We have all sung “America the Beautiful,” a patriotic anthem that celebrates the diverse landscapes from “sea to shining sea” in our great country. This beloved song underscores what we know to be true about the United States – the diversity of our people and places are what makes our nation strong.
Given that each American community is unique, it is logical that each community has its own challenges and needs. I represent the Sixth Congressional District of South Carolina made up of rural and urban communities spread over 16 counties. While they may have common concerns, their capacity and capability to address those concerns are also unique.
Many of us remember when the 45th president called Baltimore, Maryland a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” Yet, when the area’s Congressman, Kweisi Mfume, recently secured $3 million in community project funding for the “green” redevelopment of the most blighted area of the city, the Heritage Foundation called it a “rancid pork project” that would have no “chance of meaningfully helping the environment.”
These Washington insiders ought to travel the short distance to Baltimore to see the transformative nature of this project.
The Tivoly Triangle Eco-Village will revitalize an area of Baltimore by building innovative, affordable homes and commercial buildings that generate 100-percent of their power needs through renewable energy sources like solar.
In the past, I have earned the Porker of the Month award from Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a Washington organization whose stated mission is to eliminate waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in government. Criticism by groups like CAGW is often directed at community projects like the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency (LMRWA) located in the heart of my district along a stretch of Interstate-95 derisively referred to as “the corridor of shame.”
These groups maintain that state and local funds should pay for these type efforts. Maybe they should but they don’t. The counties impacted by the LMRWA have historically been neglected by the state and local governments. Many of them do not have a tax base sufficient to adequately support their schools and properly respond to the needs in their communities.
