“Against the will” of residents

The residents of Willowbank neighborhood have overwhelmingly agreed that they would like to temporarily close off two entrances to the neighborhood in the interest of safety.

There have been many complaints of non-Willowbank residents cutting through to avoid a traffic light and driving too fast.  

With no sidewalks in the neighborhood, this often leaves children and pets in harms way.

 For many months, the Chief of Police and staff have been holding workshops to survey residents to find out the best solution to the problem.

  As it has finally come before city council over the past few meetings, the residents have spoken up and begged for a temporary road closure to test the idea and see if permanently closing the streets will make a difference in the residents having a feeling of safety from cars cutting through.

 In a council meeting to discuss the matter on January 7th, Peggy Wayne was verbally blasted by a Willowbank resident regarding her ignorance on the matter and her unwillingness to listen to reason.  She was told there "was no excuse."

  On Thursday night, she got her revenge!  Even though she had previously stated that she would vote the way the residents of Willowbank preferred, (since it is, after all, their neighborhood), she got the last laugh in being the last vote against the temporary road closure.

  She also spent a minute complaining about getting ugly emails from Georgetown residents and said that she "did not appreciate it."

The residents of Willowbank were, needless to say, disappointed in the decision.

The vote was 4 to 3 in favor of keeping the roads open, against the will of the residents.

Other members who voted against the road closures cited feeling that it was trying to make an "exclusive" neighborhood, when Georgetown should be trying to be more "open."

Brendon M. Barber, Sr. and Rudolph A. Bradley said they cut through the neighborhood regularly.

Elaine Thomas

In Vida Miller’s defense

I immediately thought the recent letter from Jill Kelso ("Figuring whichlawmakers make the grade") must be an attempt to make a conservative fake seem important, and sure enough, if we consider the source, that is exactly what it is.

  The "grades" on the so-called "scorecard" are not from an accredited institution, as the terminology would imply.

 They simply reflect whether the recipient walks the Sanford line.  

The SC Club for Growth and South Carolinians for Responsible Government are the same — conservative, pro big business, pro school vouchers, and pro Sanford, who has misspent taxpayer money, disgraced his office, and does not have the approval of most of our legislators.

  SCCG & SCRG also funnel in hundreds of thousand of unaccounted for dollars from out of state into campaigns (Jill Kelso was the recipient of tens of thousands).

Vida Miller has a high voting record with the SC Conservation Voters and with with the SC Business and Industry Political Education Committee, known as BIPEC.  

Both of these groups support ideas and values that reflect what residents of this area believe in —environmental protection and controlled economic development.  

Many far right legislators have a much lower score with these valid groups than Vida Miller.

  Those on the far right do not respect our natural resources.  They want everything developed, and do not vote for what is good for their districts.

 An "F" from such a "club"  as the SCCG, quoted by Kelso, can be considered a compliment and validation that Vida is doing well for her constituents and for the vast majority of the people of South Carolina, who need strong schools, preserved natural resources andnon-destructive economic development.

Elizabeth Wiley

Pawleys Island

Kind people of Andrews

 I am always amazed how cruel people can be when they can just up and throw away a dog! I see them all the time, skin and bones and it breaks my heart.

But I must tell you all about the great compassion I have seen from my fellow neighbors of Andrews. At the Food Lion store, there is a hound dog that hangs around in the parking lot. She was so emaciated that all you could see was skin and bones.

  I never thought she would live very long, but one day while going into Food Lion I saw a bag of dog food sitting by the bench next to the door with a pile of food on the cement.

 I went on in to shop, but continued to think about the dog food. I then realized someone had bought the food and left it for the dog.  So I decided to buy another bag to leave for the same purpose. I took the opened bag, put the one I bought in its place and went to where the dog was and left another pile for her.

Every time I go now,  I make sure to leave her some food. The amazing thing is, there must be a lot of people doing the same thing.

 I saw the hound on Monday and she looked so much better, she has gained weight, her skin looks better and she has now bought 2 more ‘thrown away dogs’ with her.

She is still very skittish, but she wags her tail when you talk to her and I know she is also sharing her food with her friends.

People who are cruel to animals are a shame to the human race. How can you mistreat something that depends on you for their sole survival?

Animals are so loving, they are so happy to see you when you come home and they are your best friend, how can you mistreat them so. Shame on you!

Thank you kind people of Andrews, you are truly angels.

 Carlene S Gauler

Andrews

S.C. lacrosse

I enjoyed readng Hal Ness’s letter and applaud the success of a decade of South Carolina Lacrosse. Aside from being a great sport to both watch and participate in, it also develops sportsmanship and fraternity that continues long after the playing days are over.

A player’s physical size is not as important as it is in other contact sports, so it appeals to a broader group of kids. Although I have never played “the fastest game on two feet,” our three sons have played on all levels. With scholarship help, all have graduated from universities and two earning NCAA All-American Honors.

As more athletes are exposed to this sport, the success of South Carolina Lacrosse will continue to grow.

Steve and Jean Riordan

Georgtown

Fire victims

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone for helping Schellon Sherman and her family.

  I can't even begin to express how amazing our community is.

 Thank you.

Beverly Causey

When only money wins

 How did we manage to turn ourselves from a country in which the majority rules into one in which now only a supermajority can legislate?

In the process, we have crippled our ability to pass any meaningful legislation.

California, our national trend setter,  teeters on the brink of economic self-destruction, in part because new tax legislation requires a two-thirds vote.

It appears we have finally scuttled this once-great experiment in democracy which has so often seemed about to sink (think Civil War; think Japanese internment; think McCarthy; think Nixon).

Given our current differences, the probability of getting 60% of our citizens to agree on anything (no president has won 60% of the popular vote since 1972) seems improbable.

Sixty percent of the people I know agree on only one political issue — term limits are needed to stop corruption and self-serving practices in Congress (think bridge to nowhere; think Sen. Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Awards).

When it costs a reported $300 million to buy the vote of one Louisiana Senator  simply to allow Congressional debate on the health care bill, can we any longer afford to legislate?

 When a single Senator can block the will of the majority, then “democracy” loses all meaning.

For the moment Republicans can take comfort in the gridlock that impedes any form of legislative forward movement.

But when Republicans retake the legislature, will Democrats recall the obstructionism of their adversaries and return tit-for-tat?  

Democrats have only values and goals. Republicans have only money.

Our system is now perfectly rigged to assure that money wins.

When money wins, the 1% of Americans who control 38% of the country’s wealth will be ecstatic.

That figure includes the 100 Senators who make up the controlling half  of the best Congress that money can buy.

 Terry Munson

Pawleys Island