André Bauer
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Andreas "André" Bauer (born March 20, 1969) was the 87th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party
. Bauer was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1996–1999) and a member of the South Carolina State Senate (1999–2003), before being inaugurated as South Carolina's 87th lieutenant governor on January 15, 2003.
, on March 20, 1969. He is the son of William R. Bauer and Saundrea Jill Bauer, and is a graduate of both Irmo High School
and the University of South Carolina
.
Before his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives
in 1996, Bauer was self-employed, selling sports merchandise to national franchise stores. Bauer is also a lieutenant colonel in the Civil Air Patrol
's South Carolina Wing.
Bauer has also been a Junior Achievement
teacher and is a current member of the following boards: the Lake Murray Tourism and Recreation Association, the American Diabetes Association
, the Columbia Visitors' Bureau, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, and the Sons of the American Revolution
.
In 2001, Bauer was recognized as Alumnus of the Year for the University of South Carolina College of Applied Professional Science. Bauer is a member of Union United Methodist Church.
According to his driving record with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, Bauer has had at least two accidents, four tickets, and one suspended license for failure to pay a ticket. On May 6, 2003, Bauer was stopped on Assembly Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina
, for running two red lights and speeding up to 60 mph in a 35-mph zone. The officer drew his gun after Bauer got out of the car and began heading toward the officer's car in an "aggressive manner." He was issued a ticket for reckless driving. On December 26, 2005, Bauer got a warning for speeding (77 mph in a 65 mph zone) in Laurens County, South Carolina. On February 25, 2006, Bauer was pulled over for speeding over 100 mph in Chester County, South Carolina
in a state-issued car, but he was allowed to proceed without a ticket or warning.
On May 23, 2006, Bauer was injured in a single-engine airplane crash shortly after taking off from a small airfield in Blacksburg, South Carolina
. Bauer, who was the pilot of the Mooney M20
E single-prop airplane, and his passenger escaped the wreckage before the plane caught fire. Bauer's passenger had only minor injuries. Bauer, however, was more seriously injured. He underwent surgery for a shattered left heel. The incident was voted "Best Political Stunt in 2006" by readers of the Free Times alternative weekly tabloid. While the factual report indicated that "best practice" procedures would have revealed that the airfield was too short to safely take off from, the findings only addressed Bauer's "failure to abort the takeoff after the airplane failed to achieve adequate airspeed on the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons." According to FAA regulations, "[t]he pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for . . . the operation of that aircraft" including determining if the aircraft is in airworthy condition and properly making the decision to abort takeoff in time to avoid a crash. Though in no way relieving Bauer of his being responsible for the crash, a June 11, 2009 court ruling points to a possible reason the airplane might not have achieved sufficient takeoff speed. Administrative Judge Richard C. Goodwin concluded “By overhauling the engine and returning it to service with incorrect bolts installed, respondent created an unnecessary risk in engine performance.”
of Greenville
, but defeated Thomas in the runoff for the nomination. He then defeated fellow State Senator Phil P. Leventis
, a Democrat
from Sumter
, in the 2002 general election for Lt. Governor, with more than 52 percent of the vote.
As Lieutenant Governor, Bauer served in both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch of state government. After serving his first two years as President of the State Senate, Bauer touted his ruling of nearly $2 billion in tax increases as out of order.
In 2008, Bauer supported legislation for a new state license plate containing the words "I Believe" and
a "cross superimposed on a stained glass window.” The legislation was approved by the South Carolina General Assembly
; however, a temporary order by a judge in U.S. District Court blocked production of the plates. On November 10, 2009, in a subsequent opinion and order on motions for summary judgment
, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie declared the "I Believe" Act "in violation of the Constitution of the United States of America" and permanently enjoined the state from issuing the "I Believe" state license plates. The judge also noted:
At the time, Bauer’s office declined to turn over information about the program, which had paid out nearly $10 million since 2000, despite repeated requests for a detailed accounting of projects, collections and expenditures.
After the story ran, a spokesman for Bauer's office said his agency was “still chasing down the numbers” for the Permanent Improvement Program “because we want to be absolutely certain we are right.” More than half a year later, the office has yet to turn over any additional information on the program.
