| Clyburn carves out a Capitol moment
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
By Roddie A. Burris - The State
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., gave his vision for the state’s future Tuesday in a rare appearance before a joint session of the General Assembly.
The House majority whip and 6th District representative urged leaders to avoid surrendering their common interests to partisan politics and instead to work to protect and improve public education for children.
Clyburn, an eight-term member of the House, also urged the state to blaze a new trail toward economic stability by becoming a national leader in developing an alternative source of fuel from its strong agricultural base.
On a momentous day at the state Capitol, Clyburn, the state’s only black federal elected official and the first to serve as a member of Congress since 1897, stood where few others of his race have, accepting an honor afforded him by a conservative, Republican-controlled Legislature.
“It’s historic, no doubt about that,” said Clyburn, who ran unsuccessfully for a House seat 37 years ago.
That journey detoured, Clyburn instead landed at the State Human Affairs Commission for nearly two decades before winning a seat in Congress in 1992.
Today, by what could seem an odd twist in political fortunes, Clyburn — one of only two Democrats in a delegation of what once was a solidly Democratic state — also is the third-highest-ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
During his speech and in rounds of interviews, Clyburn reminisced about past political luminaries he knew, such as the late 2nd District Rep. Floyd Spence of Lexington and the late Gov. Carroll Campbell. He was flanked by 1st District Rep. Henry Brown, a Republican from Hanahan, whom Clyburn described as a “homeboy.”
“It’s not just the speech here today, but the relationships I have with people here” that help build a better future for the state, Clyburn said.
He told the Legislature, which has been under heavy pressure to divert public money to support private-school interests, that “shortchanging public education is shortchanging the entire future of our state and nation.”
Clyburn — who represents probably the poorest areas of the state, along the rural I-95 corridor — told lawmakers they should leap on an opportunity to replace South Carolina’s once-thriving cotton and tobacco crops with a developing biofuel economy anchored in converting sugar cane into butanol, a non-gasoline-based combustible fuel.
Clyburn said a state that is so well recognized for its abundant natural beauty must do more to stamp out ravaging diseases like diabetes and prostate cancer, while assuring clean air and universal access to clean drinking water for all its residents.
Clyburn said the state’s persistently high unemployment rates and low per-capita income should be unacceptable.
Lawmakers seemed receptive to some of Clyburn’s ideas, offering applause during his speech and one standing ovation.
“Time will tell, but I was very pleased with what he said, and I thought it was well-received,” said Rep. Bill Clyburn, D-Aiken, a cousin of the congressman. The state representative, who actively pushes for greater rural development in the state, said Clyburn’s emphasis seemed indicative of a greater national message to the state to improve its leadership.
“Anytime Jim Clyburn speaks, it’s always growth that comes out of it,” said Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, who added he approved of Clyburn’s views on education.
House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, favored Clyburn’s comments about changing the state’s Electoral College to award electoral votes on the basis of the popular vote rather than a winner take all.
“We may have differing views on some political issues, but one thing is true: Jim Clyburn has our state’s interests at heart, and he’s a statesman,” Smith said.
Freshman Democrat Bakari Sellers of Denmark, who sponsored the House resolution to invite Clyburn to speak to the General Assembly, said the House majority whip reminded lawmakers they were elected to serve the public.
He said Clyburn’s visit also “reignited a spark” in Democrats.
“After that budget week, you can feel as if you want to die,” Sellers said.
WHAT HE SAID
Key points in U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s speech:
EDUCATION
The state should not adopt any policy that would undermine the strength and vibrancy of the public-school system.
ENERGY
South Carolina should become a leader in focusing its agriculture industry to produce renewable biofuels, such as butanol, made from sugar cane and other celluloid crops.
ENVIRONMENT
The state’s natural beauty and friendliness of its people must be matched by their good health, including clean water and air.
EARMARKS
So-called earmarks in federal legislation have gotten a bad rap as pork projects. They ensure the state gets a fair return on tax dollars, which can be used for priorities set by local communities rather than by out-of-state bureaucrats.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The state should consider awarding its eight electoral votes on a basis proportional to its popular vote, rather than on a winner-take-all basis.
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