TheSunNews.com: Opinion

Try a Little Openness

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10 EST

Though the process improved toward the end, taxpayers don't know exactly what led their representatives on the Horry County Council to a stalemate in choosing a new county administrator and the subsequent need to interview a new set of candidates. Citizens are largely in the dark on the why and how because the process was kept secret until this week, when three semifinalists were interviewed publicly.

The three were county attorney John Weaver, who has been the interim administrator; Duncan Ballantyne, former Martin County, Fla., administrator; and former Cape Coral, Fla., city manager Terry Stewart. Hours before the scheduled interviews, Stewart dropped out, sensing possible Freedom of Information Act violations during the search process. Would Stewart, had he stayed in, have won over enough council members? Probably not, given the solid six votes Weaver had, apparently throughout the process.

After the council's 6-6 tie on Weaver and Ballantyne, they were taken out of consideration as the council voted 8-4 to resume its search. Weaver appears to have been caught in the political switches. He has said he would not hold ill-feelings if he were not selected to be administrator and that he will continue on as county attorney, promises we hope he will keep.

A Fitting Welcome

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10 EST

Sgt. Woody Walkup was smiling broadly as he was welcomed home at Myrtle Beach International Airport the other day. The Air Force sergeant was greeted by a large crowd at the airport who let him know his service in Afghanistan is appreciated by folks back home.

The 20-year-old is the latest area armed forces member proudly and properly welcomed by Operation Welcome Home, a service many communities would love to have. Operation Welcome Home is a fine showing of the wonderful community spirit throughout the area.

Some of the folks who welcomed Walkup surely could remember the shameful treatment of Vietnam veterans. One may dismiss such behavior as largely that of young college students who were protesting an unpopular war with the wrong people, but the actions taken against Vietnam veterans should not have happened. That was then, and Operation Welcome Home suggests Americans learned something and will remember that regardless of one's views about U.S. involvement in Iraq or Afghanistan, the young men and women who serve their country deserve respect and gratitude.

Incumbents barely retain seats

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10 EST

Two Sunset Beach, N.C., Town Council incumbents and the incumbent mayor ran for re-election on Nov. 3. Councilman Len Steiner finished dead last and lost his seat. Councilman Lou DeVita kept his seat by a pitiful 53 votes. Mayor Ron Klein squeaked by with 110 votes more than his challenger.

There can be only one conclusion from all of this, and I sincerely hope it isn't lost on the remaining incumbents: We don't like what you've been doing. Do you get it now?

You can't sugar-coat or spin this message. It's crystal clear. We're fed up with your arrogance, secrecy, fiscal irresponsibility and good-old-boy politics. We're fed up with your $5 million dollar boat ramps when we need sidewalks, paved roads, parking and restrooms. And, not to put too fine a point on things, we're fed up with you.

Donation honors veterans

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10 EST

The newspaper's recent articles concerning Veterans Day, especially Dave Baity's "Veterans go on record" and Isaac Bailey's "Not only sorry but also grateful," along with several columns and letters to the editor, all made both of us pause and reflect on how truly privileged we are to live in this great country and enjoy the freedoms we have each and every day.

Without question or hesitation, we have our military men and women - past, present and future - to thank for this.

Not a single day goes by that we do not recognize the sacrifices that they and their families give and have given.

Civilian trial lacks logic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10 EST

For late-19th-century anarchists, terrorism was the "propaganda of the deed." And the most successful propaganda-by-deed in history was Sept. 11, 2001 -- not just the most destructive, but the most spectacular and telegenic.

And now its self-proclaimed architect, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, has been given by the Obama administration a civilian trial in New York. Just as the memory fades, Sept. 11 has been granted a second life -- and KSM, a second act: "9/11, The Director's Cut," narration by KSM.

Sept. 11, 2001, had to speak for itself. A decade later, the deed will be given voice. KSM has gratuitously been presented with the greatest propaganda platform imaginable -- a civilian trial in the media capital of the world -- from which to proclaim jihad.

