By Richard L. Wolfe It is almost September, which means it is time for the three most important seasons in this part of the country. The three seasons that I am referring to are the football season, the hurricane season, and the silly season. Football Season: This is the year of the Gamecock! While most folks are still partying from South Carolina’s National Championship in baseball (Let me say that again for all the old fogies with wax in their ears, South Carolina’s National Championship in baseball), it is time for them to make their run at a National Championship in football. Now, I realize there are a lot of scoffers and non-believers who won’t believe it until they see it. The truth is you have to believe it before you see it! In my mind’s eye I can already see the “old ball coach” hoisting the glass trophy! Alas, the football writers and prognosticators don’t seem to share my enthusiasm at this time. What do they know? They probably went to the same liberal arts universities as the liberal media. They certainly share the same bias against South Carolina when it comes to accomplishments. Case in point: all during the baseball season they ranked Florida higher than South Carolina, even though South Carolina had a better record from start to finish. To be fair, Florida did take two out of three games from South Carolina during the regular season, but when it counted in the World Series, Florida went two and a barbecue while South Carolina won the National Championship! (Do I need to say that again?) The case for the football team is similar and different at the same time. The Gamecock baseball team was loaded and the football team is loaded. The biggest difference is the baseball team has a long history of success and the football team, not so much. The sports gurus and I agree on one thing. The Gamecocks play in the best football conference in America top to bottom. What makes this year different is a little mentioned but important fact. South Carolina is the only team in the East Division that has both the same quarterback and head coach from last year. In addition to being one of the most experienced teams in the Conference, they are also one of the most talented teams in the Conference. But, enough said. As of this date they are undefeated (along with every other team in the country), and they are in the hunt for a National Championship until destiny says otherwise. If in the rare instance I happen to be wrong, then I like my crow roasted and well basted with butter. Hurricane Season: We don’t have many earthquakes, tornadoes, floods or blizzards in this area, so when hurricane season arrives it is quite understandable that the local weathermen tend to get a little titillated when the tropics start boiling. But, you don’t need the weather folk to tell you that the storms are coming. Just keep an eye on the price of such items as duct tape, plywood, sheetrock, shingles, batteries, and bottled water. I don’t have to tell anyone who has lived on the S.C. or N.C. coast what to do about hurricanes, but having lived through Hugo, I do have some advice for any new residents. If you feel like you are in danger, either leave early or get to a safe, solid location as far inland as possible. I waited until they told me to get out during Hurricane Floyd. I was in bumper to bumper traffic for 11 ½ hours only to get to a booked up Columbia from Charleston. Luckily, before I could get back in traffic towards Asheville, the hurricane had moved north. The good news is you will get plenty of warning before any storm approaches the area. The Silly Season: (aka the elections): During the time between the end of the primaries and November 2nd, the world will be magically transformed. Every wish you ever had, every dream you ever dreamed, and every prayer you have ever uttered can be granted in return for your vote. You will be getting robo-calls from “friends and neighbors” that you have never met, and after listening to some of them, never want to meet. People from all genders, races, and creeds will be vying for your vote and they are not above placing horns, tails, and pitchforks on their opponent’s profiles. Some of them will actually believe that they can make the world a better place. Some of them are just looking to climb the next rung on the political ladder. In the end, regardless of who we elect they will end up being a liar. Some of them were liars to start with and used some well phrased lies to get elected. Some of them will be made liars by circumstances, like they didn’t have the votes to accomplish their agenda. But, most of them will end liars because they could have never been elected if they told the truth in the first place. We will elect fallible human beings to perform feats of magic that gods and wizards would shy away from. This is why I placed the football season at the head of the list. It offers a fun distraction from the tension and aggravation of the other two seasons. Last, but not least, I realize that not everyone is a Gamecock fan. That is alright because this is America and everyone has a right to back the wrong horse. Did I mention that the Gamecock baseball team won a National Championship? Continue reading

