So, as I reflect on the fact that, yesterday, I turned 73 years old a few thoughts come to mind, in no particular order:
I’m going to be $5,000 richer when MAGA retains control of the U.S. House and Senate in November. Despite the historic unpopularity of Chief MAGA, I think they will produce an 11th Hour Miracle that will maintain the five- oh, sorry, four-figure dividend for most of us voters - and non-voters alike.
I have two votes to cast in the US Senate and House races, and I am going to use them to vote for the losing candidates. However, I believe these two votes will be combined with enough votes to send MAGA a message. Already, the U.S. Senate seat held by Darline Graham is being moved from safe to “watch” because South Carolina does not like family-legacy politics. No Bush-legacy, or Kennedy-legacy for us -- Nancy Thurmond, well, OK, she was nice.
On the other hand, I have two state votes to cast, one for Governor and one for Attorney General; and I am voting for Alan Wilson for Governor and David Stumbo for AG (the election is Nov. 3).
Wilson was a toss-up for me for a while, because as Henry McMaster’s AG he never met a Biden lawsuit he didn’t like. Thousands of dollars (in staff work) was spent to join in on these litigations -- that’s tax money right out of our pockets.
But, overall, I think Alan Wilson will be a good two-term governor for South Carolina.
He is proposing an overhaul for the State Commerce Department that has less to do with Data-Centers-for-Everyone, and more to do with Scout Motors.
I’m voting for Stumbo because I’ve seen him in action. I sincerely hope he will not pursue Wilson’s approach to the next Democratic President of the United States, and will stay focused on Defeating Crime in South Carolina.
The rest of the races are kind of a toss-up for me, right now.
What else?
Oh, yes, I have a job. My company wants me to be 1 of 3 Regional Editors working under the supervision of 1 of 3 Regional Publishers, for this paper, the Press & Standard in Walterboro, and likely next month, The Manning Times. That involves writing, learning about new communities, doing the pagination -- something I had VERY LITTLE experience in just 2 years ago -- and deciding editorial policy and direction.
As far as Walterboro is concerned, for a community that didn’t want any Data Centers, looks like they could get 3.
In Manning, their county council approved a moratorium, then said it did not apply to the 1 Data Center already obligated to a Santee Cooper vacant, “spec” building.
Laurens County, I suspect, will get 1 Data Center. My “Spidey-sense” tells me 1 was proposed for what used to be Renfro, in Clinton, but they couldn’t make the electricity work.
It won’t be SO BAD as long as they build those little centers like in Loudon County, Virginia (south of the nation’s capital), as long as they don’t “over-do” (like they did there, those folks are experiencing home-lights blinking). It’s those Economy-of-Scale DCs like in the West and Texas that are the real nuisances. Besides, once they build the Largest Data Center in the World beside Mar-a-lago, we won’t need any more.
I’m less concerned about Data Centers than I am about WHAT data they’re storing in these centers. I suspect it has something to do with a World Bank.
And, they need Flock-style cameras to stop you and ask you “why are you traveling outside your bubble” - your answer has to be stored somewhere.
Doesn’t it?
Vic MacDonald, regional editor for Clinton, Walterboro and Manning, is a 50-year community journalism veteran in South Carolina, who lives in Laurens. Reach him at: 864-833-1900. His candidate endorsements are his, and his alone. If you want to submit a candidate endorsement for publication, remember the deadline is Noon, Oct. 19 (no political letters for The Chronicle after the Oct. 21 issue, the Oct. 28 issue will be an election Nov. 3 preview).
