U.S. Congress | S.C. District 1 candidate information
Keith Blandford
Party | Libertarian
Age | 38
Address | 480 E. Bay St., Suite E, Charleston, SC 29403
Occupation | Co-owner, vice president and lead environmental scientist of the Warrick Group, LLC
Education | Bachelor's degree in environmental science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Political experience | None
Civic involvement | None
Military | U.S. Navy information technician 2nd class from 2001 to 2006
E-mail/website | www.blandfordforcongress.com, bsolari@blandfordforcongress.com
Robert Dobbs
Party | Green Party
Age | 42
Address | Little River
Occupation | Self-employed general manager of a family-owned management company
Education | Bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, working on a master's degree in business administration from Walden University
Political experience | County supervisor in Manitowoc County, Wisc. (2000-2008) and member of Two Rivers city council (1999-2001)
Civic involvement | Mason, Autism Society
Military | U.S. Army Airborne sergeant (1986-1989) active duty
E-mail/website | info@electdobbs.com; electdobbs.com
Ben Frasier
Party | Democratic
Age | 68
Address | 6445 Arman Road, Wadmalaw Island 29487
Occupation | owns Frasier Corp., a small safety education and transportation business
Education | Graduated from Haut Gap High School in Johns Island. He attended Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C. and Howard University in Washington D.C.
He has a degree in investigation from the Eastern Detective Academy in Washington, D.C.
Political experience | None, but has run for office several times over the past 36 years
Civic involvement | Lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, member of Guns of America, the NAACP
Military | No
E-mail/website | None
Rob Groce
Party | Working Families
Age | 42
Address | Summerville
Occupation | Marketing research and consultation
Education | Bachelor's degree in marketing, advertising and public relations from the University of New Orleans
Political experience | National delegate (2008) for John Edwards
Civic involvement | Chairman, One Corps - Dorchester County (2007-2009); advisory board Mbmber, Traumatic Head & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund (2003-2005); state representative, President's Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities (1998)
Military | None
E-mail/website | rob@groceforcongress.com; www.groceforcongress.com
Mac McCullough
Party | United Citizens Party
Age | 69
Address | Summerville
Occupation | Retired, U.S. Air Force
Education | Palmer College of Charleston, ABA business administration, accounting major; graduate U.S. Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
Political experience | S.C. delegate to the 2004 Independent Convention, never held elected office
Civic involvement | Volunteer and sexton at Unity Church of Charleston, Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, active in his homeowner's association
Military | Enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17, later re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force; active duty, reserve duty, and active reserve duty. Retired as a chief master sergeant
E-mail/website | www.Mac-4U.com
Tim Scott
Party | Republican
Age | 45
Address | 1405 Ashley River Road Charleston 29407
Occupation | owner of an insurance agency
Education | Charleston Southern University, bachelor's degree in political science
Political experience | 13 years on Charleston County Council, four-time chairman; two years S.C. House of Representatives, freshman caucus chairman
Civic involvement | Seacoast Church, board of trustees; Roper/St. Francis Foundation, board of directors, treasurer; College of Charleston Business School, board of governors; Fortune 100 Company, national advisory board, former member
Military | None
E-mail/website | Tim@votetimscott.com, www.votetimscott.com
Jimmy Wood
Party | Independence Party
Wood did not respond.
The candidates answer our questions
Q. | If you would create or sponsor a jobs bill, how would it create jobs? How would it directly benefit the Grand Strand?
Blandford | The idea that the federal government has the ability to create jobs is disingenuous. Private business owners create jobs, the federal government through taxation and regulation steals money from businesses who would inevitably create jobs and create products that the public demands. After destroying the natural business cycle with taxes and regulation, the government then writes a bill and tells us how magnanimous they are to be doing something so wonderful for us because we are unable to take care of ourselves and our communities.... Any bill that eliminates the federal regulations and taxes on private business, I will endorse.
