Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, yesterday we witnessed an achievement of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power and welcoming our new President, Barack Obama. I want to congratulate President Obama and wish him well.

I wish to thank President George W. Bush for his service to this Nation and, most importantly, his support of our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, along with their intelligence services and first responders. As a veteran and father of four military sons, I believe President Bush should always be appreciated for defeating terrorism overseas to protect American families at home. The Bush success is clear today. We have not been attacked in the last 7 years.

Today I look forward to working with President Obama as we have a respectful debate on the future of our Nation. We must work together for prosperity and security for all Americans.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th. My deepest sympathy to the family of the late Camilla Knotts Williams, 100 years of age, of Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation with a proven record of stimulating the economy and creating jobs.

Members of the Republican Study Committee have introduced the Economic Recovery and Middle-Class Tax Relief Act, legislation that is fiscally responsible and one that will stimulate job growth in the private sector rather than the Federal Government. This package includes tax relief for American families, businesses, and entrepreneurs. It allows businesses to expense the purchase of assets which will encourage growth and job creation.

This job does not threaten American families with hyper-inflation or saddle future generations with evermore debt with hundreds of billions of dollars in spending.

I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to consider these proposals. These are proposals that will address the economic downturn and will not demand government spending. We should remember that Jerry Bellune of the Lexington County Chronicle is correct: This is the people's money, not the government's.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of attending the opening of a new branch of the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Cayce, South Carolina, welcomed by Mayor Elise Partin. This expansion of Harvest Hope comes at a time when job losses in our community have increased the need for food banks, and many individuals find it difficult to travel to other locations.

Last year alone, Harvest Hope distributed 2.4 million pounds of food in Lexington County, and they expect that number to grow to well over 3 million in the coming year. With growing demand, I am grateful that Harvest Hope has chosen to expand their operations.

I wish to commend Denise Holland, Executive Director of Harvest Hope, for her leadership. Additionally, Mitch Watson, the incoming chairman of the board, the volunteers and local churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to the food banks deserve our utmost gratitude for their service to our community.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the South Carolina National Guard. In 2008 they achieved the highest number of judge advocate generals serving in the Nation, according to Scott Bell, National Guard historian. This significant milestone is a tribute to the South Carolina Bar and to the professional leadership of Colonel Barry Bernstein, state judge advocate for the South Carolina National Guard. Twenty-four of the State's 27 JAGs have been awarded Global War on Terrorism campaign medals.

As a former staff judge advocate, I understand and appreciate and know firsthand the work that our JAG Corps has done to provide legal counsel to our military leadership and to our brave men and women in uniform. Theirs is an important part of the defense of American families by defeating terrorists overseas. I saw this when I visited the 218th Brigade JAG during quarterly visits in the last year at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan.

I commend Colonel Bernstein and Adjutant General Stan Spears for their leadership and all the members of the South Carolina JAG Corps on this achievement.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11th.

Madam Speaker, on December 18, Paul Weyrich, one of the founders of the modern conservative movement, died. He successfully worked to evolve conservatism from a status of negativism to a dynamic movement promoting creative and meaningful reforms. I personally saw his success firsthand with the American Legislative Exchange Council developing State legislative reforms. And with Dr. Robert Krieble, I served on the delegation in August 1991 of the Krieble Institute to Sofia, Bulgaria, where Paul Weyrich gave presentations to the newly elected democrats of the National Assembly who helped Bulgaria emerge from the darkness of totalitarian Communism. Bulgaria today is a model free market democracy as a valued member of NATO and the European Union. His service to our nation will always be appreciated.

John Gizzi, columnist for Human Events professionally penned the following thoughtful tribute to Mr. Weyrich on the day of his passing.

[From Human Events, Dec. 18, 2008]

Paul Weyrich: RIP

(By John Gizzi)

Paul Weyrich--``The midwife of the New Right''. . . ``Pope

Paul''. . . ``The Man Who Taught Conservatives to Network''--

passed away this morning after a long illness.

Weyrich was called a lot of things--and some of them that

originated on the left are unprintable--but one thing

admirers and enemies of Paul Weyrich found inarguable: that

in 66 years of life, the man who

launched the Heritage Foundation and Free Congress Foundation

and played a key role in mobilizing cultural conservatives

into political battle was someone who left postwar

conservatism and the world a different place than it was

before he came on the political scene. In short, he was a man

of consequence.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Weyrich had a passion for

politics almost since childhood. Active in Young Republicans

at the University of Wisconsin (Madison), the young Weyrich

quit college to become a political reporter for the Milwaukee

Sentinel and later became a television reporter in Kenosha,

Wisconsin and then in Denver, Colorado.

In 1967, Weyrich came to Washington as press secretary to

conservative Sen. Gordon Allot (R.-Col.). At one point,

Weyrich later recalled to me, he had received an invitation

by mistake to a luncheon of liberal staffers on Capitol Hill

Weyrich attended anyway and, in his words, ``I saw all the

liberal groups and staffers going through issues, giving

assignments to people, and agreeing to meet again.

Conservatives needed to be doing the same thing and I decided

to do something about it.''

Beginning with staffers from conservative House and Senate

offices, and later with leaders of national right-of-center

groups, Weyrich began regular lunches and meetings that are

today a staple of the modern conservative movement. With the

financial support of Colorado beer baron Joseph Coors,

Weyrich and fellow Hill staffer Ed Feulner launched the

Heritage Foundation in 1973. A counterforce to the liberal

Brookings Institute, Heritage would grow into one of the most

respected ``think tanks'' and provide the intellectual

firepower in the Reagan Administration in 1980 and to

Congress after Republicans won control of both Houses in

1994.

In the 1970s, Weyrich helped launch the Committee for the

Survival of a Free Congress (which later became the Free

Congress Foundation) and the Moral Majority. Both groups were

pivotal in mobilizing religious conservatives into political

activity for candidates and, in 1978, played critical roles

in the elections of such conservative titans as Sens. Bill

Armstrong (R.-Col.) and Gordon Humphrey (R.-NH) and Reps.

Newt Gingrich (R.-GA) and Dan Lungren (R.-CA).

Quoting Napoleon's celebrated question ``How many legions

does the Pope have?'' Weyrich once told me, ``Believing

Christians now have many legions--and they're voting.''

(Raised a Roman Catholic, Weyrich himself became angry when a

priest attacked something his then-boss Allott was supporting

in the Senate; he thereupon joined the Eastern Rite Orthodox

Church and later became a deacon.)

Weyrich attempted to bring change and fresh activity to

every aspect of politics. As more and more countries became

democratic and elected their leaders, Weyrich became

president of the Krieble Institute from 1989-96 and trained

political activists in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet

Union. (At one point, he and fellow Krieble trainer Gary

Hoffmeister performed a vaudeville skit to demonstrate

campaigning to budding Russian politicians.) The former TV

newsman founded the satellite television station National

Empowerment Television and later hosted a talk show on

satellite radio.

Occasionally, Weyrich critics on both the right and left

would bring up his penchant for abrupt replies and gruffness.

His response to me was ``I never wanted everyone to like me--

just enough people so we can get political change.''

In September of this year, more than 400 friends, Members

of Congress and other political leaders packed the Four

Seasons Hotel to pay tribute to the activist, who had been in

failing health from a spinal injury in '01. In thanking his

friends, Weyrich recalled how, in spite of his health

problems, life had been good to him: an only child, he had

had a strong marriage to wife Joyce that produced five

children; interested in the U.S. Senate all his life, he got

to work there; a lover of trains, he served on the national

board of Amtrak and the Amtrak Reform Council; a lifelong

conservative, he played a major role in shaping its modern

form.

And, even when we disagreed or he took issue with Human

Events, Weyrich was a faithful reader who would frequently

cite columns in our publication. I already miss Paul Weyrich

very much. We all will in the future.

Mr. Speaker, America's ally Israel remains under constant and frequent attack by Hamas. Noted columnist Charles Krauthammer recently revealed in a column in The Greenville News that Hamas has cruelly launched 6,464 rockets into Israel in the last 3 years. No other country has endured such attacks.

Now Israel has chosen to defend itself by going after the Hamas terrorists. The loss of life is terrible, but it is Hamas that bears the responsibility. I saw firsthand, while visiting Israel this summer, that Hamas has fired rockets against civilians in Israel.

A peaceful relationship between Israel and Palestine is in the best interest of both nations. It will only be accomplished if Hamas agrees to stop firing rockets targeting civilians.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.

