Give new Bluffton Police Department chief time, and autonomy | Letters
The recent column by Liz Farrell about the Bluffton police chiefs was very informative. I applaud her for exposing some of the secrets that we are not supposed to know about.
Small police departments are always fraught with possible corruption and individual favoritism.
I have met Bluffton’s new chief and he seems to me to be a sincere and honest person. I am sure he will do a good job for the town residents.
But Liz is correct: We need to give him time to deal with many of the issues the previous chiefs left him with.
The other issue with local, small police departments is that public officials think they know better than the police chief on how things should be done. If Bluffton wants to have a proper police force, they need to keep the politicians out of the way and let the chief do his job.
One solution that other towns have adopted is to appoint a police commissioner with practical police training to answer the council’s questions and deal with the chief.
Robert Olori
Bluffton
SC behind on climate change
First, I am a moderate, Independent-leaning conservative on national security and progressive on the environment.
The headline reads: “South Carolina has no statewide plan to fight climate change.” Later in the story, this appears: “South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican and booster of President Donald Trump, is cool to the idea of a statewide climate plan ...”
Said president is a climate denier and McMaster appears to agree. His shotgun approach to environmental problems, while important individually, is inadequate to address the overall climate change crisis.
Mark Sanford, for all his faults, at least tried to do something about climate change. But it is clear from reading the article that big business, greedy electric utilities, and other influential lobbies can successfully block these efforts.
Combine this with the fact that we are led by a Trump “booster,” and addressing this existential problem gets little priority.
Fortunately, many legislators are working to address conservation issues and our county delegation is leading in this respect. Thanks to Sens. Tom Davis and Chip Campsen, and Reps. Bill Herbkersman and Shannon Erickson.
I believe better use could be made with the budget surplus by addressing climate change instead of tax rebates. We could start by doing something about all the inadequate and unsafe dams, for instance. (Can’t Republicans think of anything else constructive to do with found money instead of tax cuts all the time?
But in the end, I believe, nothing will change until South Carolina’s leadership changes from deep red to moderate blue.
Henry A. Robertson
Beaufort
Special gifts in the local Salvation Army red kettles
The Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island has been ringing Salvation Army kettle bells for over 40 years.
One of their kettles this year contained a solid gold coin wrapped in a poem, which read in part:
“Twas the week before Christmas and I had on my mind
How best help the needy, to be thoughtful and kind.
I thought of the red kettle and the bells ringing out ...
Thanks to the Salvation Army. They do the most good. The bell ringers too, and thank them, we should.
So I offer this small token of love in honor of His Son Who lives up above ...
Well, my verses are all written, think I’ll toast with some cheer,
Merry Christmas to all and a blessed New Year.”
The Lowcountry kettle ringers produced over $120,000, and during 2019, under the leadership of Captains Robert and Wanda Long, our local Corps accomplished the following:
Persons fed, 9,243; power bills for 745 families; rent for 193 families; school uniforms and supplies for 72 children; 21 people received 91 nights of shelter; 305 individuals received 3,528 clothing items; 93 families received 1,140 pieces of furniture; 24 at-risk youth spent 93 days at an Army camp in North Carolina; 1,834 meals for first responders during the last hurricane; 863 children received 4,748 Christmas toys, plus toys for 857 Angel Tree children; 243 seniors received Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Our Corps thanks all the local communities for their generous support.
Carter Swenson
Chairman, Advisory Board
Salvation Army of the Lowcountry
Beaufort