Anton Gunn for House District 79

Background:

Quick Facts About Anton J. Gunn
-Lifetime public servant
-Progressive political and social commentator
-Executive Director of South Carolina Fair Share (consumer watchdog group) since 2001
-Former Political Director for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in SC.
-Former Adjunct faculty member at the University of South Carolina (teaching Community Activism courses)
-Guest lecturer at Benedict College, Columbia College and Webster University
-Featured in the Wall Street Journal, The State and the American Forum.
-Appreared on ABC's Good Morning America and the CBS Evening News
-Numerous appearances on CSPAN
-Author
-Weekly guest on the WIS-TV program Awareness
-Victim of Al-Qaeda's terror attacks
-Loves Nantucket Nectar
-Husband of Tiffany and father of Ashley

Anton J. Gunn is recognized as one of the top community leaders in America. For more than a decade Anton has advocated for working families and individuals in South Carolina and throughout the country. Through work and volunteerism, Anton has served as a community organizer, a consumer advocate, and an educator.

Anton began working to better the Palmetto State as an community organizer at South Carolina Fair Share. He worked with leaders who fought for better healthcare policies. Anton next focused on improving the well being of South Carolina 's most cherished resources as a communications and community relations associate for the Alliance for South Carolina 's Children. Anton used his skills and leadership to tackle such issues as early childhood education, youth medical services, and children's health insurance coverage. He also served as the Alliance 's lobbyist at the general assembly on issues affecting children and families.

Anton then spent roughly a year in Washington , DC working for the Center for Community Change; While there, he supervised and coordinated a $1.6 million federally funded demonstration initiative in five DC public housing developments that aimed to keep children from dropping out of high school. Anton also worked with parents and other community organizations to help low-income students excel in college or career-preparatory programs.

Missing his home, Anton came back to South Carolina to pursue a Master's Degree. While in graduate school at USC, he conducted research in the South Carolina House of Representatives and he served as a staff researcher at the University of South Carolina 's Institute for Families in Society. In both positions, he worked on policies affecting the plight of children and working families.

In 2001, Anton returned to and became executive director of South Carolina Fair Share, a position he holds today. He currently serves as the leader of the nonpartisan, statewide consumer group that investigates public policy and lobbies for reforms that focus on working families in the Palmetto State . Anton has expertise on issues of consumer finance, healthcare policy, public benefits, community economic development, grassroots advocacy, organizational development, and capacity building.

Anton was a candidate for this same seat in 2006, challenging a 12-year incumbent Republican, and narrowly losing by less than 300 votes. He campaign on New Leadership for the Future and bringing change to the partisan politics that has plagued the South Carolina Legislature

In 2007, Anton served as a state director for Barack Obama's Presidential Primary Campaign. Anton helped to direct the campaign to a 28 point victory by gaining 55% of the total vote in the early primary campaign.

Complementing Anton's passion for making South Carolina a better place for all, he is an experienced and established small business owner. Anton knows firsthand the struggles that small and self-employed business owners face every day when it comes to accessing healthcare, tax issues, and more. Starting his business from scratch gives Anton the on-the-ground, real-world experience to know what the nation's number one employer - small businesses - need to survive.

Anton's younger brother Cherone L. Gunn was killed in the October 2000 al-Qaeda terrorist attack on the USS Cole. Since the tragedy, Anton has been a vocal speaker about dealing with and overcoming the personal effects of terrorism, as well as the implications of terrorism on all Americans. Anton's personal experience has been featured in numerous news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal , The State , ABC's Good Morning America , CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer , and the CBS Evening News

Anton grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia and is the eldest son of a Navy veteran and a public school teacher. Anton holds a BA in history and a Master's of Social Work from the University of South Carolina . Anton is a Gamecock football letterman who walked away from the game to use his leadership for South Carolina 's working families.

Anton is married to Tiffany Johnson-Gunn and they have a 3 year old daughter, Ashley. He is a member of Bible Way Church of Atlas Road. An avid sports fan, Anton enjoys football, basketball, and traveling.

