County Council has lost our trust
Everyone should read the S.C. Bill “Optional Methods For Financing Transportation Facilities,” Title 4 – Counties, Chapter 37, which became law in May 1995. It has been amended several times since then, one of the latest [amendments] being the addition of Mass Transit Systems and Greenbelts as possible capital improvement projects.
I must mention here that in 2022, our voters approved a 1% increase in their taxes to fund “greenbelt projects” to the tune of $100,000,000. Now the referendum scheduled for Nov. 5 includes another $50,000,000 for greenbelt projects. (LET THAT SINK IN!)
The law requires that each referendum must specify exactly what the project will be and where it will be located, as well as publicize for four consecutive weeks that information in a “newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction,” which in Beaufort County would be the Beaufort Gazette/Island Packet and The Island News. Jasper County has followed the law and published quite succinctly their planned improvements, but I’ve seen no such info published for Beaufort County to date.
It saddens me to say that you, County Council, and your staff have lost our trust and it didn’t happen solely on the broken promises from the 2018 referendum. That’s just the latest thing added to the list that goes back over many years. But you’ve made it stick in our craw by throwing in the $30 million for Lady’s Island projects in 2018, for the purpose of getting us to vote for the referendum, which we did, but you haven’t kept your word. You haven’t even finished designing those projects or prioritized them on a “need most” basis to alleviate the congestion on Lady’s Island.
We don’t understand how you could attach a price tag to any of the projects when they weren’t designed! And you’re asking the taxpayers to allow you to do that again? Surely you, Council, understand why this proposal is being called the “Fool Me Twice” tax.
I understand that there’s approximately $150 million left from the 2018 referendum due to the failure to implement the promised improvements, yet you’ll need money from the new tax to help pay for those improvements we paid tax for two years to implement, even adding the $16 million extra dollars collected. And we’re told that COVID and inflation caused the shortfall. I say “putting the cart before the horse” caused the shortfall.
Please know that we’re not going to vote for this referendum you’ve put on the ballot, and you won’t regain our trust until you get the horse in front of the cart. By that I mean, “Do the proper planning, explain the projects to the people (as required by law), get estimates so you can realistically price the projects, and show us some real integrity and transparency.” Until then, we’re voting “No!”
— Edie Rodgers, Beaufort. Rodgers is a former S.C. State Representative for District 124.
Can we have some honesty?
DAYLO … I’m so proud of these kids standing up for American rights! When I was growing up I was encouraged by my grandparents, my mother and dad, and my school teachers to read anything I could get my hands on.
Now we have a few parents who object to certain books. OK I understand, it is your child. Please inform the school and the library to not allow the book for your kids. You have no right to deny books for the vast amount of parents, to tell them what their kids can read. Nazi Germany, anybody?
Vote “No” … If I had asked anyone to pay more taxes and then complete four of 34 projects, I’d have been tarred and feathered. Yet now they’re here again wanting more more money?
Game of the week — lies! I was naive when I was young. I’m 72 now. Republicans wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped them in the face. For half of my life I voted Republican, then they went insane.
Instead of complain so much, I did Praise DAYLO. I know I live in a deep red state. But my gosh, can we have some honesty and civil conversations?
— Don Cass, Beaufort
Why we must vote Republican
I am shocked on how [Democratically] biased this newspaper has become. Just another reason to not trust local news media here in Beaufort. And why we must vote Republican to get out of this media bias chaos.
— Gary Marino, Beaufort
