Archive By Section - Editorials
Noted and passed
• We see through news reports that a sizeable percentage of newly elected U.S. Congressmen have decided to sleep in their offices, partly due to the high cost of real estate in the Washington area. That brings back memories. Rep. Ken Holland, formerly of Camden, was one of the first to become an "office snoozer" when he was elected to Congress from the Fifth Congressional District in 1974. Holland, a lawyer by profession, served ...
Fine -- no points
The state appears on the verge of legitimizing a traffic ticket system that has existed on the gray market for years in many municipalities -- writing tickets and collecting fines while not counting the violations against people's traffic records, thus saving them the higher insurance premiums that often result with speeding violations. A bill in the House of Representatives would allow police to write a warning ticket to speeders who are going less than ...
A new life for Mather
We all like to think that when we go to the polls to elect our leaders that we're casting our ballots for people who will make bold decisions; few voters ever mark the box next to the name of a candidate they consider timid. Camden City Council has indeed made some bold decisions recently, the latest one being to buy the former Mather Academy property, with the purpose of building a new recreational complex to take the place of the aging Rhame Arena.
Noted and passed
• It's difficult not to like the candor of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, the plain-spoken chief executive who's grappling with the Garden State's problems in a way that residents of that state have seldom seen. Christie lets the criticism of the media and special-interest groups roll off his back while he pile drives into the massive issues facing his state. Recently, Christie said he ...
Frank Buckles
The nation marked a milestone earlier this week when Frank Buckles of West Virginia, the last surviving U.S. World War I veteran, died at the age of 110. Buckles passed away peacefully, according to his daughter, and remained until the end somewhat bemused by his singular status as last survivor.
Public unions
The drama that's been playing out for a couple weeks in Wisconsin over public sector unions has moved to Ohio, and it's almost certain that the issue of public unions isn't going away. While union membership has been declining for years in private business, that hasn't been the case with public unions; in 2009, for the first time in this country's history, a majority of unionized workers were in government jobs rather than private ...
Noted and passed
• We're glad to see Kershaw County Council moving toward a ban on smoking in county-owned vehicles. Employees have the right to smoke if they wish, of course, but the prohibition on puffing in vehicles merely extends the present policy which bans smoking in county buildings. Cigarette smoke odor lingers in vehicles, and non-smoking employees shouldn't have to put up with it.
Is tax reform at hand?
With April 15 approaching, Kershaw County taxpayers are bundling their records together and preparing to report to Uncle Sam. In most cases, they'll be hiring someone to prepare their tax returns because the tax code in this country is so blindingly complicated that a layman has no chance of understanding it. Many tax professionals can't even understand it. But in Washington, there's finally talk of comprehensive tax reform. That, of course, doesn't mean our ...
Wisconsin unrest
Most people here in Kershaw County and across the country believe that despite political differences, there's a sense of fair play that should come into effect when philosophical problems arise in government. We certainly haven't seen much of an atmosphere of compromise in the last few years, but the brouhaha in Wisconsin over the governor's efforts to end a portion of public unions' collective bargaining rights has prompted two actions that we believe most ...
Noted and passed
• A simple but efficient system is helping prevent meth production in South Carolina. A computer tracking system that went online in early January monitors purchases of the cold remedy pseudoephedrine -- a key ingredient in meth -- as they are made and thus prevents lawbreakers from going from store to store to buy large supplies of the over-the-counter drug. Nearly 6,000 sales have been prevented in the month ...
Ban on texting
Camden City Council made the wise move some time ago to prohibit people from sending text messages while they're driving, a practice that is unquestionably dangerous but is common, especially among teenagers. Now it appears that the General Assembly might pass a statewide ban on texting despite the fact that there are still several senators who feel such a prohibition would be an infringement on drivers' rights. But making that argument makes no more ...
GOP stable
With President Obama having come forth with a proposed budget that's big on tax increases and small on spending cuts, political eyes will be turning toward Republicans to see which GOP hopeful will step out and establish a position as a frontrunner. Incumbent presidents have a terrific advantage, but the 2010 Democratic debacle is full indication that Obama won't be a shoo-in for another term in ...
Noted and passed
• Fie on those who are criticizing First Lady Michelle Obama because she served pizza, sausages and Buffalo wings at the White House Super Bowl viewing. Mrs. Obama has been spearheading an effort to get Americans to eat more healthful fare, but she's right in saying that it isn't an all-or-nothing proposition. People can adopt better diets without completely eliminating those "fun" foods that almost everyone likes. Carping critics need to pipe down. <p ...
Less is more
Republicans gained a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in last November's elections, but the GOP is finding that binding all its members together to produce clear policy isn't an easy task. House Republicans earlier this week proposed cutting about $35 billion in spending, slashing such programs as Americorps, family planning assistance and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. But many newly elected members say that's ...
Sunday changes
Recent legislation allowing Sunday alcohol sales in Camden is just one example of how lifestyles are changing across the United States. For many years, alcohol could not be sold in any form on Sunday in South Carolina -- except, of course, in Charleston, which for decades winked slyly not only at state bans on Sunday sales but also at the state's prohibition on mixed drinks, which were officially prohibited across the Palmetto State but ...
Articles by Section - Editorials
The IRS
There are jokes aplenty about the Internal Revenue Service, but the latest revelations about that agency's conduct in targeting conservative groups is no laughing matter. In reality, it's not about conservative groups or liberal groups or apolitical groups. It's about the abhorrent idea that the IRS would single out any kind of organization or individual to harass -- and indeed it is harassment. <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="text-align: left; text-indent: ...
Noted and passed - May 13, 2013
• An amazing sight Friday morning: the final two-section, 75-foot portion of the spire atop One World Trade Center in New York City was lifted up and carefully put in to place. With the spire, 1 WTC -- as some are calling it -- became the tallest building in the western hemisphere, topping out at a very symbolic 1,776 feet. While it was an odd bit of showmanship, it ...
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