Other Voices

Sembler deal shows crony capitalism alive and well in SC
The Sembler Co. recently ran a full-page ad in local newspapers attempting to rally public support for its 280-acre, 1.5-million-square-foot mall in Okatie. Beneath a huge banner headline that read, "New Jobs -- Expanded Tax Base -- Environmental Protection," the ad asks, "What's wrong with that?" and then gave its own answer: "Nothing's wrong with it."

Employment agency overhaul must happen for sake of SC's jobless
The Legislative Audit Council's reporting of just how broken the state Employment Security Commission has become was quite shocking.

Voter photo ID a solution without a problem
The League of Women Voters believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. We monitor activity affecting voting, and we believe legislation recently proposed to alter voting procedures deserves the public's attention.

Riverview board working to be good stewards
The Jan. 19 editorial was critical of some of the Riverview Charter School's decisions related to the dismissal of our former director.

All to stand to gain with development of upscale mall in Hardeeville
Our region's consumers, local governments, business communities and taxpayers all stand to benefit from the $400 million upscale shopping mall planned for Hardeeville. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our region that all of us must support.

Don't let false claims stop development of Jasper County port
In its 2009 session, after decades of shamefully ignoring one of our state's most valuable geographic assets, the South Carolina General Assembly declared that working with the state of Georgia to "expeditiously" develop a new port on the Savannah River in Jasper County was official state policy. So it's a done deal, right? No, not here in the "Legislative State."

Responsible financial reforms can help stabilize state budget
The recent downturn in our nation's economy has impacted the budgets of nearly every state. At least 48 states are facing budget shortfalls this year, totaling more than $190 billion in lost revenue according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The shortfalls amount to a shocking 28 percent of all state budgets.

Old development habits die hard, but to save our rivers they must
If we truly want to save our waterways, we're going to have to change the way we do things.

De birth story in Gullah
Een dat time, Caesar Augustus been de big leada, de emperor ob de Roman people. E make a law een all de town eed de wol weh he habe tority, say "Ebrybody haffa go ta town fa count by de hed an write down e nyame." Dis been de fus time dey count by de hed, same time Cyrenius de gobna ob Syria country. So den, ebrybody gone fa count by de hed, ta e own town weh e ole people been bon.

Santa an impostor? Not when it comes to spreading Christmas joy
If we truly want to save our waterways, we're going to have to change the way we do things.

Close tax loopholes, open up greater opportunity for all South Carolinians
One of the problems with state government in South Carolina -- aside from the fact that it is too large, wasteful and inefficient -- is that it routinely makes decisions that benefit well-financed special interests rather than the best interests of the people.

Many people counting on your gift to United Way
The young, thin patriarch looked at his little family huddled around the warmth of a small fire. "Thank you for all our blessings," he said with a sad smile. "God bless us everyone," chimed in his youngest boy who leaned heavily on a roughly made crutch.

Weak SC laws breed audacity in cockfighters
Thank goodness for the U.S. attorney's office, which has been working for more than a year on an investigation into illegal cockfighting operations that in recent weeks has produced charges against 23 people. For all practical purposes, that's the only weapon our state has in the fight against this insidious bloodsport.

Everyone benefits when students stay competitive in today's work force
On the path to the American dream today, there is no detour around post-secondary education. Employers increasingly require their employees to have higher-level skills. Those without at least some education beyond high school find themselves at a serious disadvantage in the job market. Meanwhile, the ethnic and socioeconomic makeup of our citizenry is continuing to evolve across the country and here in the Lowcountry, and employers are relying more than ever on workers from the populations that are least likely to complete their education.

Obama's significance for South Carolina
I won't be voting for Barack Obama for president. There are too many vital issues -- from taxes and spending, to immigration and national security, to traditional values -- on which we have fundamentally different points of view about the right direction for our country. However, as the presidential campaign trail now makes its turn toward this state, and as South Carolinians make their final decisions on whom to vote for, it's worth pausing to take notice of something important that the Obama candidacy means for our corner of America.

For the latest legislative news from Columbia, visit S.C. Politics today:

Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the editor are welcome. Letters must be 250 words or less and signed with your first and last names. Include your street address and daytime telephone number so we can verify the letter before publication. You are limited to one letter per 30 days. Letters may be edited for length, style, grammar, taste and libel. All letters submitted become the property of The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette and may be republished in any format. The Packet and the Gazette do not publish endorsement letters on the editorial page. Thank you letters are published in the Monday Lowcountry Life section.

How to reach us

Mail: P.O. Box 5727, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
Fax: 843-706-3070
Hand-delivered: 10 Buck Island Road, Bluffton or 1556 Salem Road, Beaufort
E-mail: letters@islandpacket.com or letters@beaufortgazette.com

Your Elected Officials

U.S. Congress

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R)
U.S. Senate, 290 Russell, Washington, DC 20510
Office: (202) 224-5972 Fax: (202) 224-1189
Sen. Jim DeMint (R)
U.S. Senate, 290 Russell, Washington, DC 20510
Office: (202) 224-6121 Fax: (202) 228-5143
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-District 2)
U.S. House, 212 Cannon, Washington, DC 20515
Office: (202) 225-2452 Fax: (202) 225-2455
Track S.C. officials in Congress

