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Reforms - About
SC New Democrats believe that to win elections we need innovative and bold ideas that convey our vision for a better South Carolina to the voters. More of the same and politics as usual won’t win elections and won’t help make our state successful in the 21st century. We need new ideas — here are ours.
Our goals are bold but attainable and realistic. All of these ideas have been tried, tested and proven effective in other states. They have done it. We can do it. These goals cannot be reached immediately, but we believe they are attainable within two to four years if we begin now.
We believe that education is the key to our long-term success. If we don’t fix our education system nothing else matters.
Our long-term goals are:
- Commitment to World Class Learning — pass a Constitutional Amendment to establish a 'top quality, world class' education system instead of a 'minimally adequate' system as the state’s standard for public education.
- Ready to Learn — universal statewide 4 year old kindergarten with adequate support services in health and nutrition to ensure that all children are ready to learn.
- Tools to Learn - a laptop computer for every student and wireless broadband for every family. In the 21st century, computer literacy is as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic. The global $100 laptop initiative, One Laptop Per Child, shows what is possible. In the wired global economy of the 21st Century, universal access to wireless broadband is vital to success.
- Unlimited Learning — universal access to unlimited learning and job skills training for colleges, graduate schools or tech schools – regardless of an individual’s wealth. With a combination of financial aid, tax credits, loans and community service, everyone should be able to get all the education and job skills required to help them develop to their full potential.
- Universal Minimum Health Care - a basic level of health care for everyone. There is no single best way to achieve this goal. Many states are experimenting with different methods. Two of the most promising are the universal minimum health insurance plans enacted by Republican governors in Massachusetts and California. Regardless of the specific policy formula chosen, the goal should be the same – a minimum level of health care for all.
