Club for Growth's yearly report cards for failing to stand up for taxpayers. She also voted for earmarks such as $10 million for a golf tournament in Hilton Head, $1.25 million for a center to try and teach politicians how to be ethical, and $1 million for a green bean museum. Documented by official House Journals and the Club for Growth.
• The Sun News reported that Rep. Miller “supports a gas tax increase, even though many people cringe at the thought.” The Georgetown Times reported that Rep. Miller said "the gasoline tax hasn't been raised in 20 years" and "it is critical” that the tax be raised.
• Last year Rep. Miller sponsored House Bill 3520, which would give political candidates a state-issued, taxpayer-funded debit card to pay for all of their campaign costs and expenses. Documented by official House Journals. Rep. Miller’s bill would allow even multimillionaires such as openly lesbian activist Linda Ketner, who bankrolled the campaign against S.C.’s Marriage Protection Amendment, to use our tax dollars for her future political campaigns.
Rep. Miller and her supporters are understandably upset by our exposing her extremely liberal record, one out of touch with the values of most county citizens.
So we issue this challenge to Rep. Miller and her supporters: if they can provide documented evidence that anything in our postcards is untrue, we'll immediately and publicly acknowledge any error.
Tom Swatzel- Chairman
Georgetown County Republican Party
http://www.gtowntimes.com/letters/Letters--October-13--2010