Also, in February 2009 Bauer unveiled the “lieutenant governor’s transparency initiative,” which he said would give taxpayers an unprecedented view of his office’s finances. Initially, his office posted accountability reports for January, February and March 2009, but it wasn’t updated after that. Since then, though, the lieutenant governor’s office has simply linked to the comptroller general’s spending transparency Web site.
Last summer, the Policy Council sent a S.C. Freedom of Information Act request to Bauer's office seeking all state-related communication sent or received via private e-mail accounts on state-owned or leased property or equipment between Jan. 1, 2009, and July 1, 2009. Bauer’s office was among 10 state agencies the Policy Council sent such an open-records request to, in an attempt to ascertain how widespread is the practice of conducting public business on private accounts. The other agencies turned over the information requested free of charge, but Bauer’s office sought to charge the Policy Council $61 an hour to compile the e-mails, plus 3 cents for each page copied.
In October, the Policy Council sent an electronic mail request to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office asking for a copy of the agency’s e-mail retention policy. Because South Carolina has no comprehensive plan regarding retention of e-mail and, therefore, retention plans are left up to individual agencies, the Policy Council queried several agencies on the subject. Helen Ann Thrower, Bauer’s chief of staff, responded by attaching a four-page document titled “Computer Usage: Internet and Network Services Policy.” Also included was a bill.
“The cost for providing this information is $15.25, based on the time it took to gather the information and put it in the attached document to send to you,” Thrower wrote.
However, the matter of e-mail retention was not addressed in the information sent by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
In November 2008, Bauer’s Office paid $5,000 to Gilded Age Films of Beaufort, S.C., for work that was not put out for bid, according to a March 18, 2010 report by The Nerve.
This despite the fact that the Lieutenant Governor’s Office falls under the state procurement code, which requires S.C. state agencies bound by it to seek competitive proposals for their work when outsourcing it to the private sector in order to get the best deal possible for taxpayers.
(R). Bauer also faced Dr. Henry Jordan, founder of the South Carolina branch of the Christian Coalition. During the primaries, Bauer portrayed himself as the underdog in this three-way race, despite being an incumbent. His opponents outspent him 3 to 1 in the campaigns. In the course of the campaign, Campbell received the endorsements of former President George H.W. Bush, a friend of his father, and First Lady Jenny Sanford
, the wife of Governor Mark Sanford
.
The primary of June 13, 2006, ended with Mike Campbell receiving 47 percent of the vote, Andre Bauer 37%, and Henry Jordan 18%. As Campbell did not win a majority, he faced Bauer in a runoff election on June 27 for the Republican nomination. Bauer won the runoff with slightly over 51 percent of vote. He then narrowly defeated Democrat Robert A. Barber, Jr.
, a former state representative, attorney and lobbyist in the General Election. Bauer received 543,414 votes (50.08%), while Barber received 540,306 votes (49.79%).
, with the following statement: "I, like many voters, have been previously undecided, but this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. This week, I have decided to vote for Mike Huckabee, and I urge all South Carolinians to join me in voting for Mike Huckabee this Saturday. Simply put, I believe Mike Huckabee is the best of several fine candidates to lead America. As America faces tough times, Mike Huckabee has the character, integrity, and proven leadership to ensure our greatest days are yet to come."
disappeared for several days, leading to the exposure of an adulterous affair and allegations that he had committed numerous misdemeanors. This led to an investigation by the state commission on ethics and a threat of impeachment by the legislature. Had Sanford been impeached, Bauer would have become acting governor during the trial. However, in December 2009, legislative moves to impeach Sanford collapsed as the House Judiciary Committee voted instead merely to censure him.
to stray animals who should not be fed. "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer said during a town hall meeting. "You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't... think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better." Bauer made the comment as part of an argument that people should lose government benefits if they fail drug test
s or don't attend parent-teacher conference
s or Parent-Teacher Association
meetings. The Associated Press
reported that Bauer was a child of divorce who benefited from free lunches himself.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Bauer was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1996–1999) and a member of the South Carolina State Senate (1999–2003), before being inaugurated as South Carolina's 87th lieutenant governor on January 15, 2003.