By Ron Harris Myrtle Beach’s Dustin Johnson has to be one of the most disappointed young men in the nation this week, after a two-stroke penalty ruling in the PGA Championship on Sunday cost him a playoff berth and a goodly chunk of cash – almost a million bucks if he had gotten into a three-way playoff and won it. But, after all, Dustin was accused of “grounding his club” by PGA tournament officials, and the video replays proved it…sort of, well, it depended on the angle…and was that really a bunker he was in? If you’re not a golfer I won’t bore you with the details of explaining “grounding a club,” likely you couldn’t care less. If you are a golfer, you already know that there are more nit-picky rules in golf than in chess and HOA covenants combined. Had I been young Dustin, I think I might have at least filed a protest/appeal about that ruling, or stormed into the tourney officials’ parking lot with a 9-iron and eliminated some headlights and windshields (although I likely would have “whiffed” the cars altogether since on the links I can’t seem to keep my head down long enough to hit the ball properly). But Dustin Johnson proved a class act in the aftermath of this questionable and controversial ruling – he waited until he showered and cooled down a bit before facing the media, then calmly (with somewhat clenched teeth) said that certainly he was disappointed, but rules are rules and he’s got to live with this one. Participants in all professional sports could learn something from Dustin Johnson, in golf and in classy demeanor. * Another local “class act” is someone you’ve seen in and on the local news quite often – Lisa Bourcier, the public information chief for the Horry County Council. I’ve known Lisa for the past five years or so, primarily through my neighborhood’s HOA activities. Many government PI shops focus on and cater to the media, rendering the “public” in “Public Information” to secondary status. Not Lisa and her folks at the HCC. They go the extra mile to assist and guide everyone, and they always follow-up if they don’t have answers or documents or the proper person to see immediately. At least, they have for me in the past five years and recently this past week. As the adage goes, you can ascertain someone’s character by the way they talk to the wait staff. In the case of Lisa and the HCC PI office, their character has been impeccable as regards the public equivalent of the “wait staff.” Thanks, Lisa, you’re definitely a class act! * Robert Morris departs to Louisiana from his S-N and OB duties in a few days. That saddens me, but, as I’ve told him, I’m happy for him and envy his new challenges and future. He is “good people,” as we say in the Southwest, and a quintessential class act. Here are a few quips and quotes and chuckles for you to take to N’awlins with you, Robert: You might be a Louisianan if: -- You use "fix" as a verb. Example: “I am fixing to go to the store.” -- You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. -- You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows, all but the beer preferably with Tabasco. -- Your stores don't have bags; they have sacks. -- Your local paper covers national and international news on one page but requires 6 pages for sports. -- You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are. -- You think that deer season is a national holiday. -- You know all four seasons: almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. -- You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day. -- You know if another Louisianan is from southern, middle, or northern Louisiana as soon as they open their mouth. -- There is a Dairy Queen in every town with a population of 1000 or more. ------------ Wisdom from Louisiana’s once-favorite son and governor Huey Long: “One of these days the people of Louisiana are going to get good government - and they aren't going to like it.” “The time has come for all good men to rise above principle.” “Hard work is damn near as overrated as monogamy.” -------------- You could be a political columnist if you agree that: “The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and again that they have the management skills of celery. They’re the kind of people who’d stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire. I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy. The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your tire, but they wouldn’t bother to stop because they’d want to be on time for Ugly Pants Night at the country club.” -- Dave Barry ------------ From our favorite Russian: “Whatever is, is right; everything that is, is due to development; development comes from civilization; the measure of civilization is the diffusion of books and newspapers; we are paid and honored for the books and newspapers which we write, and we are therefore the most useful and best of men!” -- Leo Tolstoy I’ve quoted the Russian’s wisdom because Tolstoy is kind of an inside quip between Robert and me (btw, Rob, watch “The Last Station” on DVD – excellent story and acting). These days much of the public would mock that boastful claim of Tolstoy’s, but it does hold a kernel of truth pertaining to some authors and scribes. I count Robert Morris among those “most useful and best of men.” For what it’s worth from an old scribe-and-flack, knowing you has been a pleasure and a continuing education, my young friend. Bon voyage, Monsieur Morris. Send me some Tabasco that I can... Continue reading

