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Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer drew a comparison to “feeding stray animals” during a speech about people on government assistance, “babies having babies,” and parents whose children are on free and reduced-price lunch.
Bauer, who's running for the Republican nomination for governor, made his remarks during a town hall meeting in Fountain Inn that included state lawmakers and about 115 residents.
“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better,” Bauer said.
What was he thinking? I ate at a local restaurant tonight where 15% of my dinner bill is going to the American Red Cross. I'm proud of it too. Andre Bauer can shove it for all I care. If I want to give money to charity then I will and nobody can tell me otherwise. Maybe Andre Bauer should go read Mark Sanford's state of the state speech and how he talks about volunteering. We all need to help each other out in these economic times. Let's say a single parent has a masters degree but can't get a job due to the recession and has kids that have to go on free or reduced lunch due to this. What does Bauer say to that? Should we not help those people out either even though the parent went to college and got a masters degree?
Will we have anyone good enough for the job running?
Doesn't look like it sadly. Bauer wants to talk about wasting tax payer dollars on the poor, but not on himself. He's a politician so obviously he makes money at the expense of the taxpayers too. He hasn't done a darn thing for our state either. Where are the jobs he and his buddies keep promising?
You may as well not even bother to vote anymore now.
Since the Supreme court stated that any Corporation can freely buy any politican they want openly without the fear of being caught, your selection is already bought to become a nominee.
I'm not voting anymore. No sense in it.
The Supreme court states that a corporation is just like a person when it comes to freedom of speech.
But corporations don't vote. They can't.
But they can influence who runs, can't they?
Oh well, there goes the country.
I thought it was bad before, it's going to be really bad now.
Corporations only answer to stockholders, which are not always US citizens at all.
South Carolina politicans are embarassing. Outright racists and they don't care.
What goes around, comes around.
Be careful what you say.
Won't matter any more anyway. Corporations don't pay for big mouthed idiots to get elected.
Not voting is the absolute WORST thing we can do. The only way to stop the joke that most of our politicians have become is to vote for other people. That is our "voice" in the matter. Vote for a third party candidate, get involved at the grassroots level, and stop assuming that your voice doesn't matter. If enough people stand up and be heard, politicians will be forced to do better. The reason they have so much power, and are able to get away with what they are, is because we have allowed them to.
Voting is important, it gives you bitching rights. Son-in-law never votes and thinks he is the world renowned authority on politics. I always ask how he voted.
Andre wasn't exactly politically correct in his choice of metaphor, but South Carolina does need welfare reform. I don't think he was referring to donations made to charities just people that use and abuse the welfare system. That is happening right now.
Your example, gman, wasn't what Andre was referring to, he was talking about the ones on our welfare shall we call it retirement plan forever, they get on it and stay on it and teach their children how to play the system. I have seen this for a long time.
People receiving food stamps, say $500.00 and selling $200.00 worth of their stamps to someone for $100.00 cash and taking the cash and heading to the liquor store or their drug dealer. Yes this is happening with your tax dollars and my tax dollars. Our hard earned money is where the welfare money comes from, our taxes. Somebody has to pay and that is the taxpayers.
We had a local doctor recently brought up before a review board, writing prescriptions for an inmate in prison in Columbia. Giving the Rx to the prisoner's wife ... she is on the SC welfare rolls and Medicaid and her side business was selling the oxycodone. She had a good game going until the pharmacist notified the doc ... hey this guy is in prison and you are writing Rxs for him.
Our daughter is a single parent with one child, she has a degree and after 17 years on her job she was laid off. She is buying her own home, has a car, a little bit of savings left, drawing unemployment and diligently seeking work. She doesn't qualify for one single thing.
No kid should be hungry and parental involvement at the school is good for the child.
Andre realizes what he said wasn't politically correct, in the PC world we live in right now ... but he is right that we must break the cycle of generational handouts.
Andre's Blog (http://www.andrebauer.com/blog/ - broken link)
OK, here is the behind the scenes stuff as I hear it from folks in gov't......