God bless Torry Lyons and Eric Dell upon their marriage tomorrow at St. Peter's Catholic Church.

Madam Speaker, this year we should work immediately to address the challenges facing our Nation. Recent job losses and a decline in the housing market have led many Americans to lose confidence in our economy. I am optimistic, however, that sound bipartisan solutions that support small businesses and provide tax relief to American families will mean a quicker recovery and less of a burden on future generations of taxpayers.

As we expand opportunities for job creation, Congress should promote an all-of-the-above energy strategy. We cannot sustain our expensive and strategically dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

While there remain enemies who threaten our freedoms, I am grateful that our fighting men and women remain committed to their duty. We must defeat terrorists overseas to protect American families at home. We must always honor our military and veterans.

I am confident that we will lead our Nation toward greater prosperity and security if we trust and invest in the ingenuity and spirit of the American people with limited government.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.

Madam Speaker, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards recently announced their latest list of newly National Board Certified teachers. I am grateful to report that the 176 teachers this round from the Second Congressional District of South Carolina represent the highest number of any district in America.

I know the citizens of the Second District are extremely proud and grateful to have such well-qualified professional teachers working to educate their children. Families understand that a strong education is the foundation for future success. We must continue to bring parents, teachers and school administrators together in a common pursuit of high quality, accessible and affordable education. This should be done with the utmost respect for the unique needs and challenges of our local schools. Our schools should be run by dynamic elected local school boards.

I want to thank our Nation's professional educators for their dedication to teaching our children and building a brighter future.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is reasonable to assume that I am not alone when I say that my office has been contacted with hundreds of phone calls and e-mails asking Congress not to spend billions more to bailout the Big 3 American automakers. Congress has already asked the American taxpayer to stomach a $700 billion package of economic relief aimed at unfreezing the credit markets. It is wrong to ask American families to trust that billions in bailout relief for three specific companies will do anything but cement a dangerous and expensive precedent for future big government spending and control of a vital industry in America.

In fact, at this time the credit markets have not been unfrozen after the onslaught of this recent economic downturn, and I hope Congress, this current administration, and the incoming administration will ensure that the programs we have passed into law already are implemented and reviewed. Recent reports of a failure to adequately utilize the oversight mechanisms outlined in the economic rescue package are troubling. The taxpayers deserve to know that we are following the letter of the law.

Nevertheless, the debate today is on whether we should give $15 billion dollars to help shore up the books of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The primary argument that continues to be made in support of this bailout is predicated upon the claim that bankruptcy is not an option. Never mind that other companies and industries--most notably the members of the airline industry--have successfully emerged from bankruptcy stronger, more agile, and successful. We have a bankruptcy process in place, the sole purpose of which is to deal with circumstances similar to those that GM, Ford, and Chrysler face. Unfortunately, in typical Washington fashion, Congress wants to reinvent the wheel and create a new process and a new bureaucratic office in the form of a ``Car Czar.'' Such a redundant proposal would be slightly less harmless were

a $15 billion taxpayer funded price tag not tacked onto it. But it is.

The bankruptcy process that already exists does not spell the end of a company or the loss of every one of their jobs. The scare tactics that have been spread around that without this multi-billionaire bailout, the American auto industry would disappear is just not the case. In fact, bankruptcy procedures would allow the companies to restructure to make them competitive in the global market. Bankruptcy is never an ideal situation for any company but it is far more preferable to spending billions of taxpayer dollars and ceding control to big government.

It should be noted that opposition to this massive bailout is not a commentary on my or my colleagues' support for the American auto industry. We represent American automotive dealerships, American automakers, parts manufacturers, the people they employ, and in many instances, we own American automobiles. We want to see these companies prosper, build the future fleet of automobiles for the world to drive, and continue to employ millions of hardworking Americans. What many of us are unwilling to accept is the suggestion that taxpayers need to be signing the check to keep particular businesses in a particular industry afloat when there is a sound, bankruptcy process already available.

It is clear from every angle that the American auto industry needs to make some dramatic changes to their business model and to the current agreements they have with the unions who represent their employees. These changes will make them financially stronger and more competitive. It will help protect current and future employees. They can accomplish this without a taxpayer funded bailout, and it would be unwise to betray the interests of American taxpayers by choosing to simply throw money at the problem.

