Candidate Access 2006 offered each candidate up to five minutes to make a special appeal to voters. Views and comments expressed by the candidates are their own and should not be considered an endorsement by the television stations.

I’d like to thank WSOC for giving me this opportunity to talk to you today. My name is Tommy Moore, and I want to be your governor.

First let me say that I love South Carolina.

I was born and raised here, and everything that means anything to me is here: Dale, my wife of 35 years; my two sons, Baylen and Brent; and my two grandsons, Luke and Rhett.

My friends, my colleagues, my neighbors and constituents … they’re all here.

I own and operate my own small business installing and repairing industrial boilers in Clearwater, Aiken County.

I and every member of my family have attended South Carolina public schools.

Like you, I want the best for my family and, what’s more, I want the best for your families.

Unfortunately, the “best” simply isn’t available to many in our state; it’s not even available to most.

That’s why I decided to run for governor; because I believe South Carolina families deserve better.

Four years ago the voters of South Carolina elected Mark Sanford because he promised to bring positive change and real prosperity to our state.

Four years ago, we had critical issues to address; issues like improving our public schools, providing affordable health care to our working families and bringing good jobs to our state.

Today those very same issues are still holding us back.

By nearly every measure South Carolina’s hard-working families are worse off today than they were four years ago: Our economy is in transition and in trouble In manufacturing alone, 76,000 South Carolinians have lost their jobs since 2000 Our unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the nation, while states all around us have seen dramatic improvements Per capita income has fallen here, while it has risen in the rest of the country Too many of our children are still not getting the education they need to succeed; And every day more of our families face sickness without insurance; and without access to quality and affordable health care

Effective governors have something in common, and it’s not their political party.

Effective governors—effective leaders— like Carroll Campbell and Dick Riley—seek out innovative, action-oriented solutions to problems.

Today, South Carolina lacks effective leadership, and it is costing us dearly.

Nowhere is this more true than in public education.

In four years, our current governor has offered only one education plan, which, according to his own chief economist, would take 500 million taxpayer dollars out of our public schools and give it to the wealthiest families to pay for their children’s private schools.

The kicker is that eighty-seven percent of the children whose families would get the money are already being home schooled or attending private school—without you having to foot the bill.

This plan was NOT intended to help the children who need it most.

As governor my goal will be to make every public school a good choice. I will work to provide choice to families—within the public school system I will establish a statewide quality preschool program so every child has the best start I will address inequities in public school funding And I will adamantly oppose any attempt to take money out of public schools and give it to our wealthiest families to help them pay for private schools

Our current governor opposed providing more working families and children with health insurance.

As governor, I will: Build a coalition to pass a cigarette tax increase, and dedicate the proceeds to critical health care programs that will Help small businesses afford health insurance for their employees, and Provide 65,000 additional children with health care Our current governor denies that our unemployment problem is real – he says the numbers must be wrong – and he has taken a hands-off approach to recruiting businesses.

As governor, I will: Serve as South Carolina's number one job recruiter, as Gov. Carroll Campbell and Gov. Dick Riley did with great success I will re-establish our Commerce Department as a formidable economic development tool And I will aggressively pursue rural economic development

I invite all of you who are frustrated with our lack of progress on critical issues to join with me to create a future that

Puts people over policy Public education over special interests Consensus-building over conflict And real progress over political gimmicks

Together we can and we will create a new and prosperous future for all South Carolina families.

Thank you.