Dobbs | Any bill that I would create or sponsor would have to have provisions for direct funding of projects in the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina. [I] support increasing funding of local infrastructure projects, creating "green energy" jobs and helping small businesses access the federal contracting system. Small business owners need greater access to capital to expand or pursue business ventures. Banks have not done what the creators of TARP wanted and have squandered the resources provided to them by purchasing others banks and raising rates on their customers.
Frasier | I will try to help small business people gain more confidence so they will be able to invest and reduce rules and regulations for them. Would support tax credits for businesses.
Groce | We currently have the highest rate of unemployment, and for the longest stretch of time, since the Great Depression. One method the federal government used to address the Great Depression was creation of jobs in programs that also addressed immediate needs. .... ...Being in similar economic circumstances today and with the same needs for energy and improvements thereof, the government can produce the same positive results through the same avenue: creating new employment by addressing immediate energy needs. ......We can address unemployment and energy at the same time, and right here in this ideal Grand Strand location.
McCullough | It is my position that while we do have a very serious problem of high unemployment, it is not because we, the politicians, have not created jobs. We are in the Great Recession because of unbridled greed and corruption at the highest levels of business, finance, banking, and yes, even government. As a result the citizens ... have lost trust in our most important institutions, and we don't see a stable, strong response. The fix to jobs and unemployment is first and foremost, we must restore that trust. When consumers and business leaders see that we as a nation are actually strong and safe, then ordinary people who still have jobs will start spending again, and businesses will start hiring again, and we will rise up out of the Great Recession - all without political demagoguery and posturing.
Scott | The fastest way to create jobs is to get the government out of the way of small business. We can accomplish this by reducing taxes and stopping the federal government from starting new programs that increase taxes. Additionally, the regulatory environment does not lend itself to job creation. We need to reduce red tape and the bureaucracy and develop a strategic plan focused on economic synergy. We must take our business assets and natural beauty to form the foundation of our 1st district recovery plan.
Q. | What specific actions will you take to ensure that Interstate 73 is built?
Blandford | I would demand that the federal government take drastic austerity measures by eliminating our $14 trillion dollar debt and eliminating budget deficits. Only with a budget surplus, zero debt, and sound money could I then responsibly ask for an earmark that would allocate funding for anything concerning our state. As this demand is not likely to happen in the near future, I would be willing to work with private firms who would responsible for building and maintaining the road themselves, so that the burden of increased taxes doesn't fall upon our community or our fellow citizens in other states.
Dobbs | It is the role as the 1st District's member of Congress to use whatever means necessary to have the appropriate funding attach directly as a bill or as an add-on to any future funding proposals. I will fight day and night to ensure S.C. gets the funding for I-73, something that has not occurred under Republican representation.
Frasier | I would try to work with people in the community to support I-73. He said he wants to make sure the concerns of small businesses which may be bypassed when I-73 is built are addressed. He said he would support the highway bill to fund I-73.
Groce | I'll ensure the direct, specific inclusion of I-73 in the upcoming transportation funding bill scheduled for review next year. It could provide up to $500 billion over the next six years in a program that can create 38,000 jobs. I'll also make sure that I-73 holds highest priority of projects included in that bill, too, and because of its long-overdue status. I-73 would improve tourist status of the region, improve accessibility to healthcare and emergency services through the rural areas, create new business opportunities across its stretch and even improve the viability of the port and airport in Myrtle Beach.
McCullough | The first iron beam of my platform is "True Fiscal Responsibility." That means knowing where the money is coming from before we spend it, and establishing good hard priorities. The USA really
doesn't have any money. Due to the failure of many businesses, banks, and the unemployed, our state and national coffers are nearly empty as our nations income has been greatly reduced.
So, where's the money coming from for I-73? It's not, and we need to admit that.
We should not and must not build I-73, and we've already wasted way too much money on the political feels-good, sounds-good fairy tale project.
Scott | I-73 must be a part of the bill writing process. From a competitive perspective, it has done very well. We need to use all of our local, state, and federal delegations to form a cohesive team to fund I-73.
This story was originally published October 31, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "U.S. Congress | S.C. District 1 candidate information."