By Richard L. Wolfe I have had it--as in I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore! If I hear another media pundit accuse African-Americans of being racist bigots simply because they didn’t vote for John McCain, I am going to go ballistic! Every time a Caucasian loses an election, all we get from the media is racism, racism, racism; enough is enough! So what if the man is lily white? What has that got to do with the fact that his ideas, his record, and, quite frankly, his lousy campaign skills are not enough to get him elected nationally? It sounds really stupid when you flip the races doesn’t it? Well it should, because using a national disgrace like racism for political gain or to silence the opposition is not only stupid, it is decisive, destructive, and dishonest. If we can prosecute someone for yelling “fire” in a crowded theater, can we prosecute someone for yelling “racism” when there is none? Hold it! I would like to retract that last question because I wouldn’t want to give the dupes in Congress any ideas. Just what is racism anyway? Is it like pornography, you know it when you see it, or is it something more profound and obvious? Wikipedia defines racism as “the belief that the genetic factors which constitute race are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.[1] Racism's effects are called ‘racial discrimination.’ In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment.” I suppose that the election of the first Black president made the temptation to cry racism any time someone disagreed with President Obama unavoidable. The mere fact that he was allowed to run - and won - kind of rules out institutional racism doesn’t it? Since he defeated a White woman in the primaries and a White man in the general election, it sort of rules out the notion that voters believed the White candidates had any inherent superiority doesn’t it? This leaves us with a few fringe groups like the KKK and Neo-Nazis to sponsor any real organized racism. Of course there are always individual racists which are kind of hard to eliminate, because hearts and minds can only be changed by God and conscience, never by law. This leads us to the accusation by the NAACP that there are members of the Tea Party that are racists. So what? There are members of the NAACP that are just as racist. There are members of the Environmental Movement that are terrorists and anarchists. Whoop-dee-doo! We live in a free country, and if someone wants to hold up a sign that makes them look like an idiot then they have that right! I mean, when you think about it, the person who does this eliminates himself from being taken seriously. On the other hand, people who falsely accuse someone of something for mere political gain are far more sinister and dangerous because they are liars cloaked in partisan cloth. These people will say or do anything to achieve their aims and there is no clear cut sign to identify them for who they are and what they are about. To his credit, President Obama, to my knowledge, has never gotten down in the mud and slime like many of his supporters. Well, he did kind of sully himself with the “going out for ice cream” comment about the Arizona Immigration Law. But, for the most part he has conducted himself pretty well in racial matters. In fact, I thought that it was one of his finer moments when he said, "Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans have sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of red states and blue states, We have been and always will be the United States of America.” In fact, I think that his supporters would be wise to follow his example, including U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, who took to the airwaves of Black radio stations across the country to say that the House ethics charges being brought against her are the unjust result of her advocacy for Black Americans. http://scottystarnes.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/the-race-card-has-been-pulled-waters-now-claims-race-is-element-in-ethics-charges/ The truth is using racism for political benefit is a zero sum game. Any benefit that might be gained by agitating one race is offset by the backlash from another race. It would be quite a shame to forfeit the biracial accomplishment of electing a Black president by using cheap campaign rhetoric just to try to demonize the opponents in the next election. Maybe we should all step back a moment and listen to the words of a man who paid the ultimate price for racism. He gave us some of the most beautiful prose that has ever been uttered on the subject. “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee,... Continue reading

By Sunny Fry While packing his car, our oldest son stopped to feed the bird Friday. Not an unusual occurrence -- many mornings this summer I've looked out the window to see him, all dressed in his suit and pressed shirts, stopping on his way to the office to answer the demands of a cranky juvenile cardinal demanding breakfast. But this time was special. It's likely the last time he'll stand on our back deck, first providing a few meager portions of bird formula, and then standing guard against bigger, more territorial cardinals while Houston feasts on the seed we put out for him (or her -- we haven't figured that out yet). My son, the driven, type-A personality and secret sentimentalist, is back in Charleston for his last year of school. And Houston -- the scrawny, damaged baby bird he placed in a basket beside his laptop while working at our dining room table, and harassed into eating those first few life-sustaining morsels of hamburger and egg -- is grown, and no longer barrels to land on my head when I step outside and whistle. By the time my son comes home again, Houston will likely have fully integrated into the wild, and will not ask for feeding, nor sit still for it. I thought about taking a picture, but realized my presence would impede that last sweet communion. So I left them alone, watching quietly from the window and marking the moment. The art of recognizing those transitions, the sunset of one season and the dawn of a new one, is a skill learned over years -- mourning, a little, the passing of one, with all its wonderful memories, but proudly anticipating the as-yet unknown joys and discoveries of the new one. You hope you learn to surrender gracefully to the inevitability of time. More, you hope for some continuity, a strand of something golden and good to thread from one season into the next. The SNOB is at such a transit point. I'm