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ANDERSON COUNTY — The candidates for the South Carolina House of Representatives District 8 seat debated the “Good Cents” tax initiative, jobs, and education funding before an animated audience Thursday night at the Anderson County Library.

Democrat Tom Dobbins is challenging District 8 incumbent Don Bowen, a Republican, in the Nov. 4 election. Roughly 100 people attended the debate sponsored by the new Anderson County Taxpayer’s Association.

Both candidates, beginning with Bowen, voiced their disapproval of the “Good Cents” tax initiative regarding a 1-cent sales tax question that will be placed before Anderson County voters in the November election.

“Now is not the time for another tax, not now, not in this economy. I might support it under better circumstances, but right now we’ve got people having to choose between their medicine and their food. Their plates are full, and they don’t need another tax.” Bowen said.

Dobbins said, “I don’t think anyone would disagree that our roads and bridges are in bad shape, and no one wants to say they weren’t smart enough to vote for a penny. But the problem with the Good Cents tax is that it isn’t just for roads and bridges, it’s for every little project in the community, and it’s not right for the taxpayers, or our children. We’ve got to do what’s right for all members of our community, not just a select few.”

Regarding the state education budget, Dobbins supported a combination of sales and property taxes to financially support public education.

“We need to make sure what we do with taxes is fair and equitable to everyone,” Dobbins added.

Bowen voiced his views in favor of funding public schools through sales taxes, not property taxes.

“The sales tax, backed by the state’s general fund, is the most stable way of supporting our school operations,” he said.

When asked what could be done to bring jobs to Anderson County residents, Bowen suggested that the greatest asset to Anderson County, Hartwell Lake, was not being utilized to create jobs.

“We need to start by getting some sort of control of Lake Hartwell. The Bass Tournament (the Bassmaster Classic that took place on Hartwell Lake earlier this year) brought in approximately $40 million, and we need to think about the lake in terms of it being an economic asset,” Bowen said, adding that Hartwell Lake represents $150 million annually to the Anderson Economy.

Dobbins disagreed.

“Whoever came up with the $40 million figure on the Bass Tournament is probably the same person who’s coming up with our state budget” he said.

New, innovative business is needed for job creation, he said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the textile mills are dead. We need to work with our young people in our high schools in teaching them how to work in high-tech industries,” he said.