The tragedy in Beaufort County SC schools

Frequent headlines in the paper bemoan the fact that we have a hard time getting teachers in South Carolina.

People should be beating a path to teach in “Beautiful Beaufort County By the Sea.” Evidently they are not. Could it be that we have somewhat of a sordid reputation, as well as terrible pay?

For six years it’s been one thing after another.

A former superintendent resigned and is under investigation by the FBI. Our school board members for years show disrespect for each other in open meetings. An elementary school teacher is arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a student. Several schools received failing or subpar grades by the state. And now an investigation of a school principal for a shameful act on school property. What next?

I am glad I don’t have a student in school now, and I feel terrible for those who do. What do you say to them? How do you counsel them? How do you explain this kind of behavior by the very people they should respect and admire? If your personal behavior is contemptible, in my opinion, you have no right to lead our children, no matter how good you are at your job.

It’s a perfect example of the cultural decline in America. What a tragedy ... in our own backyard.

Politicians run over ‘we the people’

If the recent shutdown doesn’t convince you that “we the people” are poorly represented by a bunch of immature, ideologically-driven high school students, then nothing will.

It reminds me of two kids in a basement up to their knees in gasoline arguing about who can light the most matches.

Remember that most of our teenaged elected officials are really lawyers, trained to win at all cost. Our cost, certainly not theirs.

You want to see the real villain, just look in the mirror. We continue to re-elect these self-serving ideologues who think of us only as an afterthought and generally only at times leading up to election days.

Their agenda is quite different from that of the electorate, and they would probably glaze over if asked to spell “unintended consequences.”

Unfortunately, we all think that we ought to vote out the officials in our neighboring states but seldom do we want to unseat “our guy.” It’s not about one individual, it’s about professional politicians who view their elected office as an unending cash cow rather than as an honor to serve.

This is not a party thing, this is about character, and putting “we the people” ahead of their personal power perks and financial well-being.

Covert’s wrong: Public needs federal agencies

I must respond to an article about Mike Covert running for Congress, saying he would eliminate the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture.

Do your homework.

I was an elected county Board of Education chair, president of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, and chair of the Northeast Region of the National School Boards Associations when the Department of Education was created. All school boards lobbied to have this happen. Ask teachers, administrators and local elected officials what they think. It would hurt students and staff if it was eliminated.

If you plan to continue to eat food, check and see what the Department of Agriculture does. Also ask local farmers what happens when they are flooded out and deal with disasters.

I was just a housewife and mom when I first ran, but I did do my homework.

Do the math first for so-called road improvements

Once again the SCDOT has come up with an idea to ease traffic on Interstate 95 from Beaufort County to the Georgia border by adding another lane. A third lane added on U.S. 278 east has only made traffic jams worse. Adding lanes on U.S. 278 west, and the merger of the Cross Island Parkway, makes that intersection a horror show in the afternoon with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The solution to these problems is simple. When multiple lanes come to a two-lane bridge, it causes a slowdown, which in turn causes backups. Widen the bridges before you add lanes because three into two doesn’t go. First-grade math.