Who will ensure American Rescue Plan funds help S.C. citizens who most need rescuing?

Include Black and brown voices

The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce’s CDFI Microloan Programs help create access to capital for those businesses that have been denied business financing in the traditional lending markets.

From my unique perspective, I have seen firsthand the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the businesses and communities we serve, and I am opposed to Beaufort County’s proposed usage of Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for its failure to equitably “provide additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.”

The county’s recommendations read like a Christmas wish list from an ARPA task force that included no members or organizations representing the county’s Black and brown citizens and businesses most impacted by COVID-19.

As additional funds head to our state and county, I question the oversight on the use of these federal funds in South Carolina and wonder who will ensure that elected officials are accountable to those most in need of rescuing?

A true win for the citizens and businesses of Beaufort County is not just passage of historic federal funding bills, but the usage and implementation of those funds to benefit all its citizens.

Larry Holman, president & CEO, Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce

Too busy for condos

I live about a half mile from the Allison Road Redevelopment area, and it’s the wrong mix for the Mossy Oaks neighborhood.

This is one of the few affordable in-town neighborhoods left. Most homes are one story, built in the 1950s, traditional in style and materials.

This is not the right place for high-end condos and townhouses.

Placing them close to a very busy street will be a big mistake. There will be nothing desirable about condos and townhouses this close to a busy road.

Ribaut Road is the only north/south connector between Boundary Street and Port Royal (without a bridge). It’s very high volume with lots of truck traffic and fire trucks and ambulances all night long.

I would like to see the planners of this project do some traffic volume and noise studies. They might be surprised.

Carol M Molten, Beaufort

Why the increase?

Has anyone realized or even questioned why commercial property tax bills have gone up a whopping 20%?

I would like to see how the county justifies such an outrageous increase?

Richard Foster, Hilton Head

Why resist audit?

It’s distressing to watch the S.C. Republican Party at war against itself.

Why would the S.C. GOP try to “kill” a Lexington County GOP-sponsored resolution calling for a full forensic audit of the 2020 election?

Businesses have audits annually. Why can’t South Carolina conduct one that relates to something as precious as our vote?

S.C. GOP Party Chairman Drew McKissick says that the State Election Commission has already directed certain precincts to “audit” by hand to ensure that the total vote count matched the tally by the machine. This is a recount, not an audit.

No analysis was done to determine whether any of those tabulated ballots were fraudulent, flipped or manipulated in any way.

Leslie Thorne, Sheldon