Let others deal with detainees

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38 EST

I agree with Congressman Gresham Barrett on keeping the Guantanamo detainees out of South Carolina. I understand that President Obama has promised to close the Guantanamo prison, and keeping promises is important, but he needs to do it the right way.

The U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (a Democrat) stated the best place to hold and try the terrorists in federal court is New York City, and the U.S. Congress (Democrat-controlled) has set up a military court at Guantanamo to try detainees in the military system.

If the president wants to close Gitmo prison, let's try the detainees, convict them if we can, and send them to the places like Thomson, Ill., which has a maximum-security prison that is sitting closed for lack of funding.

Hunger in our land of plenty

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:59 EST

We need to wipe out hunger in America. It's a sin that it not only exists but is actually increasing in the richest nation on Earth.

Tens of millions of Americans are unable to feed their families. Because of widespread poverty, they simply cannot afford adequate nutrition. With the current recession and crippling joblessness, this is a crisis that requires our immediate attention.

Last year, more than 49 million people lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate nutrition, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Household Food Security in the United States, 2008."

Adulation out of place at service

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38 EST

As the daughter of a military father, I am distraught that the fine soldiers at Fort Hood and their families have suffered so greatly. As the mother of an active duty airman, I am distressed that someone exploited his military service in order to kill others who had chosen to give of themselves.

But as an American, I was disheartened and angered that, when President Obama was introduced at the Fort Hood memorial service, there were some in the audience who screamed out in adoration at the mention of his name as though a rock star was stepping out onto a concert stage. Tears actually came to my eyes because the solemnity of the reason for him being there was broken. I asked myself, "Why doesn't Obama tell those who worship him that there is a time and place for everything and a memorial service for the real men and women who risk their lives every day for all of us is not the place to pay tribute to him."

I wept at the singing of "Amazing Grace" but was angered that our president, who knows nothing about the military, the military families and the many sacrifices that some with this greatest of calling, was touted by ABC's Charles Gibson as being "eloquent." This is not a time for eloquence in America. This is a time to make decisions about Iraq or Afghanistan. Either bring our troops home immediately, or give them whatever they need now to win this war abroad before it becomes unmanageable here on American soil.

Milelong Boardwalk Under Way

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:09 EST

A beach town may feel not quite complete without a boardwalk. Myrtle Beach which hasn't had this amenity for several decades is building one that will run from near Second Avenue North to 14th Avenue North.

It will be ready for walking and strolling by next summer if construction continues on schedule. In the meantime the City Council presumably will decide whether the new boardwalk will be open to bicycles, pets, roller blades, skateboards and vendors.

Boardwalk regulations will be discussed at the council's Dec. 8 workshop. Koribrett Turner-Vaught of the Downtown Redevelopment Corp. has provided the council with ideas developed in a series of public meetings in October and September attended by about 40 business and property owners who had questions and concerns. One of the big questions is "whether the city will allow sidewalk cafes,'' says business owner Chris Walker. "They are all interested in that.''

Letters to the editor

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:09 EST

Trooper's judgment

right in Gilland stop

Fashion show support aids students

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:09 EST

On behalf of the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Inc., I would like to express our gratitude for the support shown by area businesses and the attendees for our 54th annual Fashion Show Benefit held Nov. 3.

A special thank you is extended to Anastasia Spirakis, owner of Sia's Boutique, for the lovely fashions, and Debbie Perry, fashion coordinator. Mary Kay Cosmetics provided mini facials for those who attended and also made our models more glamorous. Mark Novosel of the Ocean Reef Resort took care of many details to ensure our dinner and show went as planned. Everyone mentioned is also to be commended for a job well-done.

Our appreciation also goes to Doug White, chief executive of Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, and to our event co-chairmen, Drs. Tracey and Thad Golden, for their continued support. This show, which benefits our scholarship program, would not be possible without the corporate sponsorship of the hospital. This year the auxiliary is assisting 32 students in medically related studies, with funding from the fashion show and the hospital gift shop.

