How Rahm defused the race bomb

It seemed like a good idea at the time. After Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced he would not run for reelection after almost 22 years in office, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and other prominent black leaders saw a golden opportunity.

Figuring out the dollars and sense

I'm a journalist, which, by definition, means that I hate math. And one thing that I hate more than math is budgeting. So you probably may have guessed that the only thing I hate more than budgeting is having a serious conversation with my husband about how we need to start budgeting. But after examining our bank statements recently, I've come to realize that evaluating our spending habits is something that's ...

How long is a long good-bye?

Lately and more than once, that irritating detail known as "time" has saturated my mind in an especially tense and poignant manner. Tick –tock. Tick-tock. Shut off that annoying sound. Can time be disguised as sound? It can be for some. Perhaps it's the sound of an alarm clock at first light; or the sound of a bell when the school day is complete; or the sound of a buzzer when the game is ...

The power of early education

One of the many priceless moments in the 1990 film "Kindergarten Cop" takes place when Detective John Kimble, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, tries to explain why he is a kindergarten teacher. To a teacher colleague, who is unaware he has entered the school in an undercover role, he explains, "I got tired of teaching teenagers because by the time they came to me I felt there wasn't much ...

Lifting the heavy thumb

WASHINGTON -- Mike Huckabee made a great argument for gay marriage. The once and perhaps future Republican presidential candidate didn't mean it that way, of course. Actually, he was slamming President Obama's decision to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. Huckabee, speaking at a session sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, criticized Obama for being "clearly out of sync ...

Music to make you smile

Music makes the world go 'round. A world without music is a world in which I wouldn't want to live.

A crisis offers union-busting opportunity

If anything is clear in the labor clash that has brought Wisconsin government to a screeching halt it is how neither side has been all that clear about what the fight really is about.

Councils' strategies are smart moves

Both Camden City and Kershaw County councils seem to be made up of people with good heads on their shoulders.

The face(s) of Kershaw County public education

While sorting through the papers of a deceased friend of mine who wished them given to the South Caroliniana Library, I came across a 1970-71 annual of the Kershaw County Vocational Center. I soon visited Howard Branham, director of the Camden Archives and Museum, to see if they had a copy in their collection. They did not but in a few minutes Howard made a copy and added it to their collection.

Doing multiculturalism right

Among their other headaches, some of Europe's biggest leaders are troubled by the lukewarm state of their countries' melting pots.

We need an energy solution ... fast

Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi is screaming bloody murder and vowing to be a martyr.

A personal recollection

As South Carolinians continue their celebration of Black History Month, I am today even more uplifted than ever by the profound contributions of African-Americans to the never-ending challenge to improve our communities, our state and our nation.

County sets efficiency, prosperity as targets

The 2011 Kershaw County Council is off to a quick start. First, we were faced with the resignation of the county administrator. Fortunately, Frank Broom, a seasoned county and city administrator, stepped forward. The Council unanimously voted for Mr. Broom to become the interim county administrator. Mr. Broom has wasted no time in demonstrating his exceptional leadership skills in the public arena. Many lingering issues were immediately resolved and many new initiatives were suggested. ...

Thumb-twiddling no option

WASHINGTON -- Procrastination is rarely a cost-free strategy. That is true when it comes to fixing Social Security -- as much as the Obama administration and, even more forcefully, its allies on the left may wish to believe otherwise. Their "what's the big rush?" message goes like this: The retirement program isn't really contributing to deficits in the short run. Indeed, its finances are healthy enough so that it can continue paying all promised ...

Gardens and guns

NEW YORK -- Now would be a very good time to be a cartoonist. Or perhaps not. As the late cartoonist Doug Marlette frequently lamented, "How do you cartoon a cartoon? We're living in ÎToon Town.'"

Not such strange bedfellows

WASHINGTON -- Breaking news: Conservative organizations suddenly have found common cause with one of their favorite objects of contempt -- the benighted Mainstream Media.

Seniors reflect

I meet with a lot of groups and committees over the course of the year, and I think it's important for me to do so. One of my favorite groups is Student Cabinet, which is comprised of student government leaders from each of our high schools. We meet four times a year over lunch. What I love and value about students is that they don't hesitate to tell you what's ...

A matter of conscience:

In 1929, my family moved from Chesterfield County to a farm adjoining the farm of Donald Holland's parents in the Cassatt community. I was a year old at the time but before many years passed, Donald and I established a friendship lasting until Donald's passing in 2003.

When DOJ targets press, we all lose

To say I was stunned was putting it mildly. I was shocked to learn about the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) decision to seize phone records belonging to the Associated Press (AP). The C-I does not belong to the AP; I have never written for the service. That doesn't negate my outrage at DOJ's actions.

Fredericksburg Township explored

Our grand city of Camden is a beautifully preserved town laid out in an 18th century plan devised by Joseph Kershaw. We are proud of our historic homes and buildings, carefully placed public parks, wide streets, and beautiful trees. So it is easy to forget that this was not the original plan for the "town" that was to develop in this area of South Carolina. The original plan was a part of the "Township ...

What was the IRS thinking?

Well, this is a fine mess.

Are we willing to pay for increased public safety?

Kershaw County public safety is at a crossroads. The sheriff's office is greatly understaffed and deputies are compensated for their mandatory overtime work by an antiquated and grossly unfair payment system. The solicitor's office is working with half the staff it needs to properly prosecute the cases it receives every month and the jail is barely able to keep sufficient staff to meet state standards. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: ...

Benghazi redacted

Gatsby? What Gatsby?