State Senator Davis continues to tout Jasper Harbor at Beaufort County GOP rally
Above: SC Gov. Henry McMaster discusses a myriad of topics Friday when he stops to speak to Republicans in Sun City. Photos by Bob Sofaly.
By Mike McCombs
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster visited Beaufort County on Friday, September 24, addressing a crowded pavilion at a rally of Republicans in Sun City.
The event, which was not on McMaster’s official calendar, was essentially a campaign rally a year before the 2022 SC gubernatorial race.
McMaster attacked President Joe Biden’s leadership and touted the state’s success against COVID-19.
“Does anyone think that if Donald Trump was president we would see what we saw (in Afghanistan)? McMaster asked the crowd.
“He made some noise there (in Florida), so he’s alive. Maybe we’ll see him again, who knows, â€McMaster said of Trump, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The governor also attacked Biden’s vaccine mandate for big business.
“Just the president’s show saying we need to get vaccinated,†McMaster said. “It’s unconstitutional.”
McMaster touted South Carolina’s “different approach†to the COVID-19 pandemic as a success, asking without the Republican governors, “Where would we be now?
“We have more people working this year than last year and almost as many as the year before…†said McMaster.
“We’re never going to choose… to shut down someone’s business is like taking someone’s property away from them,” he added.
Governor touted the state’s passage of a “heartbeat bill,” limiting abortions, and assured supporters the state would never fund police or teach critical theory of the race.
SEN. DAVIS ALWAYS ON THE PORT OF JASPER
State Senator Tom Davis de Beaufort, who introduced McMaster, also criticized President Biden and the “radical” Democrats – “Our DNA as a country is under attack” – but a significant portion of his time in front of the microphone has was devoted to discussing progress on the proposed Jasper Harbor.
Davis called the Port of Jasper a success in the making and said the area will move from the “Corridor of Shame†to the “Corridor of Opportunityâ€.
“… Once you have a timeline set and the private sector knows it, you see investments coming in in anticipation of it,†Davis said. “We are in a completely different situation now than when the SC Ports Authority was our representative. I think Jasper County putting themselves in their shoes has made all the difference in the world.
Davis believes Jasper County will experience the same kind of prosperity that Berkeley and Dorchester counties, adjacent to Charleston County, have achieved.
“… Capital arriving. Well-paying jobs after that, and people coming to the area because of those high-paying jobs. The tax base is increasing. Schools are improving. You will see the health care system improve. This is going to be a drastic change, â€Davis said. “For so long, these areas were rural ponds, and no one paid attention. Now if you look at it you have access to an international airport, you have direct access to an international port, you are on a freeway, I-95, you are in a beautiful part of the world where people want to live and having the company headquarters, you are close to the rail – CSX and Norfolk Southern – you have everything you need in the world for an explosion of economic growth, and that’s what’s going to happen.
Davis said that while logistics infrastructure is still a concern, you are already starting to see development spilling over to the Jasper County side of the Savannah River to support existing operations in Savannah as they are already being built on the side of the Savannah. Georgia.
“Even before the Port of Jasper exists, you find that this whole area is part of Savannah’s economic sphere of influence,†Davis said. “This is what is happening now.”
Original economic studies conducted over 10 years ago in anticipation of the Port of Jasper need to be updated, Davis said. He said a lot has changed in 10 years and we need new projections using news calendars.
Davis said the only certainty with the development of the Port of Jasper is that there will be an explosion of growth in and around Jasper County. This explosion will not only create a lot of pressure and force changes on the region’s infrastructure, it will also put a lot of pressure on the environment in the region.
“When we plan for this growth, we have to take it into account. With buffer zones and areas that are not built and monitoring watersheds, â€Davis said. “That’s one of the things I think they didn’t do as well in Charleston. They just let the growth happen. We have a chance here to get it right. I’ve talked to Jasper County about it and he understands. With growth comes pressure on the road system, pressure on land uses, perhaps some pressure on the estuarine system. We have time to… I hope to avoid some of the things that happened in Charleston.
Electoral redistribution
Davis said the 2020 census results will likely have a significant impact on Beaufort County, when it comes to the redistribution.
“On the home side, we’ll likely have another seat in southern Beaufort County,†Davis said. “And southern Beaufort County is going to have enough people for its own Senate district. “
Davis said northern Beaufort County is not likely to be combined with any part of southern Beaufort County. Instead, northern Beaufort County will likely be folded into Margie Bright Matthew District (Colleton) or Chip Campsen District (below Charleston).
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at [email protected]