Point Neighborhood Friends say management of Smalls house should stay in local hands
Keep care of home local
The Friends of the Historic Point Neighborhood would like to highlight points relevant to the Robert Smalls House discussion.
There are three realities that the Keyserling brothers have failed to address:
First, the local Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF) already protects the home. HBF holds a perpetual easement requiring the home be preserved and made available to the public through the management of this local historic preservation foundation.
Second, Beaufort would lose tax revenue of about $24,000 a year, immediately upon transfer to a federal agency.
Third, the federal government nor the National Trust can do a better job than HBF in protecting this local treasure. Beaufort’s residents care deeply about preserving our historic assets. We spend our hard-earned money and precious time to assure they are preserved.
Both HBF and the City of Beaufort are experienced at maintaining a delicate balance of residential life and commercial activities. Protecting that balance is something preservationists speak about a lot. That will be lost if the Robert Smalls House is conveyed to distant agencies.
For these reasons and more, we believe the preservation of the Robert Smalls House is best kept in the hands of HBF and the residents of Beaufort.
Steve Amaro, Beaufort
What a team!
Wow, what a game played by those Lady Gamecocks!
Nothing but high praises and high fives for representing South Carolina so well.This team is an outstanding example of focus, determination, and, of course, superb coaching.
Can’t wait to see the team get invited to the Whitehouse! Go, Cocks
Herbert Garvin, Columbia
No to tax cut
Every politician likes to promise a tax cut, especially in an election cycle.
The state has a surplus that will fund a proposed tax cut.
The state pension fund is underfunded by $26 billion. One in 9 citizens qualify for these pensions.
Our schools rank 42 out of 50. Spend the surplus improving the schools.
A lot of folks moved here to get away from state taxes in places like New Jersey, New York, Maryland, etc. Our extremely low property taxes do not need to be cut. They are a small fraction of the taxes in the above states. If anything, we need a tax increase to get our schools in the upper 10%.
Bill Ofsanik, Murrells Inlet
David and Goliath
In his continuing heinous war in Ukraine with the abhorrent destruction of cities, residential zones, hospitals, schools and the murder of civilians, especially very young children, Vladimir Putin appears to be an arrogant and intimidating Goliath.
Eventually David had to pick up a stone and act against Goliath.
Calvin Jordan, Beaufort