In his inaugural address, Pres. George H. W. Bush borrowed a phrase from C. S. Lewis when he described charitable organizations as “a thousand points of light . . . spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good.” He promised increased governmental support for those private organizations who exhibited the ideals of “duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.”

He believed that the vast number of existing charities are in a much better position to provide targeted relief on a local level. Rather than pour more money into huge government programs, he pushed to create more public-private partnerships that would support these local charities. His son, Pres. George W. Bush, continued his father’s legacy by declaring that “compassionate conservatism” would be a central part of his presidency until his efforts were overshadowed by the events of September 11, 2001.

While these efforts attempted to decrease the role of government, conservative critics observed that distributing tax money through charities was no different than distributing it through government agencies. Either method results in forced redistribution of wealth.

In an ideal society, private citizens and businesses would fully assist the needy, either directly or through charitable organizations without any governmental involvement. Unfortunately, we do not exist in such a society and with the recent recession, societal problems have grown.

Even so, Americans donated $291 billion to charity in 2010 according to The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. In spite of the recession, this was a 3.8% increase over 2009. Remarkably, American generosity actually exceeded the total profits of $230 billion reported in 2010 by the companies that make up the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index.

The government encourages American generosity by granting an income tax deduction for charitable donations. Though some liberals claim that these tax deductions are a type of government subsidy and should be abolished, most Americans, both individuals and businesses, are grateful that the government acknowledges their sacrifice for the greater good.

If we believe that private donations to individual charities are the most efficient way to solve societal problems, then we should expect government to create laws that enable that possibility. This belief has prompted several states to recently pass laws enabling corporations to designate themselves as Benefit Corporations.

Benefit Corporation status allows the board of a corporation to publicly state a corporate purpose beyond making a profit. The corporate purpose must be a material benefit to the public good and can be broadly defined. This status has no tax implication for the corporation, but rather allows a corporation to prove their contribution to society through a third-party audit. I have introduced legislation that would create this opportunity in South Carolina.

Our current level of national debt affirms that we simply cannot afford to fund welfare support systems with money borrowed from future generations. The era of big government social programs has passed, which leaves us looking for new ways to address the problems resulting from high unemployment and a stagnant economy. Inventive legislation that unleashes the generosity of Americans will be necessary to fill that void.

With 14 million Americans out of work, including nearly 240,000 in South Carolina, our nation desperately needs a president who not only understands how the economy works, but who has a record of helping the private sector create jobs while serving in public office.

President Obama’s failed attempt to spend our way to prosperity continues to hold our economy hostage.  In contrast, Gov. Rick Perry’s “Cut, Balance and Grow Plan” offers a practical blueprint to rebuild America’s economy.

The Cut, Balance and Grow Plan will simplify and cut our taxes.

Perry’s plan will give Americans the option of throwing out the 3 million words of the current tax code. Each taxpayer will pay either a 20 percent flat tax on income and file their return on a postcard, or pay their current income taxes along with the fees necessary for tax return preparation every April.

Taxpayers who choose the flat tax will enjoy a higher standard deduction of $12,500 for each individual and dependent, as well as deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations and state and local taxes. Under the flat tax, a married couple with two children will pay no taxes on the first $50,000 of income. When you combine tax savings with reduced compliance costs, the average South Carolinian making less than $100,000 per year will save over $1,000.

The Cut, Balance and Grow Plan will balance our budget by 2020.

Perry’s plan limits government spending to 18 percent of gross domestic product, cuts $100 billion in non-defense discretionary spending in the first year and builds on those savings until the budget is fully balanced. And to make sure politicians in the future don’t return to the mistakes of the past, Perry will aggressively push for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Additionally, taxpayers will no longer have to watch their money used on “bridge to nowhere” projects or to reward failure, because Perry’s plan bans earmarks and corporate bailouts.

The Cut, Balance and Grow Plan will grow our economy.

Perry’s plan will spur significant job creation and economic growth across the country. To create jobs and increase America’s competitiveness in the global marketplace, Perry will cut corporate income taxes to 20 percent – the average rate businesses pay in other developed nations.

Today, American employers have $1.4 trillion in profits earned overseas that will be double-taxed if returned to the United States. Perry will allow companies to repatriate those profits at a one-time rate of 5.25 percent and fix the structure going forward, which could create as many as 2.9 million jobs according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

To stop bureaucratic overreach and create jobs, Perry will place an immediate freeze on all pending government regulations, audit them for their cost and effectiveness, and repeal the ones that kill jobs. He will veto any legislation that creates a new federal program unless lawmakers reduce another program by an equal or greater amount.

America needs Rick Perry’s Cut, Balance and Grow Plan. Unlike President Obama’s stimulus initiatives, which are based on disproven liberal economic theories, Perry bases his plan on conservative principles that have proven effective in Texas.

It is no coincidence that Texas has gained more than one million jobs under Gov. Perry’s leadership, or that nearly 40 percent of American job growth over the past three years has happened in Texas.

Rick Perry’s Cut, Balance and Grow Plan will lead to the creation of millions of jobs, a revival of the American economy and permanent change in Washington’s over-taxing, over-spending, over-regulating culture.

Leadership requires more than just playing to the media. During the last election, Barak Obama obscured his lack of experience with his ability to communicate in front of a camera. He used the media to make many Americans forget that talk is cheap. Candidates who have mastered the media, even some Republican candidates, hold an illusory advantage. As voters, we must not mistake illusion for substance.

America needs the substance that Rick Perry learned as Governor of Texas.