State Government

Gov. Mark Sanford (R)
Governor�s Office, State House, P.O. Box 12267, Columbia, S.C. 29211
Office: (803) 734-2100 Fax: (803) 734-5167
Senator Tom Davis(R-District 46)
P.O. Drawer 1107, Beaufort, 29901-1107
(843) 252-8583
602 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201
Bus. (803) 212-6008
Rep. Curtis Brantley (D-District 122)
194 Bees Creek Rd., Ridgeland, 29936
(843) 726-5998
314D Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-2965
Rep. Richard Chalk (R-District 123)
326C Blatt Building, Columbia, S.C. 29211-1867
Office: (803) 734-3067; Home: (843) 842-5985
15 Goldfinch Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928
Rep. Shannon S. Erickson (R-District 124)
(843) 986-1090
306A Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-3261
Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R-District 118)
P.O. Box 11867, Columbia, S.C. 29211
Office: (803) 734-3063; Home: (843) 757-5424
151 Gascoigne Bluff, Bluffton, S.C. 29910
Rep. Kenneth F. Hodges (D-District 121)
PO Drawer 355, Green Pond, 29446
(843) 525-9006 Home (843) 844-8756
434B Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-3062

Beaufort County

Rick Caporale (R-District 1)
17 Salt Wind Way, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
Office: 680-9999; fax: 681-6700
Steven Baer (R-District 2)
10 Heather Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
Office: 689-3570; fax: 689-3569
Stu Rodman (R-District 3)
27 Baynard Park, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928
Office: 363-470; fax: 363-6472
Weston J. Newton chairman (R-District 4)
P.O. Drawer 7049, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29938
Office: 842-6111; fax: 706-9981
William McBride (D-District 5)
P.O. Box 77, St. Helena Island, SC 29920
Fax:(843)838-8303
Home:(843)838-2264
Gerald Dawson (D-District 6)
64-A Horace Dawsone Drive, Seabrook, SC 29940
Fax:(843)846-4738
Office:(843)846-4830
Paul Sommerville vice chairman (R-District 7)
1509 Pigeon Point Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-7115
Office:(843)379-7114
Herbert N. Glaze (D-District 8)
P.O. Box 4053, Burton, SC 29903
Fax:(843)846-3601
Home:(843)846-2845
Brian Flewelling (R- District 9)
25 Petigru Drive, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-9806
Office:(843)379-9805
Jerry Stewart (R-District 10)
11 Teaberry Lane, Bluffton, S.C. 29909
Office: 705-4753; fax: 705-4723
Laura Von Harten (D-District 11)
166 Fuller Parkway, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-1380
Office:(843)379-1367

Beaufort County School District

District Office: 1300 King St., P.O. Drawer 309, Beaufort, SC 29902
Office: 322-2300; fax: 322-2371
Hilton Head Island office, 689-4635; fax: 689-4617

Beaufort County Board of Education members

Fred S. Washington chairman (District 11)
PO 325, 804 West Street, Beaufort, SC 29901
(C) 843-524-8404
Bob Arundell vice chairman (District 2)
198 Woodlake Villas, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
Home: 681-8502; work: 7855-8040; fax: 785-3056;
Joan Deery (District 1)
5 old Fort Drive, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
Home: 681-8968
Wayne Carbiener (District 3)
Home: 843-363-2113
Laura Bush (District 4)
P.O. Box 172, Bluffton, S.C. 29910
Home: 757-2638; fax: 757-2638
Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (District 5)
734 Seaside Road, St. Helena, SC 29920
(H) 843-838-2277
FAX 843-838-1192
Earl Campbell (District 6)
93 Bruce Smalls, Grays Hill, P.O. Box 768, Lobeco, SC 29931
(H) 843-846-4531
(C) 843-476-7512
FAX 843-846-1373
Jim Bequette (District 7)
4 Broomfield Lane 2532, Beaufort, SC 29907
(H/C) 843-263-8327
Herbert Burnes (District 8)
95 Pine Grove Road, Beaufort, SC 29906
(H) 843-846-445
(C) 843-263-2776
Ronald Speaks (District 9)
3121 Palomino Dr., Burton, SC 29906
(H) 843-525-1163
(W) 843-525-8277
FAX 843-525-1163
George Wilson (District 10)
20 Osprey Circle, Callawassie Island, S.C. 29909
Home: 987-1234; cell: 812-9870

City of Beaufort

Mayor Billy Keyserling
771 Ribaut Rd., Beaufort, SC 29902
(843) 986-2444 (Work)
(843) 521-2600 (Home)
Councilwoman Donnie Ann Beer
P.O. Box 1171, Beaufort, SC 29901
379-6099 (Home)
379-2750 (Work)
Councilman Gary Fordham
860 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
524-3334 (Home)
Councilman Mike Sutton
809 Craven St., Beaufort, SC 29902
252-5687
Councilman Mike McFee
2302 Wilson Dr. Beaufort, SC 29902
843-321-0556 (Work)
843-522-1528 (Home)

Town of Hilton Head Island

Town Hall: One Town Center Court, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928; 341-4600

Town Council

Mayor Thomas D. Peeples
4 Hartford Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928-3922
Home: 686-4138; office: 681-2600; fax: 689-3229
Bill Ferguson (Ward 1)
634 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 686-2863
William Harkins (Ward 2)
3 Old Fort Lane Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
263-3261 - cell
Drew A. Laughlin (Ward 3)
5 McIntosh Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 689-5723; work 689-5700; fax 689-9300
John Safay (Ward 4)
19 Starboard Tack, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 785-4489; work: 785-4696; fax: 785-4696
George Williams (Ward 5)
8 Braddock Cove, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 363-6601; fax: 363-6604
Ken S. Heitzke (Ward 6)
3 Audubon Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 681-8182; fax: 681-9864