Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

McMaster sets sights on S.C. economic fix

Attorney General Henry McMaster says he wants to put South Carolina back on the path to prosperity.

"Our future is very bright if we use and build on the tools and assets we have," the gubernatorial candidate said in a phone interview on his way to the Grand Strand on Monday.

McMaster was scheduled to address the Horry County Republican Party's monthly meeting in Conway, where he said he planned to share thoughts on such topics as diversifying the state economy and tax reform.

McMaster is one of the leading fundraisers for next year's race to lead the state. He and fellow GOP candidate Rep. Gresham Barrett both have about $1 million in their war chests. One year from today, the state's voters will have a winnowed field of candidates to choose from, and McMaster was ready to make his case Monday as to why he should be the Grand Strand's choice.

"Boeing's decision to relocate here demonstrates that we have all the assets to draw that kind of industry here," he said, elaborating on the state's three research universities working on the cutting edge of such topics as nanotechnology and life sciences; the S.C. technical-college system available to train the people who would eventually be employed by the new industry here; and, he said, a beautiful state with a lot to offer.

"The Grand Strand is a perfect example of our natural heritage," he said. "We're living in the promised land. Sometimes we take it for granted, but we have everything here."

McMaster said ports such as those in Charleston and Georgetown, and the state's strong history of manufacturing, will also play vital roles in helping the state recover from the national recession.

He said if elected, he'd like to put together a "blue-ribbon panel of people who have no other stake than to give us the best possible advice" on how to make S.C. more competitive and successful.

One topic he'd like to explore, he said, is tax reform. He referred to the late President Reagan as someone who understood that if the tax burden on businesses is reduced, it sparks more jobs and growth and spreads the tax load over more people.

McMaster also said he'd likely talk about his idea to abolish parole in the state so criminals would serve 85 percent or more of their sentences and end the yearly cycle of victims' families having to go before the parole board to plead to keep the criminals locked up. He also wants to establish a "middle-court" system, an 18-month program of counseling, vocational training, rehabilitation and community service for some nonviolent offenders.

He said he had been building support in the legislature for the idea, but by the time the last session ended, "everything that remotely had anything to do with money was put on hold." He said he doubts the idea will come up again next session, because lawmakers will still be dealing with the recession and the consequences of it.

He said it's an idea he would put forth from the governor's desk, if he can.

McMaster has been attorney general since 2002 and in that time has targeted domestic violence, drug trafficking, Internet predators and dog fighting. He also recently argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in a water-rights case involving North Carolina, in which he and other attorneys are awaiting a decision.

His most recent success, though, was winning a $45 million judgment against pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly over the company's marketing of the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

The judgment is one of the state's largest, and the money goes back to the state. McMaster returned two campaign donations given to him by attorneys he worked with on the case after the drug-maker's attorneys questioned the contributions.

"The judge said there was nothing wrong, but you have to not only be right, you have to appear to be right," he said. "Public confidence and credibility is very important."