PENDLETON — Saying the nation has just experienced an historic election, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., told a group of educators, politicians and civic leaders Wednesday, “now it is time to get down to the business of the country,” at the Tri-County Technical College Annual Report luncheon.

Remembering that he and Barack Obama entered the United States Senate on the same day and sat next to each other during senate orientation, DeMint said, “America is not the government that we elect, but the people sitting in this room. You are the ones who go out and get things done, along with the students that graduate from Tri-County Tech.”

He said, “Technical schools are about freedom, and Tri-County Tech is in the freedom business.”

Citing program advances in nursing and pre-pharmacy at the school, DeMint said careers in these fields offer freedom of choice to students who complete their work and graduate.

“Your party affiliation is unimportant. Values are what matter. The responsibility of society is to facilitate individual freedom. Government must not deprive people of that freedom by giving them freedom without the necessary skills. Tri-County Tech is giving people skills, and thus facilitating freedom,” DeMint said.

Tri-County Tech President Ronnie Booth presented the 2007-08 Annual Report for the college at the luncheon and said this is the first year that Tri-County has had more than 5,000 students attending the college.

Booth cited collaborations with Anderson University in the field of criminal justice and the Gateway and Bridge programs with Clemson University as important connections to other community schools.

“Since money is tight, I will be coming to you (political leaders) to ask you how can we get to where we want to go with the money we have to get there?” Booth said.

Highlights of the school’s annual report indicated that total 2007-08 foundation contributions were $885,682. Booth said that the fact that 99 percent of faculty and staff made contributions to the college was significant.

Total budget expenditures for the year were $48,258,075, which were paid by tuition and fees; state and county appropriations; and auxiliary and miscellaneous enterprises, according to the college’s budget report.