Ports of Georgetown

Dear Editor:

This is an anonymous letter. It is, because it involves an idea, not an ideology or individual. Aware of your policy of not printing unsigned letters, you are asked to publish this one anyway so the idea can be discussed rationally and unemotionally rather than as just a part of the petty bickering that otherwise hampers government in these modern times.

Georgetown has an important asset. It is the Port of Georgetown. That facility has two parts. They are the seaport and the airport. Properly maintained and improved, this entire port system has the potential to import prosperity to the community at large. Both need to be nurtured. If not, they will languish.

The Propeller Club and others have focused energies on maintenance and improvement of the seaport. They are to be commended. At the same time, public attention should also be drawn to similar economic opportunities at the Georgetown County airport.

Georgetown-Horry Tech's local campus and the Georgetown County Airport are very close to one another. They can be joined by adding shops and classrooms for a new and innovative Tech degree program in aircraft maintenance next to the airport. Boeing Aircraft in Charleston could be asked for a roster of retired or semi- retired aircraft engineers to put a program together and teach. Boeing builds airplanes and sells them. After that, someone else has to keep them in the air. People who can do that earn a very good living. The local school and airport would be an excellent incubator for new shops and businesses, most near or at the airport, devoted to keeping things flying. Mechanics, electricians, people skilled in avionics, millwrights, welders, tool and dye makers and the administrative staffs that keep those shops in business all could profit. So would all the local businesses where those folks shop.

The modern world is upon us. If we do nothing, nothing happens. If we say no, nothing happens. If we try, we might fail. But if we try hard enough and often enough, sooner or later we can succeed. All that success ever takes is time, effort and endurance. It is time to try.

To that end, this idea is suggested. Elected and appointed public officials are the ones who are responsible for making a decision of whether the notion is viable or not. They know better than anyone the amount of work that would be involved. As far as the cost, they are going to spend all our tax money every year on one thing or another anyway. Why not spend it here to try to stimulate economic opportunities and job growth?

The people can make this happen include Congressman Tim Scott, Senator Yancey McGill, Representative Carl Anderson, the Airport Commission Chairman, the Fixed Based Operator of the airport, the County Administrator, the Interim City Administrator, a local representative of South Carolina's Workforce program, the local Dean of Horry-GeorgetownTech, and local director of the South Carolina Ports Authority, a representative of Boeing Aircraft, all with the Editor of the Georgetown Times keeping the public up to date.

Give the idea a chance. Please.

Sincerely,

A Voter

Editor’s Note: The writer correctly states that it is the policy of the Georgetown Times not to publish anonymous letters. The writer is known to the Times but has requested that the name not be used so the ideas presented can stand on their own.

Appalling

I returned recently from a trip up North to be greeted by the appalling story on page one of your newspaper regarding Dara the dog.

While visiting my daughter in New England, her pet — a large playful Swiss Mountain dog named Moose — stood up to a mama black bear that was protecting her cub. For me and many other canine lovers, life like the late George said, “is a series of dogs.” Mine for the most part have been like Dara in the black Lab family.

The individual who perpetuated this heinous crime is obviously disturbed. Just how much may not be apparent to the general public. People like this emotionally disturbed person, who get enjoyment from torturing helpless creatures often have other tendencies which if examined can hopefully lead to a suspect. Besides hurting animals, these types are arsonists and late-into-life bed-wetters.

This monster is known to someone who should report suspected individuals to the Sheriff’s Department. Not to do so, may be putting humans as well as dogs at risk. These types fit the terrible triad of serial killers. People like Jeffrey Dahmers, Joran Van der Sloot and Ted Bundy are just a few killers who exhibited one or more of these traits. A few years ago a young girl vacationing on spring break, Brittanee Drexel disappeared from Myrtle Beach. The last ping from her cell phone was traced to the Georgetown area. While it is doubtful that he — serial killers are mostly white males — and Dara's torturer are one in the same, who knows?

Michael Casey

Pawleys Island

Note: This letter was written before a suspect was arrested.

Your vote on 1%

Council members,

Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke issued another dismal forecast for our economy and he is not projecting any growth until at least 2014, and after that there is uncertainty.

I urge you once more to not put the important decision of a new 1% tax into the hands of a largely uninformed public.

You have each accepted the responsibility of running this county and overseeing the management of its finances. It is you who are responsible for being informed and educating yourselves about matters concerning our local and national economy and how that affects the finances of the county. The general public simply does not have the time or resources that it requires to understand these technical issues. The average voter is all too inclined towards a quick and easy knee jerk decision based on hearsay and rumor or how a vote may affect their neighborhood and not have a grasp on how it may affect the whole county.

I offer the following extreme analogy;

A man has built a very successful business employing laborers to do yard work. He has been successful to the point that he decides to give the company to the employees as a gift. He tells the employees that they are now in charge and can run the company as they please, but to be very careful because the economy is in a perilous condition and finances are short. The employees decide that the first thing that they will do is give themselves a raise, paid vacation, new uniforms, grant themselves longer lunch breaks — you see where I am going here — the company goes broke is a short while.

There are situations where certain decisions should not be left up to the public. This is one of those times and this is one of those decisions.

One of the most often heard reasons for building all of these projects is that the improved living environment will attract businesses and bring jobs. That is a great concept and I believe in it. My question is, “Would business’ want to come to a county that went bankrupt because of overbuilding and a crashed economy?”

Now is not the time for this proposal. It is too risky at this time. Wait until the country and our county are on more firm economic ground. It may only be a couple of years. In the meantime, work on the only project on the list that offered anything near a quick stimulus for the economy, that is the dredging for the port. Fix that relatively small problem and let the rest wait.

IF your decision is to allow the vote and it results in the county sliding over the financial brink in the future, a viable excuse on your part is not going to be “Well, the public voted for it!”. Your only acceptable excuse is going to be, “I didn’t do the job expected of me when it was time for a tough vote.”

“The public deserves an opportunity to vote” is not a sound argument.

Third reading is not a rubber stamp. We elected you to make the tough decisions.

Bill Hills

Pawleys Island