GVW Election Results

These are the results of the GVW election by precinct. Only the question of incorporation is reported. In favor of means a yes vote for incorporation.

Precinct - 1 Gloverville 15

REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 125
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 72
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 57.60%

In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 5 6.94%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 67 93.06%

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Precinct 2 Graniteville 16
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 1025
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 436
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 42.54%

In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 230 53.86%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 197 46.14%

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Precinct 3 Vaucluse 38
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 121
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 62
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 51.24%
In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 11 18.33%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 49 81.67%

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Precinct 4 Warrenville 41
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 1154
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 538
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 46.62%

In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 101 19.24%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 424 80.76%

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Precinct 5 Breezy Hill 50
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 754
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 545
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 72.28%
In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 239 44.51%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 298 55.49%

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Precinct 6 Midland Valley 51
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 533
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 359
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . . 67.35%
In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 130 36.52%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 226 63.48%

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0750 Absentee Votes
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 114
In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 46 40.35%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 68 59.65%

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PRECINCT REPORT AIKEN COUNTY
0800 Failsafe - (Not really sure what this category means)

REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . . 0
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . 3
In Favor of the Question . . . . . . 1 33.33%
Opposed to the Question. . . . . . . 2 66.67%

Throughtout this campaign, the financial backers chose to remain silent, but promised to reveal their names after the election. Hopefully, they will fulfill that promise.

Americans Give More Than Others

It was a little galling to hear the Democrat's presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, tell Rick Warren that "America's greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me."No other country in the world gives as much as Americans give. On a per capita basis, Americans give 3.5 times as much to causes and charities as the French, seven times as much as the Germans, and 14 times as much as the Italians. Americans are 15 percent more likely to volunteer their time than the Dutch, 21 percent more likely than the Swiss and 32 percent more likely than the Germans.Not content to merely insult us periodically, the senator has sponsored legislation called the Global Poverty Act which would result in the imposition of a tax on Americans in order to reduce poverty in other countries by 50 percent by the year 2013. The bill ties levels of our foreign aid spending to the priorities of the United Nations. Jeffrey Sachs, who runs the U.N.'s Millennium Project, confirms this legislation is tied to a U.N. plan to force the U.S. to pay an additional $65 billion per year to what our taxes already send overseas. Does the senator really fail to understand that the funds for these programs all too frequently wind up in the hands of dictators and in the U.N. coffers? Maybe it is because of this kind of legislation that the Democrat-controlled Congress has historically low single-digit approval ratings. Before the senator presumes to lecture us, he should practice what he preaches. The Chicago Tribune reported that in 2002, the Obamas had an income of $259,394 which ranked them in the top 2 percent of U.S. households. That year the Obamas only donated $1,050 to charity, or 0.4 percent of their income. The average U.S. household in that year gave $1,872 in gifts to charity, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. The national average for charitable giving is 2.2 percent of household income. Obama's tax returns from 1997 until he arrived in Washington in 2005 fell well below that benchmark.It is not surprising that the senator reverts so easily to condemning Americans because he was surely influenced after spending nearly his entire adult life listening to the anti-American and racist rantings of his pastor, Rev. Wright. But for someone who is asking for our vote, it is unforgivable that he sneers at us while conveniently forgetting that Americans are the most charitably generous people in the world. Apparently the senator's theme: "Change we can believe in" is really "Believing we should give more change."Before the senator continues to further push his class warfare themes, he should remember the words of America's favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, who said this about class warfare: "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Mary Beth Seaha

Aiken County Republican Party Meeting

The Aiken County Republican Party will hold its
monthly meeting on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at
7:00 p.m. at its new meeting location:

Aiken County Historical Museum
433 Newberry Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801.

Hope to see you there!

August 11th City Council Meeting

AIKEN’S 175TH ANNIVERSARY - One of this year’s City Council’s goals is to start the planning for the city’s 175th anniversary which is in December, 2010. The celebration would start in the beginning of 2010 and during the first quarter we would concentrate on our history, horses, health, and high society. In the spring, our concentration would shift to the arts, education, and entertainment. During the summer our business technology and innovation would be highlighted and in the fall we would look at the city’s future as we move towards our 200th anniversary. Our grand finale would conclude on December 19, 2010, the 175th anniversary of Aiken.

RAISED MEDIAN AT WALGREENS – One of the primary reasons, I voted against the new Walgreens on Richland Avenue (which was approved by the Council) is my concern about traffic. At the time of the vote, Council was told that South Carolina Department of Transportation would not approve a raised median which meant that vehicles traveling east on Richland might try to turn left into Walgreens or might try to turn left onto Richland after leaving Walgreens. These kinds of turns would occur too close to the intersection of Richland Avenue and University Parkway. We are now told that SCDOT will permit a raised median which means that there will be a right-in, right-out entry and exit.

STATUS OF DOG PARK – Per the recommendation of City Council, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism staff has met several times with the SPCA President, Barbara Nelson, Recreation Committee Chairman Susan Haslup, and veterinarian Dr. Tray Wofford to discuss the future dog park. The SPCA has recently purchased ten acres of land which adjoins Willow Run Business Park and will build their new facility off of Willow Run Road. They intend to break ground in mid 2009 and have designed a dog park for this location. Based on the fact that the dog park can be started this fall, the committee feels this is the best location. The dog park is over two acres in size and divided for small and large dogs. The city will utilize the budgeted $32,000 for the construction of the dog park. The group has also reviewed rules and regulations from other cities and has determined what the policies will be. These will be posted on signs as you enter.

NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS – Many of you may be aware that the City has received a letter from the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division stating that we can conduct our election on September 9, 2008. This special referendum will be to determine whether the City of Aiken’s future elections will continue as partisan or become non-partisan.

AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS – The City of Aiken recently received a $178,053 grant from South Carolina Division of Aeronautics. This along with the $931,000 already received from the federal government will leave local funding at $178,053 to complete work on the Instrument Landing System (ILS). This is the last major improvement and follows past funding for the new terminal, runway expansion and overlay, new fencing, lighting, and drainage. Aiken Airport should help attract the kinds of businesses which will create jobs and further the development of the North side area of the City.

MUNICIPAL CUP PRESENTATION – At the Municipal Association of South Carolina Annual Conference held a few weeks ago in Charleston, the City of Aiken received the Municipal Cup Award for innovation in training our Public Safety Officers as First Responders allowing them to administer life saving care. At Monday’s Council Meeting, Mayor Fred Cavanaugh, who recently completed a year as the President of the Municipal Association, will present the Municipal Cup to our Director of Public Safety, Pete Frommer.

YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP – Also at Monday’s meeting, we will recognize the City of Aiken’s 12 & Under All-Star team which recently won the South Carolina State Championship. They now advance to the Cal Ripken Regional Championship in Mathews, NC.

DOWNTOWN PARKING REVISIONS – The Parking Committee is recommending two changes to the Downtown Parking rules. The first is to allow all-day parking in the median on Richland Avenue, between Laurens and Newberry. This should remove some of the parked cars from Newberry Street and open up additional spaces. The second suggestion is to consider requesting the highway department to allow angle parking in the eastbound direction of Park Avenue from Laurens to Chesterfield. This would require changing the road from two lanes to one lane with the angle parking being on the median side only. This would create approximately 20 additional spaces and allow city employees and others to use this area. If you have issues with the downtown parking rules, now is the time to let the Council know your views.

REPLACEMENT OF FOUNTAIN ON NEWBERRY STREET – We will also discuss replacement of the fountain on Newberry Street. Staff will present several options for consideration. If you have ideas, please let me know.

Posted by Dick Dewar

Senator George David Aiken

I am not from Vermont but I have long admired George David Aiken.The observation he made that appears on the right side of this page has stayed with me for many years.The following comes from a Vermont website.

"When George Aiken died in 1984, he was remembered as a man of integrity and simplicity whose voice of common sense was heard throughout the world. In the U.S. Senate, where he served for 34 years, he fought countless battles for rural America. He was the prime architect of the food stamp program; he was responsible for U.S. participation in the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway and he could take credit for much of the farm legislation on the books today, covering such areas as rural electrification, flood control and crop insurance.

By the time Aiken retired from the Senate in 1975 he had acquired the status of a Vermont institution. In his last re-election bid, in 1968, the Republican reported spending $17.09, mostly for postage to thank people for circulating his nominating petitions, "which I didn't ask them to do," he said.

He had come a long way in nearly half a century of public service. In the 1930s he was the radical outsider whom the chairman of the state Republican Party criticized as "that Communist." Countless battles pitted Aiken against the Republican establishment. Every step of the way, people recognized the battles for what they were: struggles for Vermont. Aiken was the champion of the common man. The old guard knew it and feared him; Vermonters knew it and loved him.

By fighting that fight and winning Aiken did more to shape Vermont in the 20th century than any other single person. Today's Vermont stands as a legacy to Aiken and the fights he fought.

The banks, the railroads, the marble companies and the granite companies lost their monopoly on Vermont government when Aiken became governor. The forgotten farmer, Vermont's silent and suffering majority, was dealt a new hand as Aiken gave rural residents the will and the way to survive. Farmers banded together to market their goods, and formed electric and insurance cooperatives, all of which gave them new clout and new hope. "On farm after farm, whether the owner had been ready to give up, he received renewed hope, faith and income, after he obtained electricity," Aiken recalled decades after the cooperatives he helped create brought power to the rural reaches of the state.

Aiken was so unassuming and so easy-going that it hard to imagine he accomplished all he did. His success stemmed in part from timing: Vermont's farmers were ready to rebel. However, the key to victory was Aiken: his style, his integrity, his cunning and his unwavering belief in the principle of fairness."

GVW Financial Supporters Remain Secret

As reported in the Aiken Standard today the Lower Savannah Council of Governments has refused to honor Senator Ryberg's freedom of information request for the names of the individuals who contributed to the GVW Incorporation campaign. This is unfortunate. When citizens are asked to vote on such an important issue they should have access to all the facts before they make a decision. Charles Hilton who is Chairman of the GVW incorporation committee expressed his frustration that Senator Ryberg who is "from another area" is criticizing people for having a choice. It should be noted that Mr. Hilton actually lives in another area that will not be incorporated as do three other members of the six person committee. There are many rumors going around concerning the Incorporation issue and a little bit of sunshine would certainly help.

Non-Partisan Elections for Aiken

CITY OF AIKEN REFERENDUM-The City of Aiken referendum to determine whether Aiken’s citizens want to switch to non-partisan elections for City Council members will be held on September 9, 2008. All regular polling places will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. I am opposed to the change but voted for the referendum in order to give citizens the option. Please go to the polls and make your wishes known.

The proponent’s arguments for change are:

1. Aiken is one of the few municipalities in South Carolina that still holds partisan elections for city elections.

2. More qualified candidates will run if they do not have to affiliate with a political primary.

3. Party primary filing fees are too high.

4. City business is by its very nature non-partisan.


The opponents’ arguments against change are:

1. The current system works well especially in recent years when more candidates are entering the primaries.

2. Registered citizens of either party can and do vote in primaries.

3. If candidates have not declared their affiliation voters will not know their leanings on important issues affecting all governmental bodies.