House Representative Bakari Sellers

‘Lots of legislation in the works’

Quoting scripture, House of Representatives Bakari Sellers recognized the work that Office on Aging volunteers have done for Bamberg County, “For as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

He spoke of legislation that is “in the works” for Bamberg County, including regulation on payday lenders, a widening of Highway 78, and a renewed county- wide water and wastewater system “that includes each of the towns in the county.

“After thinking about it for a while,” he said, “I determined that there may be some people that have to have access to payday lending, so rather than shut the industry down completely, we’re working to regulate the industry.

I have certain things I believe in this county,” he said, “ – the quality of schools in the county, the quality of health care in the county, and employment opportunities in this county. South Carolina is the third highest unemployment rate in the country,” Sellers explained, and obese children and its associated diseases. “Did you know, He asked, “that these diseases cost each taxpayer $520 per year? We’re working to get the chips and fattening, sugary food items out of the vending machines and out of the cafeterias. I’ve been working with Hugh Weathers (Commissioner of Agriculture) so that local farmers can now put their fruits and vegetables on the plates of our school kids – an idea for rural development and create jobs in this area.

“We’re also putting together a package to deal with foreclosures. 60,000 South Carolinians have lost their homes this year because of bad contracts and bad mortgages… they put their life’s savings into a home only to lose it.

“Bamberg County,” he said, “has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates, not only in the state, but in the country. It’s not just little Black girls, getting pregnant; it’s everybody from 12 years old and older. We were able to get $600,000 for teen pregnancy programs like the one in Denmark. There are 33 of these throughout the state.

“The biggest project this county has ever seen is about to begin – actually two projects. One is the widening of Highway 78. We’ve actually begun the initial step in this by identifying about $2 million to begin to purchase right-of-ways along the highway.

“The next is to consolidate the water and wastewater systems throughout the county. There are places,” he said, “in this district where you can’t get potable water. With a new, consolidated, countywide system, a $35 million project, it’ll help to bring industry into the county, insurance rates will go down, and people can drink good, clean water.”

He explained the process to get a part of the stimulus package to South Carolina and some of the infrastructure plans in place to put the funds to work. “It’ll take,” he said, ‘about $85 million to get this county to where I want it to go.”