mindful as I type that this is the last submission I will send to Robert, who is off to new horizons and challenges worthy of his gifts and skill. So I'm mourning a little bit. We'll miss him, both on the OB and on the editorial pages. When he was reporting, his stories always gave an accurate synopsis of not only what happened, but of the overall sense of the event. When editorializing, his opinions were fully fleshed out, strong, and even-handed. And on the blog, he consistently demonstrated a nearly lost art -- that of strongly disagreeing without being disagreeable. He's a damn fine writer, and because he's deeply interested in the things he writes about, he's interesting. But I'm glad as well. The nation is in need of a new paradigm for journalism in the Internet age; a way to answer the hunger and need for solid, trustworthy information upon which to base our decisions, and a way to meet the economic reality that good journalism is time-consuming and expensive, and must therefore generate at least enough revenue to break even. I do not know how it can be done, but have long trusted that it would be done -- so it's exciting to watch the process begin to unfold, and comforting that it will be by someone with talent, intelligence, and integrity. All the best, Robert, to you and your lovely family. Continue reading

By Richard L. Wolfe This column is not designed to argue the merits and details of the Health Care Law. Whether you believe it is all about death panels and rationing or you think it is the best thing since sliced bread is irrelevant. In this column I am arguing that it must be overturned by the courts, because not only is it unconstitutional, but it is the most dangerous law since the Dred Scott decision. During the nasty fight to get this law passed, the politicians and the media sort of pushed this fundamental fact to the side. I suppose that it is natural for a jaded public and press to ignore this fact when the rule of law itself is under attack on a daily basis. But if you are ever in court, you will quickly discover that ignorance of the law is no defense. Everyone, with the possible exception of foolish ideologues and those with no knowledge of the Constitution, knew that the legislation was unconstitutional. Even the proponents who wrote the law knew it was unconstitutional when they wrote it as stated by the following quotes: Representative Clyburn of S.C. said, “We do things that are unconstitutional all the time.” Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii was asked the following question, “Does the United States Constitution give the United States Congress the authority to mandate individuals to have health insurance, to carry health insurance?” He answered, “I am not aware of that; let me put it that way.” When Nancy Pelosi was asked about whether the legislation was Constitutional, all she could do is parrot over and over, “Are you serious?” When translated from Pelosi to English this means: who cares! Just last week, Representative Pete Stark of CA. was asked at a town hall meeting if he thought that the federal government can do anything it wants to. He answered, “Yes, we can do pretty much anything that we want to do.” What is missing in these answers is a legal justification for the law that they all voted for. What is apparent in these answers is an arrogance of power and total disregard for the Constitution and the Rule of Law! Besides the obvious arrogance of power, what prompted these partisan members of Congress to use every trick in the book to pass this law, and what made them think that the courts would uphold it? It is not like the law was popular. In poll after poll, more Americans were against it than for it. Angry voters voiced their opposition and concerns in town hall meetings. Scott Brown, a Republican, won the seat held by Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts by running against the Health Care Reform Bill. The process of securing the votes by offering bribes, backroom deals and Lord knows what else was as corrupt and undemocratic as anything that I have ever seen. None the less, it passed and President Obama signed it into law. Was the party that passed this unpopular and unconstitutional legislation into law really so naïve as to think that it was over and done with? Did they assume, like their minions in the media, that the courts would just rubber-stamp any and everything that the Congress decreed as law? I think that they miscalculated on two fronts. I think they believed that the states would be too strapped by the economy to offer any serious resistance to the law. I can only assume that they thought the public would grumble for a while and then go back to their normal apathetic ways like they always do. Maybe they actually believed that the Commerce Clause (their feeble defense) could be used to trample the rights of the states and the people. Whatever they thought, they were wrong! [Article 1, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; The key word here is regulate not create! If they counted on the courts to rubber-stamp the legislation, then they were mistaken again. A U.S. judge Monday refused to dismiss a challenge by the state of Virginia to President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform law, a setback that will force his administration to mount a lengthy legal defense. In the opening salvo of the legal fight, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson allowed Virginia to go forward with its suit, which argues the requirement that its residents have health insurance was unconstitutional. Hudson, who noted that his ruling was an initial step, decided the law was ripe for review and that the issues the state raised had not been