Hilton Head ‘quality of life’ referendum needs fair debate, not consultant | Letters

The Town of Hilton Head Island has hired an “educational consultant” for $75,000 to educate us on the upcoming $65 million “quality of life” referendum. That is outrageous for several reasons:

▪ There is no guarantee that this consultant will provide a fair and balanced view giving equal exposure to all sides. In the recent U.S. 278 road referendum, the “marketing consultant,” did outstanding work selling, with inadequate data and disclosure, what many now view as a defective referendum. That could happen again.

▪ Hiring such a consultant also gives the appearance that the town is trying to insulate itself from an ethics complaint of illegal advocacy.

Instead of radio/TV ads and glossy postcards, citizens need to understand referendum facts from all points of view.

A good plan is for all sides to have an equal opportunity to present their points in writing to the public, followed by subsequent public forums including Q&A. A facilitator should be hired to assure absolute fairness and ethics compliance.

It is also strange that four people on Town Council will not authorize $75,000 for an independent engineering review of the $300 million to $500 million corridor project that impacts much of the north end. Yet, they can suddenly find a similar sum for a possibly illegal marketing blitz for a much smaller project.

Having watched the U.S. 278 referendum “educational” effort, where glossy advertising rather than balanced facts prevailed, the town’s plans are blatantly unfair and require review by the State Ethics Commission.

Steven M. Baer

Hilton Head Island

Good riddance to US 278 eyesore in Bluffton

Well, it’s about time. Not since my letter about “Trash Mountain” several months ago have I been so eager to write again.

In the seven years I’ve lived here, that building that formerly housed the Island Visitors Center has been an eyesore and an embarrassment.

Where are those same groups – the “turtle troopers, plastic bag police and straw stormers” who value our wildlife more than our neighbors and our reputation? Where are those same “Behind the Gate Battalions” that whined and complained about every stone and brick of the beautiful new Walmart on the corner across from this eyesore? And all the local leaders who count trees and fine you if one is missing?

This building has always looked like an official representative of Hilton Head Island and an area always worried about aesthetics: tree covers, berms and signs, including the one for Lowe’s on U.S. 278 that’s past the turn to actually get to Lowe’s.

So cheers to finally cleaning up this corner and giving us new businesses to visit. Sounds like a win/win to me. And jeers to our local leaders who seem to rule out of both sides of their mouth. That building should’ve been gone years ago.

Lee Stearns

Bluffton

Hilton Head Town Council and short-term rentals: A pox on both of their houses

I was overjoyed when the Hilton Head Island Town Council passed an ordinance essentially banning short-term rentals for 61 days. Unlike the laughably inadequate order of our inept governor, it was the only effective way to control the flow of tourists, by making sure they had no place to stay.

I was accordingly outraged when the council abruptly repealed it just 72 hours later, reportedly in response to threats of lawsuits from renters and management companies (Tamara Becker, the only council member with the courage to put her constituents first, has earned my enduring admiration).

Does anyone seriously believe that tourists coming from a hot spot – and, by the way, new hot spots are popping up every day – are going to voluntarily quarantine themselves for 14 days?

And what sort of tourist will be coming here? The responsible ones have obeyed the orders of their respective governors and canceled trips. That leaves the ones who will flout our rules the same way they flouted the rules of their home state.

They are almost certain to spread the virus, and in so doing, threaten the health and safety of our citizenry. They will strain our resources, particularly our medical resources, and exacerbate the shortage of essential supplies.

At this point, I cannot determine whom I am most contemptuous of, the council members who made a stand and then didn’t stand their ground, or the grasping renters and management companies who put profit ahead of people. A pox on both their houses.

Kevin Kelso

Hilton Head Island

Good to focus on our lifestyles

I appreciate your printing Karen Holland’s op-ed on the benefits of making lifestyle changes, not only to protect us from COVID-19, but also to protect our immune system and improve our health throughout our lifetime.

Kathy Shea

Hilton Head Island

Trump fails leadership test

On numerous issues, supporting President Donald Trump requires ignoring or denying plain facts.

For example, approving Trump’s handling of the pandemic requires ignoring or denying his consistent misinformation and prolonged inaction, which greatly magnified the impact of the disease on public health and the economy.

In the 45 days after experts warned him that COVID-19 could cause a public health disaster, Trump repeatedly downplayed the threat. In those early days, he did restrict non-citizens incoming from China and Europe, but since returning citizens still could bring in the virus, and since the virus was already present in the United States anyway, these partial restrictions at the border did not keep the disease away.

Here are two things the “very stable genius” should have done immediately that would have mitigated the impact substantially:

1. Order widespread testing wherever the virus was suspected and quarantine any carriers of the virus.

2. Employ the Defense Production Act to accelerate production and distribution of medical equipment such as ventilators and face masks and advise the general public to wear masks whenever they leave home.

Those two measures would have entailed challenging issues of implementation, but orchestrating implementation is what effective leaders do. Had these measures been tried, they might have contained the disease at a more manageable level and avoided the need to shut down the economy. Imagine the savings in lives and treasure.

Instead of taking action, on Feb. 28 our president predicted that the virus would disappear “like a miracle.”

Raymond Dominick

Bluffton

Trump no leader

President Eisenhower said: “Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.”

President Truman had a sign on his desk with the phrase, “The buck stops here.”

President Donald Trump said: “I don’t take responsibility at all” for coronavirus response failures and the coronavirus testing lag.

Some people are born leaders. Others are incapable of leading. Donald Trump is incapable of leading two people out of a one-door room that has a bright red “EXIT” sign above the doorway.

Also, people who want to learn how to kiss up to their boss need only look to Vice President Mike Pence and follow his actions. He is a master at kissing up to his boss at each and every opportunity.

Trump stands in front of the coronavirus task force team each night and delivers, in part, an update about the pandemic and finishes with his patented campaign rally speech.

If he cared about the American people, he would remain in his office and let the coronavirus task force give the presentation each night.

Tony Amadeo

Sun City

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