Why Senator Rice Should Oppose "The 7th Seat" For 7 Simple Reasons

3+2+1+0=7

this is the math

that Collins wants

you to like.

1) House Bill 3346 (adding a 7th board of trustees seat to Pickens County) isn't even supported by its author, Representative Davy Hiott. Upon voting to pass this local legislation, not even a majority of the Pickens County House Delegation supports it. Rep. Joshua Putnam also voted against it.

2) Is it not the irony of ironies that the very legislation Rep. Collins and Rep. Clary are trying to pass ("to get an odd number of votes on the school board") is the very dysfunction they cant solve themselves? 2 for 2 against. If passed, they are saying we also need 5 representatives from Pickens County. Maybe that 5th one can actually be an oath fulfilling Republican?

3) The basic civics lesson here is that a tie vote IS A VOTE. It means you couldn't get a majority and the measure fails.

4) Support for the 7th school board trustee has not been proven. Support for opposing this bill has been proven, not once, not twice, but three times. In 2013, with 100+ in attendance the opposition to this measure was 18-4. The 18 were uncoordinated individuals from across the county. The 4 were 2 and 2 from coordinated special interest groups ~ specifically The League Of Women Voters out of Clemson & Concerned Citizens Of Pickens County out of Easley. The second time the bill was introduced, it sat in committee because the committee determined it was against the Federal Voter Rights Act; as minorities would be disenfranchised.

5) The math doesnt add up. As the board stands now, the math by population is ...

- Easley carries 1.74 board seats

- Daniel carries 1.82 board seats

- Pickens carries 1.55 seats

- Liberty carries 0.9 seats 

Here is the most likely attendance area breakdown for the most likely 7 seat board district arrangement:

- Easley carries 2.8 seats

- Daniel carries 1.85 seats

- Pickens carries 1.45 seats

- Liberty carries 0.9 seats

Liberty is disenfranchised yet again. "Yet again" is used because several key spending votes, votes that led to severe budget deficits, were made when Liberty had no representation on the school board due to trustee Ben Trotter's resignation.

6) The county elected Senator Rice.  The special interest group that wants the 7th school board member, soas to spend more in Easley, will leave the rest of the county out in the cold. How do we know this is true? "The Easley crowd" voted to close the two rural schools "due to savings" yet they want to build new admin facilities and a new middle school - both in Easley.

7) If the 6 member format works well on Pickens County Council, and those 6 have actually achieved tax reductions due to growth of the tax base, weathering a recession wisely, AND/OR not raising taxes - what does this say about a 7th school board member other than, if its dysfuntional by an even number, it'll be twice as dysfunctional with an odd number?