Maurice Washington — Prosperity For All

The 40 year run with Mayor Joe Riley is coming to an end.  There are more good things that have happened to our city during this period than there is space to list in this column.  Charleston is coming off of 4 straight years as America’s leading travel destination in the Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards survey.  Our city is known for its great hospitality, 5-star hotels, fine restaurants and tourist attractions.
We will have a very competitive race to succeed Mayor Riley in the Nov. 2015 election.  The declared candidates are Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, John Tecklenberg, Councilman William Dudley Gregorie, former Riley campaign manager Ginny Deerin and former Councilman Paul Tinkler (who is my neighbor in Sandhurst).  Former Councilman Maurice Washington will throw his hat into the ring this month.
I first met Maurice Washington in 2007 when he joined Sen. Tim Scott in endorsing Gov. Mike Huckabee for the Republican nomination for President.  Gov. Huckabee was my choice during the 2008 election cycle.  What I noticed immediately about Maurice was his friendly demeanor and confidence.
Maurice Washington is symbolic of the American Dream.  He grew up as one of 10 children in the downtown Charleston housing projects.  His mother was on her own starting at age 13 and managed to provide for her children by working in the kitchen at MUSC and moonlighting as a housekeeper and babysitter.  Her love and work ethic inspired Maurice to rise above the surroundings he was born into.
After graduating from Burke High School in 1979, Maurice matriculated to South Carolina State University.  He met Violet, his wife of 29 years, while a junior in college.  Upon graduation, he returned to Charleston determined to make his mark on the community.
Maurice immediately immersed himself into the world of politics.  His friend Earl Mitchell attracted him into the Charleston County Republican Party in 1985.  In 1986, he ran for House District 111 against incumbent Rep. Dan Martin.  While watching the election returns on TV, Maurice was declared the winner by the Associated Press.  He was crushed to learn the next day that he was defeated by a narrow margin.
After an unsuccessful run for City Council in 1987, Maurice defeated 16-year incumbent Arthur Christopher in 1991.  He went on to become the Chairman of the City Council Ways and Means Committee, giving him expertise in the city’s budgeting, tax structure and fees.
What I have learned about Maurice is that he wants to improve the standard of living and quality of life for everyone in Charleston.  He cares about West Ashley residents and those on the Peninsula and for residents of all backgrounds and economic standings.  He wants small businesses to enjoy the same success as major developers and corporations.
I like Maurice’s philosophy of government.  He believes that the city government should focus on core services and deliver them effectively and efficiently.  He believes that services which can be delivered by the private sector, including the baseball stadium, the aquarium and the municipal golf course, should be taken over by the private sector.  All of those enterprises incur annual deficits which are passed on to our taxpayers.
Maurice has a vision to improve the aesthetics of West Ashley, centered around streetscaping along Savannah Hwy, Ashley River Roa. and Sam Rittenberg Boulevard  He wants to recruit businesses by upgrading shopping center parking lots and giving small businesses more access to capital.  He believes the city should improve drainage through better vegetative filtration and retention ponds.  “West Ashley should have the look of a garden and the feel of a living room,” Washington says.
Washington credits Mayor Riley with leaving Charleston with a vibrant downtown area and tourist economy, making Charleston a safe city with a professional and well-trained police department and promoting cultural attractions such as Spoleto, the Moja Arts Festival and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition.  His goal is to leave succeeding generations with a higher quality of life and standard of living than we enjoy today through public input and strategic planning.
John Steinberger is the former chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party, a leading Fair Tax advocate, and a West Ashley resident. He can be reached at John.steinberger@scfairtax.org.