Elect John West to S.C. Senate

One of the most impressive candidates we've encountered for the state Legislature is on a special Berkeley County election ballot Tuesday to fill the Senate seat of the late Bill Mescher. Democratic nominee John S. West, a 50-year-old attorney and former mayor of Moncks Corner, would bring a sharp legal mind, a background of governmental experience and a much needed zest for reform to the upper chamber.

Mr. West tells us that his professional experience for the past 30 years has prepared him for a seat in the Senate, and indeed, he got an early start in state government. Just out of law school, he became director of research for the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and later staff counsel. Within a few years, he began private practice in his hometown of Moncks Corner where he became a municipal judge, city attorney, prosecutor and mayor. Former chief legal officer for the S.C. Public Service Authority, he served on the BEST Committee that dealt with the Charleston Naval Base closure, has been a member of the Charleston Southern University's Board of Visitors and the board of the Lowcountry Red Cross. He is on the board of Habitat for Humanity and served as a member of the state Election Commission. He is chairman of the Berkeley Foundation for Education and on the board of the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust.

Indeed, conservation is one of his prime causes. Watching the change in his home county has convinced him of the need for "smart regional planning" to deal with uncontrolled growth and for the Legislature to put more funds in the state Conservation Bank, which preserves habitat, as well as scenic and historic properties.

He describes himself as a fiscal conservative and agrees with the governor's concern about the growth of state spending. Fiscal policy, he notes, shouldn't be a partisan issue. Neither should government reform, and Mr. West not only supports allowing the voters to have their say on moving some of the constitutional officers to the governor's Cabinet, but has particularly strong feelings about the need to revamp the state's arcane Budget and Control Board, which is unique to South Carolina.

Rather than allowing a five-member board composed of executive and legislative officers to supervise the operation of state government, Mr. West agrees with the proposal to establish a department of administration under the governor. An observer of the system while he worked for the Senate banking committee, he said it is "such an inefficient and unaccountable process, someone is needed to channel these efforts in an accountable way. Someone needs to be in charge." Again, he stressed, this isn't a partisan issue.

Mr. West agrees that enforcement of immigration laws is an important issue and the state needs to step in where the federal government fails. Specifically, he said, if an employer willfully hires an illegal alien there should be a consequence. A strong advocate of public education choice, he opposes a voucher system, contending that public school choice should first be given a chance. He also is rightly concerned about the state's funding formula for public schools and has the will and ability to deal with that complex subject.

John West impresses with his thoughtful, reasoned approach to the problems of state government. Voters should turn out for this special election Tuesday and send him to Columbia.