Madam Speaker, on Saturday, November 15th, South Carolina lost a distinguished statesman with the death of former State Senator Marshall Parker of Oconee County.

A thoughtful tribute to his courageous service was published November 18, 2008, in The State newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina, professionally authored by John O'Connor.

[From The State, Nov. 18, 2008]

One of First Elected Democrats Who Later Ran as a Republican Dies

(By John O'Connor)

Marshall Parker, who helped blaze a path for state

Republicans in the 1960s, died at his Oconee County home

Saturday. He was 86.

Parker was among the first elected Democrats to run later

as a Republican, twice losing U.S. Senate contests against

Ernest ``Fritz'' Hollings in 1966 and 1968.

Parker was born in Seaboard, N.C., but was first elected to

the Seneca City Council and Oconee County Board of School

Trustees before winning a state Senate seat in 1955. Parker

served a decade in the S.C. House.

``He taught me about working hard,'' said grandson Burl

Williams, who frequently mended fences at Parker's farm. ``He

had a presence...you could see people looked up to him.''

In 1966, Parker decided to become a Republican and

challenge friend and former colleague Hollings for the U.S.

Senate seat left vacant by Olin Johnston's death. The race

was decided by several thousand votes, with some of Parker's

supporters believing he had won.

``If that race had gone another few weeks, (Parker) might

have won it,'' said Crawford Cook, who worked on both

Parker's and Hollings' campaigns. ``There were none any

tougher than that first one.''

Parker believed his role in creating the state technical

college system was his most important accomplishment, friends

said. Others also credited him as an example for those

switching to the Republican Party.

Williams believed that Parker, as a dairy farm owner,

understood early that the Republican Party better matched his

ideals.

``There were people who stood up and were candidates even

though they couldn't win,''

said Crawford Clarkson, a former Parker campaign chairman.

``He was a sterling individual; an absolutely incorruptible

politician.''

Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the following op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on November 12, 2008, by Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It conveys the strong and important relationship between the Iraqi Kurdish population and the United States as well as their efforts to help build a peaceful Iraq. I was fortunate this year to visit the Kurdistan Region, and I know firsthand of Kurdish appreciation of the American people.

[From the Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2008]

Kurdistan Is a Model for Iraq--Our Path to a Secular, Federal Democracy

is Inspired by the U.S.

(By Masoud Barzani)

Iraq's Kurds have consistently been America's closest

allies in Iraq. Our Peshmerga forces fought alongside the

U.S. military to liberate the country, suffering more

casualties than any other U.S. ally.

And while some Iraqi politicians have challenged the U.S.-

Iraq security agreement, Iraq's Kurdish leaders have endorsed

the pact as essential for U.S. combat troops to continue

fighting terrorists in Iraq.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is committed to a

federal, democratic Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors.

We have benefited enormously from the service and

sacrifices of America's armed forces and their families, and

we are deeply grateful. We are also proud to have shared in

such sacrifices; my brother was among those severely wounded

during the liberation of Iraq.

Last year, following a U.S. request, we deployed Kurdish

troops to Baghdad. These

troops played a decisive role in the success of the surge.

Last month I once again visited Baghdad to meet with the

leadership of the federal government. We stressed our

commitment to developing an Iraqi state that abides by its

constitution and that is based upon a federal model with

clearly delineated powers for its regions.

In spite of all this, some commentators now suggest that

the Kurds are causing problems by insisting on territorial

demands and proceeding with the development of Kurdistan's

oil resources. These allegations are troubling. We are

proceeding entirely in accord with the Iraqi constitution,

implementing provisions that were brokered by the U.S.

In the constitutional negotiations that took place in the

summer of 2005, two issues were critical to us: first, that

the Kurdistan Region has the right to develop the oil on its

territory, and second, that there be a fair process to

determine the administrative borders of Iraq's Kurdistan

Region--thus resolving once and for all the issue of

``disputed'' territories.

Unfortunately, ever since the discovery of oil in Iraq in

the 1920s, successive Iraqi governments have sought to keep

oil out of Kurdish hands, blocking exploration and

development of fields in Kurdistan. Saddam Hussein's

government went even further, using Iraqi oil revenues to

finance the military campaigns that destroyed more than 4,500

Kurdish villages and to pay for the poison gas used to kill

thousands of Kurdish civilians.

