Center Attacking Harrell from the Left for House 114

Being removed from the Democratic Party ballot for S.C. House District 114 hasn't bothered Larry Carter Center much.

The only problem is making sure people realize he's still on the ballot.

"I've been fighting the South Carolina Supreme Court," Center said. "People still think I've been thrown off the ballot, but I'm still running."

Center was also nominated by the Charleston County Green Party to run for the seat, and remains on the ballot as a Green even after South Carolina Supreme Court decisions over the spring and summer knocked him off the Democratic Party's candidate list.

Center has a few things in common with the other challenger in the race, John Steinberger. Steinberger was also removed from a ballot by the Supreme Court's decisions, but it was as a Republican in the S.C. Senate District 41 race. Unlike Center though, Steinberger had to mount a petition campaign to get his name on the ballot.

Steinberger told Patch he decided to switch to the House 114 race because he didn't like that it appeared Harrell would face no opposition at all.

Both Steinberger and Center also call for tax reform in their campaigns, though they do it in vastly different ways. While Steinberger supports the Fair Tax proposal where everyone would pay the same tax rate regardless of income, Center favors a plan to eliminate all tax exemptions and lower the sales tax rate to 4 percent, from the current 6 percent level statewide.

"We believe we can get to a 4 percent sales tax by eliminating all exemptions," Center said. "Wealthy people and corporations should pay their fair share, poor people should be paying income tax, they can't afford it."

Center also wants to decouple school funding from local property taxes, because he said that formula puts children from low-income areas of the state at an educational disadvantage because their schools don't have the same level of tax revenues coming in.

"It costs money to educate our future workforce," he said.

Center charges that Harrell has set up a pay-to-play system for companies and lobbyists with interest in legislation in the State House.

"Harrell makes (Ken) Ard look like a bastion of ethics," Center said.

He said recent reports that is further evidence that he shouldn't get the opportunity to return to the General Assembly.

"It's ridiculous that he's refusing to show the receipts if the expenses are legitimate," Center charged. "That's why I am for term limits."

Center is staying focused on building his name recognition and is speaking to any group he can find. Last week he addressed a group of local students to talk about civics and politics. He's also busy putting up campaign signs around town and even spent about $500 for a robo-call to spread his campaign message.

Center's campaign is focused on addressing South Carolina's myriad problems for the good of future generations, he said.

"If elected, the first thing I'll try to do is get Gilda Cobb-Hunter elected Speaker," he said.

Another of his top priorities is to get a law passed establishing term limits for elected offices.

"If eight years is good enough for a governor, it's good enough for everyone else," Center said.

Center, a long-time union member also wants to work on repealing all of the anti-union laws in the state code. He said South Carolina residents suffer consequences because state workers are not permitted to organize, bargain collectively or establish and enforce worker safety guidelines.

"The GOP is proud of it and they should be ashamed," he said. "We need to raise the minimum wage and we need collective bargaining so that worker safety isn't negotiable."

Center is also concerned about environmental issues, especially the fact that much of the nuclear waste created in the United States ends up being shipped into South Carolina to the Savannah River Site. He is also a supporter of renewable energy projects and is staunchly opposed to opening South Carolina's coast line to oil and gas exploration.

Center and Steinberger will appear together next Monday for a Charleston League of Women Voters candidate forum at 7 p.m. at Old St. Andrews Episcopal Church at 2604 Ashley River Road. Charleston County Council District 6 candidates Vic Rawl (incumbent) and Carolyn Hughes (petition candidate) will face off for the first hour, followed by Center and Steinberger for S. C. House District 114. Harrell informed the LWV he would not be able to attend the forum when invitations were first sent out in August.