President of the Columbia Rotary Club, Paul Mashburn, and CongressmanJoe Wilson

Congressman Joe Wilson (R–SC) addressed the Columbia Rotary Club Monday at its Seawell’s lunch. He was introduced by his long–time friend and office staff member Earl Brown.

Brown recounted the Congressman’s 17 years as a SC State Senator from Lexington County. Wilson was first elected to the US House in December 2001. He serves on the Armed Services, International Relations, and Education committees, among others. Wilson is a full–bird colonel and a graduate of the US Army’s Command and General Staff School. With three sons in the military, Congressman and Mrs. Wilson’s fourth is president of the senior class at Airport High. Also, another generation is moving up between his grandchildren Addison and Houston.

Having suffered through pre–speaker humor by old buddy Rusty DePass, Wilson reminded the crowd DePass and he met at Camp Carolina near Brevard about 50 years ago.

Wilson thanked the crowd in full for all the collective help in the Midlands’ successful base–saving efforts with BRAC. He remembered his first official day in Washington when Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce head guy Ike McLeese called to get the BRAC bandwagon rolling. Ft. Jackson’s impact adds something like $2.2 billion to the local economy.

On the national economy Wilson observed the 4 million jobs created since 2003. The recently signed transportation bill delivered $4 million for Five Points’ flood prevention and control improvements. (The audience was too polite to remind Wilson of the poor Five Points’ flood drainage down the creek as far away as Olympia, implying millions more to solve the same problem.)

Not forgetting Katrina, Wilson noted during the five years of the Bush administration $1.9 billion in federal funds went to Louisiana for flood prevention and control (levees, for instance). That $1.9 billion compares more than favorably with California’s $1.4 billion, especially since California has seven times the people.

Wilson invited the Columbia Rotarians to call ahead when they plan to visit Washington, and, time permitting, they might visit Wilson’s office, too.