The Kurdish leadership agreed to a U.S.-sponsored

compromise in 2005 in which the central government would have

the authority to manage existing oil fields, but new fields

would fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the regions.

Since then, the KRG has taken the lead with Baghdad in

negotiations on a hydrocarbon law that is faithful to Iraq's

constitution and is conducive to modernizing Iraq's oil

infrastructure and substantially increasing its oil

production.

We have awarded contracts for foreign oil companies

(including some American ones) to explore our territory. In

so doing, Kurdistan is not threatening the unity of Iraq. It

is simply implementing the constitution.

The ``disputed territories'' have a tragic history. Since

the 1950s, Iraqi regimes encouraged Arabs to settle in Kirkuk

and other predominantly Kurdish and Turkmen areas. Saddam

Hussein accelerated this process by engaging in ethnic

cleansing, expelling or killing Kurds and Turkmen, or by

requiring nationality corrections (in which non-Arabs are

forced to declare themselves to be Arabs) and by moving Arabs

into Kurdish homes.

The dispute between Baghdad and the Kurds over Kirkuk has

lasted more than 80 years and has often been violent. All

sides have now agreed to a formula to resolve the problem, to

bring justice to Kirkuk, and to correct the crimes against

Kurds committed by Saddam Hussein's regime. Iraq's

constitution requires that a referendum be held in disputed

territories to determine if their populations want to join

the Kurdistan Region. Conducting a plebiscite is not easy,

but it is preferable to another 80 years of conflict.

If the pro-Kurdistan side should lose the referendum in

Kirkuk, I promise that Kurdistan will respect that result.

And if they win, I promise that we will do everything in our

power to ensure outsized representation of Kirkuk's Turkmen,

Arabs and Christians both on the local level and in the

parliament and government of the Kurdistan Region.

Regional stability cannot come from resolving internal

disputes alone. That is why expanding and deepening our ties

with Turkey is my top priority.

My meeting last month in Baghdad with the Turkish special

envoy to Iraq was a historic and positive development. There

should be further direct contacts between the KRG and Turkey,

as well as multilateral contacts that involve the U.S. We are

eager to work with Turkey to seek increased peace and

prosperity in the region.

I am proud that the Kurdistan Region is both a model and

gateway for the rest of Iraq. Our difficult path to a

secular, federal democracy is very much inspired by the U.S.

And so we look forward to working with the Obama-Biden

administration to support and defend our hard-fought

successes in Iraq, and to remain proud of what the Kurdistan

region is today: a thriving civil society in the heart of the

Middle East. When we insist on strict compliance with our

country's constitution, we are only following America's great

example.

Madam Speaker, on Friday, October 17th, South Carolina lost a true Charleston Southern Lady with the death of Nancy Dinwiddie Hawk. A native of Virginia, Ms. Hawk spent most of her life in Charleston where she raised nine children, practiced law as a Broad Street Lawyer, and become a tireless advocate and worker for the needs of her community.

I had the honor of knowing Ms. Hawk as a fellow member of First (Scots) Presbyterian Church and growing up with her children. She was truly a pioneer for women's involvement in political and civic service in our society.

A fitting editorial tribute to Nancy Hawk was published on October 19, 2008, in The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston, South Carolina.

Nancy D. Hawk

[From the Post and Courier, Oct. 19, 2008]

After Nancy Dinwiddie Hawk was named the United States

Mother of the Year, a reporter wrote that chronicling her

remarkable life in politics, historic preservation and law

was more appropriate for a biographer than for a journalist.

That was in 1989. Her impressive story got more so after

that.

Mrs. Hawk, who died Friday in hospice care, was a woman of

purpose and drive. After rearing nine successful children,

she enrolled at the College of Charleston to finish the

undergraduate degree she had begun at the University of

Virginia. Then, she commuted between Charleston and law

school in Columbia. And before it became routine to see

female lawyers, her shingle was hanging on Broad Street.

What Nancy Hawk touched, Nancy Hawk influenced.

East Bay Street might have been in the shadow of a 10-story

apartment building had she not succeeded in stopping the

planned building by saving several old warehouses.

She worked to save historic Snee Farm, to shape plans for

the Crosstown to mitigate damage to the peninsula, to restore

the county courthouse, build the judicial center and organize

the Charlestowne Neighborhood Association.

