I am a working man. I have a family, one daughter still in college, bills to pay, and a mortgage, so I go to work just like most people in the First Congressional District, except for the 12.6% who aren’t as fortunate as I am to have a job.
I worry about the unemployed. I am sure that the total number of people out of work is higher than the 12.6% number reported. We have many folks in the district who are underemployed or have just given up trying to get work. This has been a tough two years for many of our friends and neighbors.
In order to learn what we can do to put people back to work, I have talked to many business leaders in all of the 1st Congressional District’s counties. The district is very diverse. What will put people back to work in Horry County is not what will work in Dorchester.
In my efforts to learn more about the problems facing us here in our district, I have attended many meetings and lectures. At one such lecture sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, a Coastal Carolina Economics Professor discussed the implications of the recession and that we may be starting to slowly recover from it.
He said that while it is all well and good that Charleston was able to entice Boeing to come to Charleston with hundreds of millions in incentives, we would be better served by our leaders if we instead worked with the industrial capacity we already have and find ways to keep them producing, employing and helping them to expand.
In that light, I think that the Port of Charleston is the engine, that when fully utilized, will get the good people of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester County back to work. I met with Whit Smith and John Cameron of the Charleston Harbor pilots to get briefed on their business needs and how I can help them bring the port back up to full capacity. They explained to me how I can help the port while serving in Washington, enabling us to keep our port the most productive in the region. If I get elected, I look forward to working with them, members of the business community, the International Longshoreman’s Association, and other labor groups to insure that our port is always competitive in the world market.
Moving north to Georgetown County, I intend to work with business and political leaders there to try and get the steel mill reopened. If we can offer Boeing millions to come to South Carolina, why can’t we sell industrial revenue bonds, partner with ArcelorMittal, and use the proceeds to make the plant the most efficient anywhere so that it will be the last mill to close whenever the need for steel takes a downturn? The direct employment of the two hundred and fifty plus workers will be multiplied by others being hired because of the money that will be pumped into the economy by the mill.
Moving further north, past the City of Georgetown and all the way to the North Carolina line, the economy becomes very dependent on tourism. While the numbers of tourists coming to Myrtle Beach has not declined precipitously, there is much discounting taking place to get them here, and once they come, they are inclined to go to the grocery store more often than eating out at local establishments.
I think the key to getting the folks of Horry County and the beach side communities back to work is to get more tourists to visit us here in the First Congressional District. More tourists would mean we would see direct employment increase in order to support the new visitors. Also, as more tourists would be here, they would effectively be competing for the available rooms, possibly cutting down on the need to discount.
As a commercial airline pilot flying for Delta, I know that key to the effort in attracting more tourist dollars to Horry County is the Myrtle Beach Airport. The most effective way to bring more tourists here is to work with the business community and the various air lines to increase the number of scheduled lights coming into MYR. To that effort, the airport is being expanded using stimulus funds.
A Congressman should use the power of the office to help his constituents. I will do that unashamedly. As a Congressman, I could open doors that have not been opened before for the people and businesses in the First Congressional District,
I will partner with the local Chamber of Commerce and go to the different airlines seeking new and expanded service. My dream someday would be to have Southwest Airlines having scheduled service into MYR and upon election, I’ll work very hard to make that a reality.
In summation, I know people are hurting and I want to help. The money a job provides is very important, but the dignity it provides someone is even more important. Unlike many of our statewide leaders, I know our people want to work. I will help them do that.
Very Respectfully,
Colonel Robert Burton, USAF, Retired
Robert Burton for Congress