Socialism is threat to values

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:09 EST

Last week, I had the pleasurable task of being master of ceremonies for the Atlas Economic Research Foundation dinner in Washington, D.C., that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Founded in 1981, the Atlas Foundation assists the formation of free-market think tanks around the world to spread the ideas of personal liberty, private property rights and limited government. So far, they have been successful in at least 70 countries.

Alan Kors, University of Pennsylvania history professor, gave the evening's keynote address. What he revealed about the dereliction and character weakness of academics, intellectuals, media elites and politicians is by no means complimentary, but worse than that, dangerous. Kors said that over the years, he has frequently asked students how many deaths were caused by Joseph Stalin and Mao Tsetung and their successors. Routinely, they gave numbers in the thousands. Kors says that's equivalent to saying the Nazis are responsible for the deaths of just a few hundred Jews. But here's the record: Nazis were responsible for the deaths of 20 million of their own people and those in nations they conquered. Between 1917 and 1983, Stalin and his successors murdered, or were otherwise responsible for the deaths of, 62 million of their own people. Between 1949 and 1987, Mao Tsetung and his successors were responsible for the deaths of 76 million Chinese.

Kors asks why are the horrors of Nazism so well known and widely condemned, but not those of socialism and communism?

Jackie Olivetti

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:09 EST

Jackie Olivetti retired two times as The Sun News human resources executive. Her newspaper colleagues were not much surprised when the first retirement didn't take and she was back at work.

People came and went as they do in most businesses, but Jackie was at The Sun News for a total of 32 years. She originally was hired as a bookkeeper-secretary and became administrative assistant to Publisher Michael Pate before being named personnel manager. That was before the term "human resources" came into use. She was vice president of human resources when she retired for the second time two and a half years ago. Those who worked with her thought of her as the backbone of the newspaper. She was an energetic woman, open, direct and fair-minded. The way she said her name when she picked up the phone - "Sun News, this is Jackie" - was no-nonsense Jackie with a hint of welcoming warmth coming through.

She and her husband, Al, have five children. Outside of work, she was a Guardian ad Litem, a volunteer at the Community Kitchen and treasurer of the Myrtle Beach chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was an active member of St. Michael's Catholic Church, where her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday. Visitation continues this evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel.

Let's welcome fiscal realism

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:28 EST

Nearly every Republican these days calls for tax cuts and lower deficits, and in the same sentence. Point out that these goals clash -- that taxes pay for government and not paying for government causes deficits, and the Republican counters, "We must shrink government, instead."

Sure. And you're just the boys to do it.

There hasn't been a balanced budget since the last Democratic administration. During the George W. Bush years of mindless tax-cutting, the national debt doubled, and GOP claims to fiscal rectitude became a bizarre joke. The last fig leaf fell off this summer when Republicans demagogued efforts to save over $100 billion by ending subsidies for the private Medicare Advantage health plans.

Counties don't take care of residents

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:58 EST

The Department of Health and Environmental Control Web site (www.scdhec.gov/flu/clinics.asp#results) provides a helpful list of H1N1 flu clinics by county. The Web site continues to show Georgetown and Horry County as having no clinics available for H1N1. H1N1 flu shots are highly recommended for pregnant women such as my wife, who are listed as the highest priority group. This week per the Web site Charleston County has appointments available, and several weeks ago Florence County had appointments.

Two weeks ago, my wife contacted DHEC in Horry County and was asked if she was on WIC; when she said no she was told that the shots would not be available to her until the end of December. We then learned that Florence County had the H1N1 shot available by appointment for all pregnant women, and my wife and I drove up to Lake City, along with many other pregnant women from Horry County who made the drive.

Many of these local women would have gladly paid for the shots here, but were forced to leave the county for medical care. It is extremely disappointing that our area is targeting select tourists, such as bikers, as being unwelcome. Now it appears pregnant women are also not always welcome.

