Ryberg has served us well in Senate

Here's why I recently voted absentee for Greg Ryberg in the South Carolina Senate District 24 race: Sen. Ryberg has been a consistent taxpayer advocate and watchdog on our behalf.

My wife, Vicki, nominated Sen. Ryberg for the 2007 Friend of the Taxpayers Award for his work during the 2006 legislative session, including:

- leading efforts to reform the South Carolina Retirement System (S. 357);

- sponsoring a bill allowing the state Department of Transportation to use a money-saving design-build method in future projects (S. 1365);

- fighting for private property rights against eminent domain abuse following the Kelo case (S. 1030).

Sen. Ryberg fought against the ill-conceived Tax Increment Financing legislation that led up to the $36 million bond giveaway that Aiken County taxpayers rejected (S. 986). He has voted to uphold many of Gov. Mark Sanford's vetoes, a classic case being the veto against the appropriations bill that would have raised government spending by 13.5 percent.

This year, Sen. Ryberg was one of only two state senators who stood against a concurrent resolution on Real ID for the correct reason -- because he knew that requesting an extension on the deadline to comply was the first step toward full compliance, which was against state law. And although I am in favor of a cigarette tax increase as a means by which to discourage young people from beginning health-injuring behavior, I applaud Sen. Ryberg's vote against H. 3567 because it increases the overall tax burden on South Carolinians and perpetuates two other inherently unfair burdens on taxpayers.

After carefully evaluating Sen. Ryberg and his opponent, I concluded that change for the sake of change -- that is, "it's just time for someone new" -- is not a good enough reason to cast a vote. I am pleased to have voted for Greg Ryberg for Senate District 24, and urge others to do the same.

Michael E. Simons

New Ellenton, S.C.