fully tested in court. "While this case raises a host of complex Constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate -- and tax -- a citizen's decision not to participate in interstate commerce,'' Hudson said, referring to the healthcare purchase requirement. If they thought that the public was just going to roll over and except this Unconstitutional law without a fight, then they were wrong again. “Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a federal mandate to purchase health insurance, rebuking President Barack Obama's administration and giving Republicans their first political victory in a national campaign to overturn the controversial health care law passed by Congress in March.” As you can see, the law is unconstitutional, has nothing to do with the Commerce Clause, and most Americans have rejected it. The biggest problem though is the law is dangerous! If the Supreme Court allows this law to stand, it will be the end of Freedom, Federalism, and the 10th Amendment. Most of our worst laws come from an erroneous decision by the High Court that sets a Precedent that creates a foundation for more and often worst related decisions. Even if the Republicans were to capture the Presidency, House and a filibuster-proof Senate and repealed the entire law, the Precedent would still exist. That is the reason that... Continue reading

Tuesday’s editorial encourages participation in a major Carolina Forest community-service project. For six days in September, hundreds of Horry County volunteers, now being recruited, will set up a unique playground in Carolina Forest designed and named by youngsters at two elementary schools in the area, Carolina Forest and Ocean Bays. Beginning Sept. 21, and continuing through Sept. 26, volunteers will work in three shifts a day to build Palmetto Adventure Land playground, or PAL. Lisa Bourcier, Horry County public information officer, anticipates a need for as many as 100 volunteers per shift. They will assemble a variety of things including “a boat, submarine, wave facade, a music area, swings, slides, monkey bars, games, picnic tables, and much, much more,” Bourcier says. United Way of Horry County has designated Sept. 24, as the 11th annual Day of Caring and is seeking 200 or more PAL volunteers for that day. The three shifts will be 8 a.m. to noon, 12:30 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to sunset. Meals will be provided, and Bourcier is seeking restaurants to provide the food. Several levels of sponsorships are offered, including brick pavers ($70) fence pickets ($50) and mosaic tiles ($30). For sponsoring a component of playground equipment, individuals, clubs and businesses become Platinum ($2,500 and up), Gold ($1,500-$2,500) or Silver ($500-$1,500) sponsors. For example, the cradle climber has been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Carolina Forest and the boat by District 8 Councilman Carl Schwartzkopf. Fifteen trees are available ($350 each) so a club could sponsor two or three trees for a Silver sponsorship. Money from sponsorships will help pay for fencing, landscaping and parking, Bourcier says. The Horry County Parks and Recreation Department is setting up the shifts of workers and sponsorships. Individuals or groups may sign up to work the shifts. The playground will be the first of three county facilities on a 35-acre site in Carolina Forest. Construction will start later this year on a recreation center and a library. The playground construction is “delayed gratification” for S.C. Sen. Luke Rankin, who two years ago procured a $300,000 competitive grant that is no longer available. “We couldn’t do this today,” Rankin says. A House and Senate committee vetted and approved the grant of state general revenue money. The grant is to Horry County, specifically for Carolina Forest, to give the relatively new and still growing area “a sense of community.” Rankin represents the Carolina Forest area but does not reside there. “The thing that excites me is that the area will have a gathering place.” “I’m proud of this,” Rankin says. Palmetto Adventure Land surely will be an addition to the area in which the entire county may take pride. Along with the recreation and library, PAL will be a county facility, open to all residents and visitors. Helping make it come together will be an exciting way to contribute to making Horry County in general and Carolina Forest in particular better places. How to Help PAL Volunteer workers are needed for 15 shifts over five days Sept. 21-26. Individuals or groups may sign up to help by phoning the Horry County Parks and Recreation Department: 915-5330. Forms to volunteer and for several sponsorships are available online. Go to: parksandrec.horrycounty.org and follow the link for Palmetto Adventure Land. Continue reading

Be civil and enjoy. Continue reading

Thursday’s editorial explains a surprising point of agreement between our combative Republican junior senator and his Democratic colleagues in the U.S. House. Quick. Name a legislative issue in which U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint agrees with the House Democratic leadership, i.e., Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It’s OK. We would have had a tough time, too, until South Carolina’s junior Republican senator sent out a news release last week headlined, “DeMint Praises U.S. House for Moving to Pass FAA Extension with Essential Safety Provisions.” DeMint has been a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee since his election in 2006, and joined the Aviation Safety subcommittee in April of last year, not long after the tragic crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, N.Y., killed 51 people, including Lorin Maurer of