South Carolina has been terribly maligned recently due to the seemingly endless barrage of embarrassing and unfortunate actions of a handful of high profile officials. We have been portrayed unfairly in the national press; we have been mocked nightly during the monologues on the national talk shows; and our people have been inaccurately characterized and stigmatized.
Whether it’s Governor Mark Sanford extending the Appalachian Trail all the way to Argentina, former State Election Commission chairman Rusty DePass disparaging First Lady Michelle Obama, or Congressman Joe Wilson calling our President a liar, it almost seems as if there is some sort of orchestrated attempt to make us look bad. This must end.
Lots of people keep talking about this issue. The question is, what are we collectively going to do about it? The time for criticism is over. The time for action is here. It’s time to turn South Carolina’s image around.
This need is about more than just making ourselves feel better and look better in the eyes of the rest of the nation. This is about whether or not South Carolina is going to create the kind of climate needed to attract business, create jobs, and grow our economy. It’s about whether or not we will become a state where others want to locate their companies, bring their families, and raise their children. And it’s about whether or not we will be able to sustain our long held and valuable industry of tourism and ensure that South Carolina remains a premier vacation destination for people from all over the world.
We can do better, and when I’m elected Governor next year, we will.
This week, I am embarking on the first leg of my Turnaround Tour. This first week will be about how we can work together to change our image, both internally and externally. I will be moving around the state, listening to the people of South Carolina, and working alongside them to build a plan of action that I will take to the Governor’s office.
We know that we must make substantive changes. We must get South Carolina back on track by building on our successes and working to create and preserve jobs, get our economy moving again, improve our quality of life, and continue the momentum we now have in reforming and improving our schools.
While there is much to be done, we also must address the image problem we have as a state.
We need a professional, well-executed, and persistent public relations campaign that will tell the real story of who we are as a people. It should showcase our amazing natural resources, the incredible work ethic of our people, and an education system that is on the move. It should send a strong message to the rest of the nation that South Carolina is at the front of the line on creating green jobs, educating and re-educating its workforce, and providing a quality of life that is second to none. And it should once and for all dispel the myth that South Carolina does not welcome and value everyone, because we know that a state only thrives when it truly embraces diversity.
As just happened with the Boeing agreement, we must insist that our Legislature and other state leaders consistently be about the business of projecting an image for our state that’s not mired in controversy, but instead, marked by cooperation and camaraderie. It’s time to have a Governor who will work openly with the Legislature – Republican and Democrat alike – to bring about the changes we so desperately need to move this state forward. As State Superintendent of Education, I have worked effectively across party lines to help improve our schools, and that’s exactly what I will continue to do as Governor.
But most of all, we need a Governor who can be an effective ambassador for our state. Our people are second to none. We are a diverse state filled with an abundance of ideas and initiative. Our true story deserves to be told. And this starts with electing a Governor who can accurately project the strong values and qualities of our people and build a positive case for South Carolina at home, across America, and around the world.
By: Jim Rex
State Superintendent of Education
and candidate for Governor of South Carolina