Background and personal life
Bauer was born in CharlestonCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, on March 20, 1969. He is the son of William R. Bauer and Saundrea Jill Bauer, and is a graduate of both Irmo High School
Irmo High School
Irmo High School is a four-grade public high school in Irmo, a suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. Around 2,000 students are enrolled in any single year...
and the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
.
Before his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
in 1996, Bauer was self-employed, selling sports merchandise to national franchise stores. Bauer is also a lieutenant colonel in the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
's South Carolina Wing.
Bauer has also been a Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement or JA or JA Worldwide is a non-profit youth organization that was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and senator Winthrop M. Crane. JA focuses on educating kids in K-12 about the free enterprise system...
teacher and is a current member of the following boards: the Lake Murray Tourism and Recreation Association, the American Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is a United States-based association working to fight the consequences of diabetes, and to help those affected by diabetes...
, the Columbia Visitors' Bureau, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, and the Sons of the American Revolution
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
.
In 2001, Bauer was recognized as Alumnus of the Year for the University of South Carolina College of Applied Professional Science. Bauer is a member of Union United Methodist Church.
According to his driving record with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, Bauer has had at least two accidents, four tickets, and one suspended license for failure to pay a ticket. On May 6, 2003, Bauer was stopped on Assembly Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, for running two red lights and speeding up to 60 mph in a 35-mph zone. The officer drew his gun after Bauer got out of the car and began heading toward the officer's car in an "aggressive manner." He was issued a ticket for reckless driving. On December 26, 2005, Bauer got a warning for speeding (77 mph in a 65 mph zone) in Laurens County, South Carolina. On February 25, 2006, Bauer was pulled over for speeding over 100 mph in Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 34,068; in 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had dropped to 33,228. Its county seat is Chester.-Geography and climate:...
in a state-issued car, but he was allowed to proceed without a ticket or warning.
On May 23, 2006, Bauer was injured in a single-engine airplane crash shortly after taking off from a small airfield in Blacksburg, South Carolina
Blacksburg, South Carolina
Blacksburg is a town in Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2010 census. The communities of Cherokee Falls, Kings Creek, Cashion Crossroads, Buffalo, and Mt...
. Bauer, who was the pilot of the Mooney M20
Mooney M20
The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, propeller-driven general aviation aircraft, all featuring a low-wing and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney Airplane Company.The "M20" was the twentieth design from Al Mooney, and his most successful...
E single-prop airplane, and his passenger escaped the wreckage before the plane caught fire. Bauer's passenger had only minor injuries. Bauer, however, was more seriously injured. He underwent surgery for a shattered left heel. The incident was voted "Best Political Stunt in 2006" by readers of the Free Times alternative weekly tabloid. While the factual report indicated that "best practice" procedures would have revealed that the airfield was too short to safely take off from, the findings only addressed Bauer's "failure to abort the takeoff after the airplane failed to achieve adequate airspeed on the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons." According to FAA regulations, "[t]he pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for . . . the operation of that aircraft" including determining if the aircraft is in airworthy condition and properly making the decision to abort takeoff in time to avoid a crash. Though in no way relieving Bauer of his being responsible for the crash, a June 11, 2009 court ruling points to a possible reason the airplane might not have achieved sufficient takeoff speed. Administrative Judge Richard C. Goodwin concluded “By overhauling the engine and returning it to service with incorrect bolts installed, respondent created an unnecessary risk in engine performance.”
South Carolina General Assembly
Bauer served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1996 to 1999. He served on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee. In 1999, Bauer was elected to the South Carolina State Senate in a special election. He was then re-elected in the 2000 general election and served in the State Senate until his inauguration as Lieutenant Governor on January 15, 2003. He came in second in the Republican primary to fellow State Senator David L. ThomasDavid L. Thomas
David Lloyd Thomas is a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 8th District since 1984. His district includes part of Greenville. He is also a partner at the firm Moore, Taylor & Thomas, P.A...
of Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, but defeated Thomas in the runoff for the nomination. He then defeated fellow State Senator Phil P. Leventis
Phil P. Leventis
Phil P. Leventis is a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 35th District since 1980. He is now in his 8th term as State Senator, making him 4th in seniority at the Statehouse....