Moore, S.C. First up on aviation subcommittee’s agenda was the need for a bill extending the life of the Federal Aviation Administration by three years, so DeMint drafted a reauthorization with a slew of new safety provisions with an extremely diverse group of co-sponsors - including Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), author of the since-discarded liberal health care “public option” that DeMint was so vehemently criticizing at the same time. On its way through Congress, the aviation bill became saddled with a number of other provisions unrelated to safety, most notably, a rule change that would have made union organizing easier for FedEx employees. The bill began to bog down, and Congressional leaders began considering scrapping the safety improvements altogether, and simply reauthorizing the FAA for an extra year while they continued negotiating. Last week, the House leaders struck a compromise in the conference committee: they would agree to the temporary FAA extension and continue working on the more controversial reforms, but go ahead and adopt the safety provisions. Among other changes, the extension will mandate the FAA create stricter rules to prevent pilot fatigue and dramatically increase the amount of flight time required of commercial pilots. The bill will also create new tracking methods for pilot-error records, all needs identified in the Buffalo crash investigations and championed by the victims’ families. The increase in gridlock in Washington is an objective, demonstrable reality. Each party’s use of arcane procedural techniques to inflict its will on its opponents is reaching an untenable high, and DeMint has often been a very visible part of this problem. The triumph of the FAA regulations, and his rare but apparently genuine praise for House Democrats, is a welcome reminder that things don’t have to be this way. “Disagreements make for headlines,” DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton told us this week. “Agreements usually don’t, but it doesn’t mean we cannot agree on every single issue all the time. This is the way it should work on safety issues.” (True political buffs will recall one other alliance, a set of earmark reforms he touted as the “DeMint-Pelosi amendment” immediately after Democrats reclaimed House and Senate majorities in 2007. So this actually makes two.) The episode illustrates one other unappreciated point, the value of actual governing experience. DeMint is not a pilot, but was appointed to the Aviation subcommittee based on his previous experience dealing with aviation issues as a member of the larger commerce committee. While we support the idea of term limits that has so much currency at present, any such proposal ought not underestimate the significant learning curve at every level of government. Continue reading

Tuesday’s editorial notes the growth of the Red Cross’s annual fundraiser. Not every day does someone go to a nonprofit organization and ask how he can help, but that’s how Bill Roehl became the presenting sponsor of the upcoming Wal-Mart Hurricane Classic fundraiser of the Coastal S.C. Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross. The 16th annual event will be Aug. 7 at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island. The importance of the event has increased as the Red Cross chapter, like all area nonprofit organizations, strives to maintain vital services as financial support falls in tough economic times. The Red Cross has another $10,000 reduction in its allocation from the United Way of Horry County. The United Way allocations committee reduced funding for nine agencies. For the Red Cross, the latest allocation followed a $10,000 reduction in 2009. The two cuts are a 23 percent reduction in United Way funding, according to Nanci Conley, director of public support. So it’s not difficult to imagine that Roehl’s offer to help was more than welcome. “He came to us and asked what he could do to help the local Red Cross. He asked if he could be involved. He’s brought in [hole] sponsors. He’s rolled up his sleeves,” Conley says. With help like Roehl’s and Wal-Mart becoming the title sponsor for the first time, the fundraiser has grown in importance, Conley says. Typically the Hurricane Classic has raised $20,000 and this year she expects it to bring in $30,000. Sponsors and players are up from last year’s event, Conley says. Roehl, who says he is “a South Carolina boy,” growing up in the Spartanburg area and moving here with his parents when they retired, owns Servpro, a fire and water damage restoration firm. His franchise operates in the same three counties the Red Cross chapter serves, Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg. “I was trying to find something we could add our name to – something we could be involved in that added value to people’s lives.” Volunteers for the Wal-Mart Hurricane Classic include Roehl, his wife and three employees. Conley points out that the need for services doesn’t change. Only 26 days into the new fiscal year, “we’ve already helped 54 people who lost their homes” in fires in the three counties, providing $10,867 in food, clothing and shelter. In the previous 12 months, the chapter assisted more than 550 victims of fires, providing nearly $90,000 in assistance. Chapter volunteers also responded when a plane crashed recently after takeoff in North Myrtle Beach. Volunteers teach first aid and CPR and work to prepare residents for disasters such as hurricanes. The Red Cross provides certification for lifeguards and water safety instructors. And daily, the chapter provides emergency messaging for families and members of the armed forces. The emergency message service was the primary reason for founding the Red Cross, Conley says. The chapter also has a Christmas dinner, started after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and last year served 4,300 meals. Bi-Lo, the major sponsor for the dinner, is also on board for the classic. Red Cross blood services, providing 51 percent of the nation’s blood supply, are separate from the disaster preparedness and other functions of the area chapter. If you go · What: Wal-Mart Hurricane Classic · When: Aug. 7 · Where: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Island · To register as individual or team phone: 477-0020 · Cost: $100 per player Continue reading

