Alexandria, VA – The 60 Plus Association, a national non-partisan senior citizens group, announced today that Governor Henry McMaster has earned the Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award because “he has always spoken out against the death tax and worked to protect the elderly.”

In a statement released by 60 Plus, National Spokesman Pat Boone remarked, “I’m still singing at concerts, but today I’m singing the praises of Governor McMaster. Seniors can depend on Governor McMaster to protect them against wasteful spending. He has always spoken out against the death tax and has worked diligently to protect the elderly.” Boone, 82, and his wife of 61 years, Shirley, reside in Beverly Hills, California.

Boone is familiar to audiences as a star of music, film and television. He has had 38 top 10 hits since his recording career began in the 1950’s, and, according to Billboard magazine, still holds the record for the most consecutive weeks (220) on the charts by any performer.

60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin, on hand in Alexandria to personally present the award said, “It was Ben Franklin who famously said there are two certainties in life, death and taxes, but because of the estate, or death tax, there is a third certainty — taxes after death. 60 Plus bestows an award on lawmakers who speak out for death tax repeal at all levels of government with an award named in Dr. Franklin’s honor.

“Repealing the death tax is not a break for the rich. That’s nonsense. The rich set up trusts and foundations to protect their assets. It’s small businesses, especially first generation, newly-emerging, minority-owned, small family run businesses that suffer the most. This is why economists on both the left and the right oppose it, along with a strong majority of Americans, because they understand it kills jobs and hurts those least able to afford it.

“60 Plus calls on more than 7.2 million seniors nationally for support, including 60,000 in the Palmetto State so I believe I can speak on behalf of seniors when I say that they can count on Henry McMaster to side with them,” Martin added.

“I’ve always followed the political scene in South Carolina and I’m well aware of the Governors long history of protecting seniors from his days overseeing the Office of Aging and even before as U.S. Attorney under Ronald Reagan. Seniors, their children and grandchildren have a champion in Governor McMaster.”

Former South Carolina GOP Chairman Van Hipp and his wife, Jane, hosted the McMaster reception at their home. Martin noted that Hipp preceded McMaster as Chairman and credited Hipp with “building the GOP into its current dominant force in the state.”

Martin, with a touch of pride and humor, remarked that as a former Marine “I once lived in
your great state, back in 1953 in Beaufort (Parris Island). After my Corps service I was a reporter with my friend, the late Lee Bandy, for Sims News Bureau, a Palmetto state news agency, and two of our clients were the Columbia State and Augusta Chronicle.”