Politicians Play on Fear

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

A tiny town in Illinois seems to have pulled the rug from under some S.C. politicians grandstanding to the point of demagoguing on the possibility of terrorism suspects being transferred to a military prison at the Naval Weapons Station Charleston.

Thomson is a village of 500 people in northwestern Illinois and the site of a nearly empty state prison, the Thomson Correctional Center. The village president (mayor), Jerry Hebeler, says moving prisoners from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would be terrific news for his town. Why? Because having the terrorism suspects in Thomson Correctional Center would be an economic boon for his little neck of the woods. He's thinking about new jobs for corrections officers and other staff to run the facility and their salaries and the benefit to the town and surrounding area.

Hebeler says the state of Illinois built the prison eight years ago but has not had the money to operate it, leaving the village of Thomson in limbo. Over the past 20 years or so, communities throughout Illinois have competed for new prisons such as the one standing nearly empty at Thomson. Folks have the good sense to understand that correctional facilities mean fairly secure payrolls and a degree of economic stability for the community.

Letters to the editor

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

Columnist right to spotlight pollution

There was a time, not so long ago when we little earthlings thought we would never deforest our supplies of timber, pollute the air and water, overfish our oceans or use all the oil because the supplies were so vast and seemingly unlimited. We see now the error of our ways. As the story goes, we were handed an Eden ... but nobody is drinking the water now.

Terror trial in N.Y. reckless

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

In the string of amazing decisions made during the first year of the Obama administration, nothing seems more like sheer insanity than the decision to try foreign terrorists, who have committed acts of war against the United States, in federal court, as if they were American citizens accused of crimes.

Terrorists are not even entitled to the protection of the Geneva Convention, much less the Constitution of the United States. But over and above the utter inconsistency of what is being done is the utter recklessness it represents. The last time an attack on the World Trade Center was treated as a matter of domestic criminal justice was after a bomb was exploded there in 1993. Under the rules of American criminal law, the prosecution had to turn over all sorts of information to the defense - information that told the al-Qaida international terrorist network what we knew about them and how we knew it.

This was nothing more and nothing less than giving away military secrets to an enemy in wartime - something for which people have been executed. Secrecy in warfare is a matter of life and death. Lives were risked and lost during World War II to prevent Nazi Germany from discovering that Britain had broken its supposedly unbreakable Enigma code and could read their military plans that were being radioed in that code.

Prosecution doesn't falter in case

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

A letter was recently submitted to The Sun News expressing outrage regarding a pending animal cruelty case. The writer, although well-intentioned, was inaccurate in her understanding of the case and through her letter has created a certain amount of confusion in the community. I offer the following in the hopes of clarifying the status of the case.

On July 22, Ellen J. Johnson was charged with felony ill treatment of animals arising out her alleged starvation of two Labrador retrievers. The case was sent to my office for prosecution and the evidence was reviewed for presentation to the grand jury. Upon reviewing the case it was clear that the evidence would not support a charge of felony ill treatment of animals. If we had presented the case to the grand jury, they would have dismissed the case and the defendant would not have suffered any consequences for her crime.

Although the evidence would not support the felony charge, we believe that the evidence will support a misdemeanor charge of ill treatment of animals, which carries a penalty of 60 days in jail and a fine of $500. We therefore amended the charge and remanded it to magistrates court as required by the statute. My office will continue to handle the prosecution of the case in magistrates court, and I am confident that justice will be done. The case is pending in magistrates court, and the judge has not yet assigned the case a court date.

Medicare rules run up expense

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

What is wrong with Medicare?

Last month I turned 65 and became eligible for Medicare. I was somewhat concerned about how it would address my sleep apnea condition, and it didn't take long to realize that Medicare is a huge bureaucratic government program that wastes money on a daily basis. Here is just one example.

I attended a sleep study clinic in 2006 and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. My insurance company immediately provided me with a continuous positive airway pressure machine with all the necessary supplies to go with it. I was entitled to receive supplies periodically during the year and did so for the past three years.