By Ron Harris I had a brief but spirited discussion the other day with one of my liberal friends who enjoys reiterating the MSM’s nickname for Republicans – “The Party of No!” Personally, I like the word “no.” It has a tone of finality in many languages (see headline) and was abundantly used, albeit usually ignored, when my kids were teenagers. My friend likes to proffer revisionist history when he argues that when Reagan* and the Bushes** occupied the White House, Congressional Democrats tried to work with them in a bipartisan manner to accomplish what needed to be done for the country, while now Republicans do nothing but try to block Dems’ efforts. But he became red-faced angry when I countered with, in essence: “Certainly the Dems tried to be cooperative and assist Reagan and the Bushes; liberals hate saying no because they’re afraid people won’t like them. Plus, back then it was easy for them because they knew what was being proposed by the grown-ups was good for the nation, and the public agreed. “The Dems’ proposals now are not good for the nation, and Republicans know that someone has to stand up and oppose policies that can damage us, perhaps irreparably. The Nanny-State Dems want everybody to have a large piece of the American pie, and they don’t care about the cost or the fairness therein, despite their ‘compassionate’ facade. “That’s why the polls consistently indicate Democrats will have to pull out all the stops and use every dirty trick in their playbook to maintain control of the House and Senate come November; after all, ethics is not their long suit, just ask Bill Clinton, Charlie Rangel and Chris Dodd,” I concluded with a wink and a smirk. (I love smirking at liberals – reminds them of Prez Bush, drives ‘em nuts.) Then I decided to drop the smirk and edge away before the golf club he was brandishing made contact with my head. Time was when guys could rib and razz each other about sports, politics, just about any subject, and it was all just guy-talk – that’s what guys do, insult each other unmercifully and then high-five all around. But politics is becoming almost off-limits in the locker room or at the poker table or on the golf course. Some folks get really ticked off and take it personally when even good-natured insults are directed at their political leaders and icons – pity the un-PCer these days. The majority of Americans are angry, many about the direction in which the pols are trying to take our nation, others angry at those who are angry about that direction. Almost everybody is angry at Congress, which has only an 11 percent approval rating from the American public, the lowest since polling became a staple of politics. Getting back to “Nyet,” comrades, how do Americans feel about spending versus reducing spending? A Rasmussen poll from last Thursday shows that only 28 percent of the populace favors increased spending, while 52 percent are opposed. This excerpt from the Rasmussen website is on target: “This suggests that for 72% of voters, asking about a trade-off between cutting spending and helping the economy doesn’t make sense. A look at the demographics shows that the trade-off makes sense for only one group-- the Political Class. Among that group, 67% believe increased government spending would be good for the economy. “Among other things, this data highlights a challenge in framing polling questions. If a question is asked in a way that doesn’t makes sense to most voters, it’s hard to put much value on the resulting data. It’s even more challenging when most in the Political Class don’t recognize the problem.” Therefore Democrats continue throwing money at problems, largely to gain political points, few harboring any real conviction except hope that their efforts will turn things around economically. They must not be familiar with P. J. O’Rourke’s wisdom: “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car-keys to teenage boys.” (There are various ways Congress can put the brakes on policies, as detailed in this piece in Monday’s Politico.com concerning defunding Obamacare). I’m sure most of the Dems recognize the words while ignoring the blunt truth of FDR’s Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, who confessed in 1939: “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and now if I am wrong somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosper. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this administration, we have just as much unemployment as when we started. And enormous debt to boot.” How much clearer can history’s lessons be? But, I’ll give the Dems the benefit of the doubt and agree with Rasmussen that perhaps it is because the Political Class just doesn’t recognize the problem or understand the situation. Regardless, it is irresponsible, and Americans will not tolerate irresponsibility and incompetence for long. They didn’t with the Republicans in control and they won’t with the Democrats in power. Since schadenfreude isn’t really my bag, there’s no smirking or ribbing from me in discussing the serious facts of what awaits us when this runaway political train collides with reality. November 2 will be an ideal time for the American people to render an emphatic and realistic “NO MORE!” If we do not do that, then we will be the “useful idiots” Thomas Sowell profiled in a recent column, and we deserve no more than what is doled out to us by Nanny and Big Brother. Footnotes from above: *This is an excellent summary of the Carter economic mess and the Reagan clean-up. **Good column by Fred Barnes of the Daily Standard on Bush 43’s achievements. * * * PS (Parting Shot): Perhaps some of... Continue reading

