Time for new leadership?

[cointent_lockedcontent]Dear Editor,

The people of Pickens County can be proud of their combined efforts to question and hold accountable the six county council members for their overreach on the fire fees. The council members were forced by the outcry to “suspend” the fire fee and remove it from 2015 tax bills. But all should be aware, this is only a temporary stoppage. They have said that it will be handled in some other manner. So hold on to your pocketbooks, taxpayers!

It was apparent at the Oct. 19 meeting that the council attempted to avoid the citizens by changing the meeting time from 6:30 pm to 5 pm. But even with the time change, the auditorium was overflowing into the hallway with questioning taxpayers. The repeated answer that came from the council members to the many issues put to them was, “We messed up and didn’t think this through.” If the multitude of people had not contacted and questioned these council members, the taxpayers would have had this fee applied to be owed and paid forever. And now we, the taxpayers, must pay for the cost of recalculating, reprinting, re-mailing and refunding payments for this incredible and unexplainable blunder.

One council member claimed pride in having been on the council for 12 years. The citizens should wonder how, with this experience, the council could just “mess up” handling our business and finances.

Four members of this council are up for re-election next year. Those four districts are Easley (Jennifer Willis), Liberty (Neil Smith), Pickens (Randy Crenshaw) and Dacusville (Tom Ponder). Perhaps it is time Pickens County has new leadership.

The citizens of Pickens County deserve more responsible and logical public servants. We must continue to monitor and hold accountable these elected officials.

And thank you, Pickens County Courier, for your excellent reporting on this issue.

Clova Vaughan

Easley

Surely, we are better than that

Editor:

I watched with interest last week as Hillary Clinton testified before the Benghazi Select Committee. The loss of four lives in Benghazi was indeed a tragedy, and we need to do everything possible to prevent any loss of life. Conservatives have certainly investigated this tragedy, perhaps to an extreme.

While we had no control over the attack in Benghazi, I am perplexed that in South Carolina, a state controlled by conservatives, we refuse to prevent similar tragedies that occur every week. More than four people die in South Carolina every week because they do not have access to healthcare.

A study done on Massachusetts residents after the implementation of Romneycare — the basis of Obamacare — concluded that for every 830 people having access to healthcare, there will be one fewer death per year. Thus, if we expand Medicaid and insure at least 172,640 people, we will save four lives per week. I have heard several estimates of how many would be covered by an expansion of Medicaid — the actual number would depend on the policies implemented by South Carolina — and the lowest estimate I have heard is 200,000.

Four lives per week, every week. Every week we don’t expand Medicaid, we allow four more citizens to die. Citizens that we have the ability to save!

We can do this without costing the state any money. The cost would be paid by the federal government. In fact, this money would boost the South Carolina economy.

Some will argue that they don’t like Obamacare. Then we can call it something else. Others states have put their own brand on their Medicaid expansion.

Some will argue that we don’t want to accept federal money to expand Medicaid.

Well, we had no trouble asking for federal assistance to repair damage done by the recent flooding. Could it be that the assistance for the flooding damage will assist many folks, both rich and poor, while Medicaid assists mainly the poor, who have little voice in our state government?

Surely, we are a better state than that!

Carl Fortson

Seneca

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