Columns

Here’s my final legislative summary for you regarding the just-finished General Assembly session.

Roads funding and restructuring
After years of inaction, the General Assembly passed a roads bill that reforms both the DOT and the State Infrastructure Bank, as well as provides a major increase in funding for long-overdue maintenance needs. The governor now has the authority – and responsibility – to appoint, oversee and, when necessary, fire the nine SCDOT Commissioners.

The recent shootings of unarmed members of Congress on a baseball practice field in Virginia is just the latest, but most serious, of a series of reactions to the election of our president.
The shooter was dispatched by two brave security officers on the scene and will be no cost to the taxpayers while he awaits trial.
This behavior must cease, and we need to face up to the atmosphere that feeds this kind of cowardly action by misfits in our society.

“For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.”  – H.L. Mencken
The S.C. legislature seems to live by this. We have some very big and complex problems in this state, and our lawmakers are masters at coming up with clear, simple, wrong answers. Three stories in the news last week are a perfect illustration of this.
Many would argue that the two most basic core functions of our state government are to educate our children and to keep us safe. Figuring out how to pay for these things is the challenge.

Editor’s note: Kershaw resident Wilma Faile enthralled us last year with tales of the skunk army in her crawlspace. To our delight, Wilma is back.

A few weeks ago, I got out of bed and my mouth felt funny. I looked into the mirror. I was cotton-mouthed.
My tongue was coated. I used everything – salt water, mouthwash, cleaned with a toothbrush. Next day, I had blisters on it.