She wasn't afraid to take on controversy. She opposed

Charleston Place and supported Lodge Alley Inn. Both were

built.

When her two bids for elected office failed--a 1975 race

against Joseph P. Riley Jr. for mayor and a 1976 race against

T. Dewey Wise for state Senate--she became vice chairman of

the State Republican Party.

She later said she probably wasn't suited for politics

because the ``gamesmanship'' that goes along with it didn't

fit with her straightforward manner.

Mrs. Hawk was born in Charlottesville, Va., but she was

thoroughly committed to Charleston where she moved in 1951

with her husband, Dr. John C. Hawk.

First (Scots) Presbyterian Church. The Girl Scouts.

Charleston Civic Ballet. Charleston Opera Company. The

Christian Family Y. The American College of the Bulding Arts.

The Council of Urban Quality. H.E.L.P. Piccolo Spoleto. Meals

on Wheels. The Lowcountry Open Land Trust. The Charles

Pinckney National Historic Site. Parents Anonymous. Mason

Prep school. All were strengthened by her hard work and

support. In 1993, she received the Order of the Palmetto.

She once told The Post and Courier, ``It's hard to live

with the knowledge that something happened because you didn't

act.'' Surely she didn't face sleepless nights on that

account.

Charleston is a better place because of Nancy Hawk. The

city has lost a leader of strength and character.

Madam Speaker, today we vote on a piece of legislation that is an imperfect option and a terrible situation. But I hope Congress does not fail the American people by saying that this bill has solved the whole problem, because it has not.

The bad lending practices, mishandling by financial firms and failed oversight by the Federal Government over decades are not addressed today. But we better step forward and address them as soon as possible.

As a former real estate attorney for 25 years, I know firsthand that making home loans to individuals less than creditworthy can be destructive for those individuals and for this country. Government should not be telling banks that it is possible for them to make bad loans because the government will back them up.

Our job is not done today. Going forward, Congress has an obligation to face and fix the roots of this crisis, reducing government control.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September

11th. God bless Governor Sarah Palin for her service for America.

Madam Speaker, I am happy to congratulate Paul and Jenni Callahan on the birth of their new baby boy. Judah Christopher Callahan was born on September 30, 2008, weighing nine pounds. Judah joins an older sister, Charlotte. He has been born into a loving home, where he will be raised by parents who are devoted to his well-being and bright future.

His father, Paul, serves as senior legislative assistant in the office of the Second Congressional District of South Carolina.

I want to congratulate Judah's grandparents, Gerald and Madonna Callahan of Greenville, South Carolina, and Steve and Pam Crowe of Greenville, South Carolina. On behalf of my wife Roxanne, and our entire family, we want to wish Paul, Jenni, Charlotte, and Judah all the best.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful to submit the following thoughtful memorial that ran in the Island Packet in Hilton Head Island, SC, remembering the life and service of John Curry. John was a dear friend and a lifelong leader in his community.

[From the Island Packet, Sept. 28, 2008]

A Look at the Life of Island Tourism Champion John Curry

(By Janet Smith and David Lauderdale)

For 35 years, John Curry had a singular impact on the

development of Hilton Head Island's tourism industry and the

island's place in the world.

That impact came in a determined pursuit to keep Hilton

Head viable, even through the toughest of economic times, and

to maintain what drew millions of visitors and the island's

nearly 40,000 permanent residents here in the first place.

Curry, 78, died Friday night at Hilton Head Hospital after

suffering a brain aneurysm during lunch with his wife,

Valerie, and friends at the Hilton Head Yacht Club.

Only the late Charles Fraser, who carved a new community

out of the forests of Sea Pines and set the stage for future

planned communities, did more to shape the island's modern

development. But Curry, who came to Hilton Head to work for

Fraser in 1973 as executive vice president of the old Sea

Pines Co., dealt with the nuts and bolts of legislation,

incorporation and operations that ultimately shaped Hilton

Head as a resort destination and residential community. In

the process, he shaped tourism statewide.

Along the way, he played a critical role in creating the

Town of Hilton Head Island and establishing the island as a

year-round resort community. He also helped negotiate and get

through the legislature the state accommodations tax, which

has provided millions of dollars in marketing money for the

local tourism industry, as well as funding for arts and

cultural groups here.