Anton Gunn Awards & Achievements:
-Families USA, 2007 Consumer Health Advocate of the Year
-Southern Rural Development Initiative, 2006 TEN Honoree for work on behalf of rural communities
-University of South Carolina , College of Social Work , 2006 Alumni of the Year
-Owner & Partner, Top Gunn Ventures, LLC (motivational speaking business)
-Board member: Grassroots Leadership
-Real estate investor
-Member of the USC Letterman's Association
-Former board member South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations
-Former board member National Association of Social Workers, South Carolina Chapter
-USC College of Social Work 2001 Faculty Award recipient,
-Natl. Association of Social Workers, South Carolina Chapter 2001 MSW Student of the Year
-Natl. Congress for Community Economic Development: Emerging Leader, 2000
-Lifting New Voices, former member National Advisory Committee
-Former vice chair, Citizens Advisory Committee for Community Development in Columbia , SC
-USC Gamecock Football Letterman
-Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc
-Founder of USC Athletic Advisory Committee

Goals:

I’m running to represent House District 79 because I know that South Carolina can be a great state for all South Carolinians. Right now we are stuck with politics as usual that has left our state ranked at the top of many bad statistics and the bottom of many good statistics.

The usual politics of Democrats bickering with Republicans and our Governor bickering with the entire Legislature, has left us gridlocked on important issues that would put our state in a strong position for future growth. Instead the “partisanship as usual” has left us stuck in high unemployment, stuck in poor health, stuck with 50% high school drop out rates, and stuck in a budget deficit. We are stuck with unresponsive and irresponsible politicians.

We cannot afford to settle for this any longer. We need new leaders that understand these challenges and have ideas to improve our state, but most importantly have the ability to bring people and interests together to move our state forward. I am that kind of leader. I have spent a decade working in the people’s interest. I have spent more than a decade working on these issues, learning from all, and leading people to better solutions for building a better community. The challenges of the 21st century must be met with new ideas �" and that requires new leadership. I am New Leadership For Our Future.

I have a long history and expensive experience of listening to people, learning from people and leading people to solutions to build a better future for ALL people in South Carolina.

I want to build bridges with people (as I have done for many years) to develop solutions that puts our state in the best position to meet the social, political, and economic challenges of the 21st Century. Some of these challenges are the issues I am running on...

Issues:

Quality Public Education
As a father, big brother, and son, I know that children are the gifts that carry our vision and values for the future. We cannot meet the promise for a better tomorrow without preparing our children to have the skills to compete in an ever changing world. A high quality public education is the foundation for our great society. We must ensure that every child is given the opportunity to receive a high quality education in South Carolina . I will fight against vouchers, tax credits and any other scheme the undermines public education.

Strategic Community Growth
Our community has great potential to develop in order to meet the needs of its residents. Impulsive planning and growth in my district threatens our communities by removing our green space, increasing traffic congestion, and building roads to nowhere. Our community lacks the public services and recreation facilities to make our neighborhoods more livable communities. If elected, I will demand better planning, better coordination and adequate funding for citizens, developers and government to work together to create a sustainable growing community.

Accessible, Affordable and Quality Health Care:
The health of citizens is key to the health of our communities. We can only meet the needs of our future if we have citizens that have the tools to take care of themselves and their families. Health care is simply too expensive. It is imperative that individuals and families are able to get their basic health care needs met. If elected, I will work hard to make quality health care more accessible, and affordable for citizens and small business owners.

Grassroots Support:

As a progressive grassroots organizer for 12 years, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING WILL BE 100% of my focus! Its what I know how to do above anything else! I helped design and run a grassroots campaign for Barack Obama, I definetly will run a grassroots campaign for myself.

DFA Values:

I am progressive because I believe in:

Safety in the home, in the community and in the world;
Free speech and assembly;
Civil rights and liberties, including the right to trial by jury, effective counsel and due process of law;
Privacy, including protection from unwarranted invasion or surveillance and unreasonable search and seizure;
Vote and to have his or her vote count;
Equal opportunity and protection, with an end to discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, physical or developmental ability or sexual orientation;
Economic justice, including decent and safe work that pays a quality of life (Higher than living) wage and the right to organize for better working conditions;
Security in retirement, including a Social Security system that provides an inflation-proof base;
Free and comprehensive health care;
High quality education at any age, with income posing no hurdle to advancement;
A clean and healthy environment in which pollution is no longer a threat; and
Complete reproductive privacy.
I believe in government accountability to the people who fund it.

I am fiscailly responsible because I believe:
-We should pay what we owe
-We should meet the needs of the public in a organized, effective and efficient fashion
-Our tax system should be fair, equitable and balanced for all.