Democrats better for ALL the people
As campaign season heats up, I have been thinking about national Party economic priorities. Which Party works harder to share the benefits of our prosperous economy? GOP tax cuts have always been structured to benefit wealthy individuals and corporations, which has vastly blown out wealth inequality and challenged the American middle class.
Democrats know that revenue is half of the budget, and look for fair tax increases to support the social safety net from which we ALL benefit (Social Security anyone? Medicare? Health care?). Biden’s vow to increase taxes only on the wealthiest (not on anyone making less than $400,000) sounds fair to me.
Any discussion of rising costs of living (inflation) must include corporate price gouging that benefits only shareholders and top executives. The Biden/Harris team is working energetically to remove the corporate foot from our backs. By investing in and encouraging manufacturing capacity (Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act, among others); by taking on corporate monopolies, including meat packers, airlines, internet providers, etc. (FTC and DOJ initiatives); and by supporting workers (protecting and encouraging unions) — the Biden Administration is shifting our national priorities. This shift in priorities is necessary to finally, effectively address wealth inequalities that underlie so many problems.
In the last 50-plus years, misguided economic policy has degraded the fabric of our society. Both Parties bear responsibility for this. But the Biden/Harris Administration has charted a necessary change in economic direction, turning the ship of state from demonstrably outdated ideas to a future that will work better for ALL the People. This is a huge operation, and they need and deserve more time to make America great (always aspirational).
— Carol Brown, Beaufort
The Left is part of the Axis of Evil
Gotterdammerung (Got-ter-dam-mer-ung — the total, usually violent, collapse of a society, regime, institution, etc).
That is where the Democrat Party is taking us. The Biden administration is composed of Marxist/Islamo Sinophiles who have deliberately caused social, cultural, economic, and national security chaos.
President Biden is a doddering, corrupt, puppet controlled by the afore mentioned radicals. Obama’s Deep State has infested all elements of the government. Welcome to his third term!
The external Axis of Evil is composed of Russia, China and Iran. The internal, in the U.S., is the Left, Radical Islam and China.
— Carter Swenson, Beaufort
Please weed this antiquated mentality
Lolita Huckaby might be a long-time reporter and editorial columnist, but any sheen of professionalism was tarnished in her ill-informed piece “Future of USCB books sparks concerns” in the April 25-May 1 issue. That she is being “factual but opinionated” should also be questioned. Although today, when “facts” have somehow become subjective, perhaps she is completely at ease. (Her The-Yankees-Are-Coming! alarmism was also off-putting, but I digress.)
A five-minute phone call with any professional librarian would have cleared up any misconceptions about removing books from a university library’s collection. It’s called weeding, and it is part of a healthy collection maintenance program.
Books are removed not simply to make space, but also because the information is outdated or the information is accessible in a more convenient way to the patron (digital). As an example, one of the majors which USCB graduates the most students in is Nursing. Do you think the library should keep “Charting nursing’s future: agenda for the 1990s” by Linda H. Aiken and Claire M. Fagin (currently available in print at USCB)?
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books like this in every library. Other books ripe for weeding include volumes that are duplicates, or old editions, or irrelevant to the patrons. Sometimes the books are just plain raggedy – stained, torn, water-damaged, broken spines … I assure you each weeded book is handled and judged by a trained professional and the weeding of that individual item can be easily justified.
Fighting ignorance with ignorance leads to more ignorance. And in this case on a grand scale via The Island News.
— Warren Cobb, Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS), Certified Archivist (CA), and S.C. Certified Professional Librarian
Pay the teachers
First, I want congratulate your newspaper for being the best I’ve ever read.
This article about efforts by our legislators to hire experts to fill vacancies in South Carolina teacher positions has me scratching my head. I came here 16 years ago from Missouri. I sold my house with 10 fenced acres, a basement, five bedrooms, four and a half baths, a wrap-around porch, a three-car garage, with two-car detached, oversized garage as my workshop, storage, etc., for $299,000. I left and filled gas at 1.49 a gallon. I crossed the Broad River bridge and filled up at Circle K for $3.49 a gallon. WHAT?? Stayed in a hotel until (I) purchased a house. One-half acre, three bedrooms, two baths for $245,000, WHAT?
It’s the math dummy. You can boost the starting pay for teachers, which was one of the lowest in the country, but what does that have to do with cost of living? Housing, food, taxes, which is $1,400 per year more here than Missouri. Don’t get me wrong, I love living here for many reasons. But darn, give teachers, who are the most influential people for our kids, other than parents and church, a living wage!
— Don Cass, Beaufort
A correction is needed
Under State News, “Clyburn hopes newest student loan plan secures more votes,” … well Democrats at least said the quiet part out loud … this is all about buying votes with taxpayer money.
Abraham Kenmore incorrectly and misleadingly stated in his article that S.C. student debts have had $2.6 billion dollars worth of debt “Wiped out.” This is factually incorrect and misleading.
Debts are always paid. Those student debts have now been transferred to every taxpaying citizen of the U.S.
— George Richardson, Beaufort