Be civil and enjoy. Continue reading

By Richard L. Wolfe On July 28th, Judge Susan Bolton ruled that some sections of Arizona’s Immigration Law, SB 1070 could not take effect. The rest of the law minus four of the most controversial sections will still go into effect on July 29, 2010. Three out of the four provisions that she struck down could have been 4th amendment violations, but that was not her reason for doing so. Her reasoning was based on the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The three that she struck down were warrantless arrests, requiring immigrants to carry proof of immigration status, and the state making it illegal for illegal immigrants to seek employment. The fourth is the most interesting and troublesome. It required officers to check a person’s immigration status if the officer had reasonable suspicion that they might be illegal. The troublesome part is that it still allows the officer to check the status if they have reasonable suspicion that the person may be illegal. It is just this type of legal ambiguity that causes me to call the American Judicial Branch the Clowns in Black Robes! Later on in her summary, she does it again with the following statement: "There is a substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens under the new (law). By enforcing this statute, Arizona would impose a 'distinct, unusual and extraordinary' burden on legal resident aliens that only the federal government has the authority to impose.” (L.A. Times) Read what she is saying; it is alright for the federal government to harass legal aliens but unlawful for the state to do so. (Bookmark the Judge’s quote and remember it when the unconstitutional Health Care Legislation runs up against the 10th amendment later this year.) The most troublesome part of all is that the judge simply kicked the can down the road. In essence, nothing was really resolved. Arizona and the federal government are right back where they started. The real losers were the taxpayers who paid for this whole charade. I cannot be anything but sympathetic with the judge who did the best that she could with an impossible case. Hopefully, this analogy will make sense: A couple loves each other, but they fight constantly over who is in charge of doing what concerning household duties. So they decide to go to a marriage counselor (Judge) to help them sort it out. The counselor says the first thing we need to do is write down all the household duties and divide them up according to who is best qualified to carry them out. After that, I will include it all in a contract (Constitution) and have both of you sign it. They did this and everyone went home happy. Then one day when it was raining the wife (State) noticed water dripping through the ceiling in the kitchen and she immediately told her husband (Federal Government) about the problem. He assured her that as soon as it stopped raining, he would go up on the roof and take care of it. When it stopped raining, he went up on the roof and tacked down some plastic over where he perceived the leak to be. Everything was fine until it started raining again and the ceiling was leaking more than ever. Again the husband promised to take care of the problem, so this time instead of plastic he tacked down some roofing paper and told his wife the problem was solved. All was well until one day while the husband was at work a heavy downpour caused the ceiling to not only leak but to cave in. The wife had enough and called a roofing company to fix the roof. When the husband came home he was outraged that his wife had usurped his authority in this area. When the couple met with the marriage counselor what could the counselor say, except have you considered a divorce? The law is clearly on the side of the Federal Government but all reason and common sense is on the side of Arizona. The Federal Government’s failure to carry out its Constitutional duty to protect and defend the border has placed Arizona and other border states in a quagmire. Other than a long, protracted, and unlikely Constitutional amendment being adopted that would give jurisdiction to the states, the only legal remedy is to replace the current members of the Federal Government. This is an excellent idea for a whole variety of reasons besides immigration. I fear that beyond this point the whole discussion will be sorely political but I will end with a quote from Thomas Jefferson that really gets at the heart of the debate. “Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular.” –Thomas Jefferson to Hugh White, 1801. ME 10:258 “Shall we refuse the unhappy fugitives from distress that hospitality which the savages of the wilderness extended to our fathers arriving in this land? Shall oppressed humanity find no asylum on this globe? The Constitution, indeed, has wisely provided that for admission to certain offices of important trust a residence shall be required sufficient to develop character and design. But might not the general character and capabilities of a citizen be safely communicated to every one manifesting a bona fide purpose of embarking his life and fortunes permanently with us?” –Thomas Jefferson: 1st Annual Message, 1801. ME 3:338 Continue reading