Ted Fienning

President Ronald Reagan once said that, “When a business or an individual spends more than it makes, it goes bankrupt. When government does it, it sends you the bill.”

In that vein, here’s a number that caught my eye... for every dollar of student debt the federal government rounds up, it spends $38 out of taxpayer wallets to actually collect it. And while you might hope that it’s an isolated incident, it’s a widespread issue at the federal level. According to records, the government often pays debt collectors nearly 40 times more than what they collect.

There’s certainly a larger conversation to have regarding government waste and the abhorrent state of the federal government’s finances. But the article doesn’t get to the heart of the issue – the massive amounts of U.S. student debt.

We’re loading up young Americans with student loan debt, yet we don’t have nearly enough trained individuals entering the workforce to fill the highly-skilled jobs available here in the Lowcountry.

As an entrepreneur and a businessman, I know that we must chart a new course for education and the workforce. We need to prepare young Americans to do their part and contribute to the economy – rather than just saddling them with debt and degrees that won’t assist them in finding work, buying a home, or living out their American Dream.

We should work together with businesses and our educational infrastructure to re-think how we prepare our workforce, fill existing jobs here in the Lowcountry, and bring dignity and respect back to honest, hard-working South Carolinians.

Americans Are Paying $38 to Collect $1 of Student Debt Student loan defaults are a bonanza for the debt collection industry.

If you think it’s time we had new leadership for the Lowcountry, please SHARE and help me spread the word that there's a credible candidate running to replace a twenty-year career politician. As your Representative, I’ll fight to cut spending, rein in the federal budget, and fix our national debt - without jeopardizing our national defense or promises made to seniors.

Ted Fienning

Celebrating National Police Week! As someone who served two overseas deployments, I always appreciate those dedicated to serving and protecting others. And today, I wanted to thank our Lowcountry officers for the part they play in keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe....

Mother's Day is here, and I'm so thankful for my beautiful, brilliant sweetheart! Molly has blessed me with two incredible boys, and I am so proud of the life we have built together!

Growing up an Eagle Scout, one of the most important lessons we were taught was to always care for our natural surroundings. Proud to be passing those values along by teaching my boys to respect the environment at the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry....