For those who missed it the first time it was published:
Listening to The Paper Tongues song "Trinity" has given me inspiration to write about S.C. First Congressional District candidate Robert Burton, who is Democratic. He's giving people hope again this election cycle, considering we were so close with Linda Ketner.
Burton, a decorated veteran of the Air Force, would bring the same prestige and honor that Jim Webb brought when he won office. But it goes deeper than that.
In my other life, while not doing the nation’s work in the Air Force, I was and am a commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines. I now fly the B-777 on international routes, primarily from New York to Tokyo, Japan.
Nancy and I traveled the world while I was in the Air Force. That gave us the chance to observe how people all over the world dealt with the challenges they faced daily in their lives. It enabled me to go to school on the successes and failures of other communities throughout America and abroad. I have continued to observe and learn while flying everywhere with Delta.
I also have been fortunate enough to have had great mentors in my military career who have taught me to sometimes step back from the day to day challenges of life and contemplate the big picture in order to visualize a path to get to where you need to be twenty years from now.
I was appointed by Democratic and Republican Governors to serve on the South Carolina Housing Finance and Development Authority. While there I learned many lessons about development and job creation here in South Carolina.
Robert is down to earth. He understands the need for someone to get into office and actually do good for the state of South Carolina rather than rubber stamp the status quo.
He's got a great plan for the war in Afghanistan. He's got first-hand experience to be able to formulate such.
As a veteran of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, I, as well as my wife and children, have been living the issue of our military deployments over the last eight years and feel that I have firsthand knowledge.
I have over thirty-two years of service to my country in the United States Air Force and have only recently retired from the military with the rank of Colonel. My last job in the Air Force was at Tyndall AFB, Florida where I was the Director of Combat Operations for North America.
Through the hard work, determination, skill, and sacrifice of our military, the corner has been turned in Iraq. While the new democracy there will never look like our style of democracy, it is a start.
What many Americans don’t understand is that Afghanistan is a completely different war with a completely different set of difficulties than Iraq. They are not the same wars and our approach to each must be different.
Both of my primary opponents say we should just cut our losses in Afghanistan and pull out. This is criminally naive.
They don’t understand the region’s geography and the instability of the region. The viability of Pakistan as a democracy would be in doubt if we just pulled out. What makes this even more important is that Pakistan has developed nuclear weapons.
Leaving the region will just teach our enemies that nothing has changed since Lebanon and Somalia. We will have trained our enemies that once our noses are bloodied, we’ll just pack up and go home.
If we were to pull out of Pakistan it would be thrown into turmoil with the possibility that nuclear weapons might end up out of the central government’s control. That would be catastrophic and just cannot ever happen.
I believe the right thing to do in Afghanistan is to support the recent decisions of our President and Commander in Chief with respect to this region. His policy will provide us more time to stabilize the region with the assistance of our other partners and allies there.
Here at home, the state of South Carolina desperately needs jobs. Burton, to me, seems to be living for the people who need a comeback. Take a look.
The most important issue facing the people of South Carolina’s First Congressional District is the unemployment rate at 10% and the rising statewide unemployment rate of 12.1%, placing South Carolina third worst in the nation for unemployment.
I want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to get us back to work. I will find solutions for our District’s growing unemployment rate.
I have already reached out to business leaders in the district and have held discussions seeking their input and value their opinion. Through these discussions I have put together a plan with my main objectives:
* Tax Credits for hiring new employees
* Accelerated amortization on plant and equipment that promote the production of jobs
* Lowering the federal tax rate on small businesses to stimulate domestic investment and job growth
* Searching for and acquiring opportunities in Technology and Energy jobs.
I will pursue these initiatives and others that will get us working again as well as pushing the federal and state government on long term investment in our people through education. Better education means quality jobs for our residents and is most important for the future of our work force and for area growth through companies seeking to relocate. This is also vital to our district’s long term solution to being able to compete internationally.
I urge you to consider donating to Robert. Henry Brown is retiring and this seat was tested heavily in 2008. We made Brown sweat - literally - on election night.
He's going out to pasture. Let's replace him with a noble and dedicated man.
Col. Robert Burton.
(Let it be known that I am doing work for Robert Burton at this time, on a per-job basis.)