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Sumter
Sumter, South Carolina
-Demographics:, there were 59,180 people, 34,717 households, and 4,049 families living in the city. The population density was 4,469.5 people per square mile . There were 416,032 housing units at an average density of 603.0 per square mile...
, in the 2002 general election for Lt. Governor, with more than 52 percent of the vote.
Lieutenant Governor
As Lieutenant Governor, Bauer served as the President of the Senate and oversaw the Office on Aging, and would have assumed the position of Governor if for any reason the Governor were unable to perform the duties of that office.As Lieutenant Governor, Bauer served in both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch of state government. After serving his first two years as President of the State Senate, Bauer touted his ruling of nearly $2 billion in tax increases as out of order.
In 2008, Bauer supported legislation for a new state license plate containing the words "I Believe" and
a "cross superimposed on a stained glass window.” The legislation was approved by the South Carolina General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
; however, a temporary order by a judge in U.S. District Court blocked production of the plates. On November 10, 2009, in a subsequent opinion and order on motions for summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie declared the "I Believe" Act "in violation of the Constitution of the United States of America" and permanently enjoined the state from issuing the "I Believe" state license plates. The judge also noted:
The “I Believe” Act had its genesis in Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer’s desire to do here what had been unsuccessful in the state of Florida–to gain legislative approval of a specialty plate promoting the majority religion: Christianity. Whether motivated by sincerely held Christian beliefs or an effort to purchase political capitalPolitical capitalPolitical capital is primarily based on a public figure's favorable image among the populace and among other important factors in or out of the government. Political capital is essentially the opinion of another person, group of people, or nation about you, your organization, or your government...
with religious coin, the result is the same. The statute is clearly unconstitutional and defense of its implementation has embroiled the state in unnecessary (and expensive) litigation.
Transparency issues
There have been questions about Bauer's commitment to transparency. In 2009, the South Carolina Policy Council, a non-profit free market think tank, investigated and reported on the Senior Center Permanent Improvement Program, which was operated by Bauer's office.At the time, Bauer’s office declined to turn over information about the program, which had paid out nearly $10 million since 2000, despite repeated requests for a detailed accounting of projects, collections and expenditures.
After the story ran, a spokesman for Bauer's office said his agency was “still chasing down the numbers” for the Permanent Improvement Program “because we want to be absolutely certain we are right.” More than half a year later, the office has yet to turn over any additional information on the program.
Also, in February 2009 Bauer unveiled the “lieutenant governor’s transparency initiative,” which he said would give taxpayers an unprecedented view of his office’s finances. Initially, his office posted accountability reports for January, February and March 2009, but it wasn’t updated after that. Since then, though, the lieutenant governor’s office has simply linked to the comptroller general’s spending transparency Web site.
Last summer, the Policy Council sent a S.C. Freedom of Information Act request to Bauer's office seeking all state-related communication sent or received via private e-mail accounts on state-owned or leased property or equipment between Jan. 1, 2009, and July 1, 2009. Bauer’s office was among 10 state agencies the Policy Council sent such an open-records request to, in an attempt to ascertain how widespread is the practice of conducting public business on private accounts. The other agencies turned over the information requested free of charge, but Bauer’s office sought to charge the Policy Council $61 an hour to compile the e-mails, plus 3 cents for each page copied.
In October, the Policy Council sent an electronic mail request to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office asking for a copy of the agency’s e-mail retention policy. Because South Carolina has no comprehensive plan regarding retention of e-mail and, therefore, retention plans are left up to individual agencies, the Policy Council queried several agencies on the subject. Helen Ann Thrower, Bauer’s chief of staff, responded by attaching a four-page document titled “Computer Usage: Internet and Network Services Policy.” Also included was a bill.
“The cost for providing this information is $15.25, based on the time it took to gather the information and put it in the attached document to send to you,” Thrower wrote.
