Local Elections and Voting update 1
Tomorrow is the last day of voting in the Republican and Democratic primaries in South Carolina. Candidates are running for the nominations of their parties for State House seats and County Council seats. The Charleston Beach Foundation sent out a questionnaire asking candidates if they supported action to:
1. Ensure that all residents of South Carolina, not just those who are residents of the island communities, have the same rights and privileges of parking along state-owned rights-of-way in all of our beach communities?
2. Promote and enhance access to our beaches and waterways and ensure that some parking on state roads, particularly in areas that do not allow access to bathrooms and showers, will remain free to the public?
3. Ensure that excessive fines are not levied for minor parking infractions on public roadways?
4. Remove illegal encroachments into the state roads and rights of way on our beach communities?
5. Limit the issuance of “golf cart parking only” spaces on our state road rights of way and ensure that, for any such parking authorized or allowed, nonresidents will receive reciprocal rights to parking for vehicles?
6. Ensure that safe bicycle lanes are established on our roadways that lead to the beaches, including the Isle of Palms Connector?
Of the 49 candidates who were sent the questionnaire, only 16 responded at all. All of them said they would support these goals with action. Notably, Joe Bustos, the House member who represents the Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island and much of Mount Pleasant – House District 112 – did not respond. Mr. Bustos has been an outspoken opponent of protecting public access to our beaches and a supporter of efforts by the beach islands to limit parking. No one who supports public access to the beaches should support Mr. Bustos, even if that means voting in the other party’s primary.
The candidates who did respond and showed their support for protecting beach access are:
House of Representatives:
Latrecia Pond (R) - District 15
Kathy Landing (R) - District 80
Chris Staubes (R) - District 80
Lee Hewitt (R)- District 108
*Rodney Travis (L) - District 109 (Does not support bike lanes)
Tom Hartnett (R) - District 110
Ellis Roberts (D) - District 110.
David Artushin (D) - District 112 Running to unseat Joe Bustos
Stephen Hilton (D) - District 112 Running to unseat Joe Bustos
Michelle Brandt (D) - District 114
Matt Leber (R) - District 116
Ken Fipps (R) - District 119
Charleston County Council:
*Herb Sass (R) - District 1 (Responded favorably to the other questions, but gave no response to question regarding excessive parking tickets)
Chris Gramiccioni (R) - District 2
Larry Kobrovsky (R) - District 2
Millicent Middleton (D) - District 9
YOUR VOTE MATTERS AND IS VITAL TO PROTECTING THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO ACCESS OUR BEACHES!
If you care about the public’s right to access our beaches AND state roads, it is important to vote for the people listed above who have gone on record supporting that right. Of course, party is important, but if no member of the party you normally support has gone on record supporting public access to beaches, think about voting in the party’s primary where there is a candidate who does!
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!