Opinion

While President Barack Obama and his Wall Street buddies are hustling to divert public money to patch wounds inflicted by corporate greed and government-endorsed Ponzi schemes, toilets are overflowing.

The government has flushed perfect opportunities to infuse federal money into community-based, job-producing critical infrastructure projects, which could have stabilized employment, but instead paid off whining board members with billions of dollars to cover obscene bonuses and mismanagement.

First, let me assure you that I value hearing your opinions. Just like you, I want what is best for South Carolina, its citizens and especially our children – and who better to determine what is best for kids than their parents?

The Kershaw Children’s Memorial and Prayer Garden opened on April 10.

This garden is a place to come and remember those children who have died or who are apart from our lives. It is a place of peace. It is our place, your place.

It came into being through the help and donations of several wonderful and caring companies and individuals.

Thanks to Haile Gold Mine Inc. for providing the bench, balloons, foundation and many other things.

Thanks to Knight Lawn Care for providing the river stones for the families to decorate.

“Playmates,” a painting by local artist Dianne Mahaffey is missing.

Mahaffey donated the painting and other artwork for an auction at the Lancaster County Council of the Arts gala, “Southern Charm.”

The Arts Council’s annual fundraiser was on March 6 at the Bradley Arts & Sciences building. The painting has been missing since then.

If you have any information about the missing painting, please contact Christina Chastain at Lancaster County Council of the Arts, 285-7451.

Dianne Mahaffey

Lancaster

U.S. Rep. John Spratt told a reporter during a recent interview about his vote in the health care reform bill that he would have preferred to have taken the overhaul in stages or steps.

“By taking on the whole bucketful of issues and problems, it only made it (more) complex,” Spratt said.

Whose call was it? Either he voted on his own freewill or someone pulled his puppet strings. John Spratt holds no personal responsibility for his actions. Lets look at a few more items that may or may not have been Spratt’s call.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who has supported me and my family through this very troubling time.

Your belief in me and your kind words are appreciated more than simple words could ever express.

I know that this ordeal has also been very hard on many of you as well. Many of you have been attacked on a personal level for publicly showing your support for me. For that I am truly sorry. My own family has had to endure these attacks as well. Yet they still stand strong beside me.

I note that our duly elected County Auditor Cheryl Morgan attended the Lancaster County Council meeting and recommended the county retain the elected positions of auditor and treasurer.

When I first read about the proposal to change those two positions to appointed rather than elected, I began to feel uneasy. I have long assumed that elections give the public an opportunity to decide on the incumbent.

Appointments take away that opportunity. Some recent Web page comments have not been favorable toward appointed officials, whether justified or not.

Bad cop, innocent victim. It’s the kind of story TV stations love to make a splash with.

I’ve wondered from the start why two local residents didn’t report to their local paper that a Lancaster Police Department officer reportedly used obscene language with them, and threatened them. I’ve written stories about officers who have done wrong before.

I am concerned how our state spends money. We live in a state where the unemployment rate is expected to reach a record high of 13 percent this year.

Yet members of the S.C. Legislature seem to think that a PGA golf tournament is more important than trying to prevent teachers from losing jobs.

In many school districts across the state, budgets are so tight that these districts are cutting out substitutes. And unfortunately, many teachers are losing their jobs as well.