Benjamin’s plan
Regarding “100 Columbia fathers would get $500 a month through guaranteed income pilot program,” (Dec. 11):
In reading about the $500 stipend Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is touting, all I can think about is themissed opportunity and shortsighted boondoggle this is.
Recipients get $500 monthly for two years, or $12,000, and this is to help them better their lives? What happens at the end of two years when they lose this money “cold turkey” and can’t meet bills they depended on the money for?
Why not abide by the age-old proverb “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”? Would not everyone — recipients, their families and the community — gain more if this stipend was used for a training program that prepared them for better careers? That act could help them move off the “dependency” role into the self-sufficient mainstream that we should all want for them.
Bill Barlow, West Columbia
Charleston sheriff
Regarding “State’s first female sheriff has ambitious plans, critics,” (Dec. 13):
Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said one of the changes she pledges to make is to end the county’s participation in the federal immigration enforcement program with ICE. That participation helps deport immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization. It is not up to her to decide which laws she is going to enforce and which ones she is not. If she can decide not to enforce this one, what is to stop her from choosing another one or several?
Kenneth Siegfried, Lexington
On the election
If President Donald Trump succeeds in overturning the results of the Nov. 3 election on the basis of lies, conspiracy theories, and the rantings of his personal attorney, elections no longer matter and the world’s greatest democracy is dead after 244 glorious years. And if a voter, regardless of party affiliation, do not condemn and resist this unforgivable lurch toward tyranny, they have no right to call themselves a patriot.
Kevin Meredith, Columbia
Give Trump credit
There has been a great deal of news about the remarkable progress made by pharmaceutical companies and transportation entities in setting up for rapid delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines. There has been little mention of the role that President Trump and his administration had in setting up Operation Warp Speed or in carrying it out. That program facilitated the rapid development, rapid testing and provision of financial incentives for production before completion of testing and FDA approval — a remarkable achievement.
Martin Essick, Columbia
Sen. Graham
South Carolina deserves better! Our senior U.S. senator is now commonly referred to as “Trump’s sycophant.”
This is a man who instead of working on our behalf has decided to slavishly attach himself to Donald Trump in hopes of gaining personal recognition or advantage.
His recent insertion into Georgia politics did nothing to improve the well-being of South Carolinians, but rather highlighted his true ambition — greater personal recognition.
South Carolinians are dying in large numbers from COVID-19 and many are losing their livelihoods. I volunteer at a food bank and we are overwhelmed by families struggling to feed themselves. We need a senator who is passionate about representing all of us.
Patrick Hennessey, Lexington
Harmful litter
A refrigerator. A bike. An over-sized planter. Water bottles galore. We’re talking about litter cleaned out of Gills Creek.
All types of litter impair our water quality and clog our waterways, leading to poor human health, increased flooding, harm to fish, and increased costs for clean drinking water. That’s why Gills Creek Watershed Association hosts cleanups. It’s a great way to get outside and beautify your community. Particularly during the pandemic, a cleanup can be a great socially-distanced activity.
We are all responsible for the waste we see along our roads, floating in waterways, or on our forest floors. It starts with you and me and grows to our family, neighbors and friends. Together, we can create a more beautiful, litter-free environment for all.
Carmony Adler, Columbia
Executive director, Gills Creek Watershed Association