Andre is a power hungry, unethical, self-absorbed politician who has none of our best interests at heart. Sanford would have resigned, and it would have been easier for him to do so, if Andre would not have taken the seat. I'm not defending Sanford...I think he had a mid-life crisis and melt-down of sorts. But I have met the man and I have spoken with him since the scandal broke and I believe he did the right thing by not relinquishing his seat to Andre. With Andre in the seat, we citizens of SC would really not have any other Republican options for the Govenor's seat because the party would support the incumbant - Bauer. Bauer orchestrated the outing of the Govenor for his own political purposes.... Again, I'm not saying that Gov Sanford didn't need to be outed, I'm just saying folks, let's open our eyes here and see Bauer is a greater threat to SC than SAnford ever was. I'm an independent, through and through. I've never voted party-specific and I'm ready to bring significant change to SC. WE MUST VOTE. I agree with the earlier poster who said NOT VOTING is the WORST option. In my mind, I'm looking for someone to run our state who has run a successful, large-scale business. To be frank, we have given rich, old, well-connected guys enough opportunity to run our state - except for Carroll Campbell....he did a great job. I'm a Christian but I think that we have let the uber-strict religious agenda overtake our common sense and deeply affect our ability to have progressive growth in this state. I hope that there will be an excellent, young-ish, business leader with a proven track record for success to emerge. I think a good grass-roots campaign could emerge to really shake up the way things are done in this state. The ideal candidate will have the following agenda:
1. Job creation and economic development plans to support higher wage opportunities for our working base
2. Protecting and devloping our natural resources responsibly - THE DNR can't even afford to run it's website and over 200 positions are going unfilled currently! Tourism is a major economic driver for our state and there is a woeful lack of optimization of our opportunities
3. Tax reform..... Property taxes should have been eliminated years ago. State income taxes too.
4. Education. Both NC and Georgia spend less money per student and achieve higher test results and better national ranking than SC. Stop throwing money at the problem and get a team to determine what the drivers are and how to fix the problem. Tackle it like a business objective and stop worrying about which voting block you are going to **** off and alienate.
If a politician can do just those 4 things, and balance our state budget, she or he will be successful in my eyes. All of the other considerations are secondary to these in my eyes.
Our daughter is a single parent... drawing unemployment and diligently seeking work. She doesn't qualify for one single thing.
She qualifies for unemployment benefits. (I also have relatives in the same situation) Unemployment is simply another benefit provided by the state from tax funds, specificially, business taxes. Be grateful she does not qualify for welfare. There are many, many on welfare who wish they were not.
Quote:
Andre realizes what he said wasn't politically correct...
Political correctness has absolutely nothing to do with it. What he said is despicable and is just one more example of a politician opening his mouth and revealing his lack of understanding or empathy for his constituents. In a more caring time and place, anyone making that statement would be ostracised. In SC today, it undoubtably won him more votes.
There are many, many on welfare who wish they were not.
But you would not BELIEVE the many more that flaunt the fact that the government is taking care of them, because it's owed to them.
Since when was it a BAD thing to go to parent-teacher conferences/PTA meetings? If someone isn't working, then I'm sure their calendar is pretty much clear.
Andre's statements were geared towards the generational welfare that has run rampant. Section 8/Food Stamps, and you can afford a Cadillac Escalade, HOW?
There is no shame for a hand up, just a hand out.
GMan you stated, "If I want to give money to charity then I will and nobody can tell me otherwise." Does it seem a little WRONG that taxes are being taken from your paycheck (WITHOUT your permission) in order to support a wasteful lifestyle?
If anyone can give me ONE good reason why hard-working South Carolinians should continue to perpetuate the welfare reliance cycle, I am all ears.
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He's a politician so obviously he makes money at the expense of the taxpayers too. He hasn't done a darn thing for our state either. Where are the jobs he and his buddies keep promising?
Son-in-law never votes and thinks he is the world renowned authority on politics. I always ask how he voted. 