However, the matter of e-mail retention was not addressed in the information sent by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
In November 2008, Bauer’s Office paid $5,000 to Gilded Age Films of Beaufort, S.C., for work that was not put out for bid, according to a March 18, 2010 report by The Nerve.
This despite the fact that the Lieutenant Governor’s Office falls under the state procurement code, which requires S.C. state agencies bound by it to seek competitive proposals for their work when outsourcing it to the private sector in order to get the best deal possible for taxpayers.
2006 re-election
Bauer faced two primary challenges for re-election, and a general election in 2006. The first challenge was launched by Mike Campbell, son of former Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.
Carroll Ashmore Campbell, Jr. was a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as 112th Governor of South Carolina from 1987 to 1995.-Early life:He was born in Greenville, South Carolina, the oldest of six children...
(R). Bauer also faced Dr. Henry Jordan, founder of the South Carolina branch of the Christian Coalition. During the primaries, Bauer portrayed himself as the underdog in this three-way race, despite being an incumbent. His opponents outspent him 3 to 1 in the campaigns. In the course of the campaign, Campbell received the endorsements of former President George H.W. Bush, a friend of his father, and First Lady Jenny Sanford
Jenny Sanford
Jennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina, heiress, and former investment banker.She was married to Governor Mark Sanford, whose initial campaigns she substantially funded...
, the wife of Governor Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
.
The primary of June 13, 2006, ended with Mike Campbell receiving 47 percent of the vote, Andre Bauer 37%, and Henry Jordan 18%. As Campbell did not win a majority, he faced Bauer in a runoff election on June 27 for the Republican nomination. Bauer won the runoff with slightly over 51 percent of vote. He then narrowly defeated Democrat Robert A. Barber, Jr.
Robert A. Barber, Jr.
Robert Barber of Charleston was the 2006 Democratic Party's Nominee for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. In November 2006, Barber faced off against incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, who sought a second term in office, defeating Barber in the General Election.-Early life...
, a former state representative, attorney and lobbyist in the General Election. Bauer received 543,414 votes (50.08%), while Barber received 540,306 votes (49.79%).
2008 presidential endorsement
On Thursday, January 17, 2008, Bauer announced his support for former Arkansas Governor Mike HuckabeeMike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
, with the following statement: "I, like many voters, have been previously undecided, but this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. This week, I have decided to vote for Mike Huckabee, and I urge all South Carolinians to join me in voting for Mike Huckabee this Saturday. Simply put, I believe Mike Huckabee is the best of several fine candidates to lead America. As America faces tough times, Mike Huckabee has the character, integrity, and proven leadership to ensure our greatest days are yet to come."
Sanford sex scandal
In the summer of 2009, Governor Mark SanfordMark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
disappeared for several days, leading to the exposure of an adulterous affair and allegations that he had committed numerous misdemeanors. This led to an investigation by the state commission on ethics and a threat of impeachment by the legislature. Had Sanford been impeached, Bauer would have become acting governor during the trial. However, in December 2009, legislative moves to impeach Sanford collapsed as the House Judiciary Committee voted instead merely to censure him.
2010 gubernatorial candidacy
Andre Bauer officially announced his plans to run for governor with a statewide tour on March 22, 2010. In December 2009, former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee endorsed Bauer for Governor. Bauer was defeated in the Republican primary in June 2010.Controversial comments on the poor
In January 2010, Bauer came under fire for comparing public school children who receive free lunchesNational School Lunch Act
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act is a United States federal law signed by President Harry S. Truman in 1946. The act created the National School Lunch Program , a program to provide low-cost or free school lunch meals to qualified students through subsidies to schools...
to stray animals who should not be fed. "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer said during a town hall meeting. "You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't... think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better." Bauer made the comment as part of an argument that people should lose government benefits if they fail drug test
Drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
s or don't attend parent-teacher conference
Parent-teacher conference
A parent-teacher conference is a short meeting or conference between the parents and teachers of students to discuss children's progress at school and ways for improvement...
s or Parent-Teacher Association
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
meetings. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Bauer was a child of divorce who benefited from free lunches himself.