"If we open a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the future.” Winston Spencer Churchill

Albert F. Spencer believes that while we live in the present, we must learn from the past. Those who are ignorant of their history are doomed to repeat it. Our concern must be with the future and the future of America’s children.

• 25 % of America’s preschool children grow up in poverty. Nearly 1 in 5 elderly persons live in poverty. These figures are even more disparate in South Carolina. We must work to eliminate the conditions that cause poverty
• Many of our citizens do not have decent, affordable housing, and in many rural areas, men and women whose families have lived on farms for generations are having their way of life taken from them
• U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics indicate that South Carolinians earn less than people who do comparable jobs in other states
• The majority of people on welfare want a hand up, not a hand out. This system must be revised

The Good News: Solutions for South Carolina, Careers as well as Jobs

Albert F. Spencer believes that education is the key to 90% of social and economic hardship. If we strengthen our schools, we are laying the foundation for success. In the meantime, we must provide opportunity for the parent or guardian of the children now.

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We must encourage small business opportunities. Small businesses are central to economic growth. Over 65 % of all small businesses are owned and operated by women and minority groups. When we strengthen small businesses, we are strengthening the largest number of our population, and we are strengthening the future of America through her children!
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South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District is a natural for tourism and the economic growth that accompanies it. This source has been largely untapped in our district. Communities in and near Valley Forge, Yorktown and Gettysburg have witnessed spectacular economic growth due to those historic sites. We must do the same with King’s Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield Park, and our other historic sites located in this district such as the Catawba Cultural Center. To paraphrase the motto of Dillon County’s Historical Society, “Preserve the Past, Prepare for the Future.”
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The vocational and community colleges in the Fifth district, as well as our colleges and universities, must be strengthened in order to provide not only job training, but also education for careers. Over 60% of employment opportunities in the 21st Century require a post-secondary education
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Albert F. Spencer is totally committed to improving our rural infrastructure. Our county roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair. Even the bridge that interstate travelers entering South Carolina from the north, and the Fifth Congressional District’s largest city, Rock Hill, has long been in much need of repair.