Letters to the editor

Neighborly flavor
The April 11 letter to the editor regarding traditional neighborhoods fading away has prompted me to say that the neighborhood feel is alive and well at Creekside, a new West Ashley neighborhood in Pultes’ Carolina Bay development.

Charleston-style homes with front and side porches and back-screened porches encourage neighbor interaction. Detached garages back-loading to an alley make talking over the fence a daily occurrence. The block configuration of the homes makes walking around the block possible.

Creekside is a Neighborhood Watch community, and we are all connected by email. The divergence in ages makes this a unique example of a modern-day small town.

Creekside is certainly not Utopia. New construction comes with its own set of problems and concerns. But as building nears completion, we’re going to be one heck of a neighborhood.

DAVE and NANCY BERG
Shelter Cove Lane

Charleston
How many more?
A dead child is the end to a future, regardless of race. I wish I had the intellect to understand how the death of a child is more tragic due to the race of the one who did the killing.

However, if statistics could demonstrate a pattern connecting violent deaths to a specific group, it seems that the most important actions would be reducing and eliminating those causes.

Pointing fingers at cloudy circumstances surrounding a child’s death while ignoring the numbers of other children being killed does not seem to indicate love for these dead children or their families.

How many more children must be killed? How many more families’ lives must be permanently altered?

Shame on those individuals and groups who use the most tragic and heartbreaking moment in a family’s life for self-promotion.

Michael W. Callegan
Glendale Drive

Charleston
Hampton Park
The word on the street is that the city will close one lane of Hampton Park permanently to traffic. As far as I am aware there has been no traffic study of the park or consultation with citizens of the area. It is an ill conceived idea.

1) If the city would do a traffic flow study it would see that the traffic is much heavier than those who are in favor of this suggest. The park is a traffic artery for those headed downtown via Lockwood Boulevard and West Ashley who wish to avoid crowded Rutledge Avenue.

2) The number of walkers, joggers and bicyclists who use the park is nowhere close to the amount of vehicular traffic.

3) If walkers, joggers and bicyclists would obey the laws that exist and the city would enforce them, there would be no conflict. There are paths in the park to be used.

I have contacted the city and the police department several times about this. I hear that a small group of influential people are behind this bad idea.

Cars are here to stay and the numbers are only going to increase. It is time for those who agree to take a stand and not let a small vocal group, most of whom do not live in the Wagener Terrace area, have their way.

Contact City Hall, your city councilman and the Wagener Terrace Neighborhood Association. I have lived in Wagener Terrace and utilized the park for 60 years and feel confident in what I have said.

William E. Folk
8th Avenue
Charleston

Distraction ploy
President Obama, in his efforts to divide the nation for political gain, has called for the “Buffett Rule” despite knowing that the $5 billion a year in increased revenue would not make a serious dent in the national debt of more than $15 trillion.

This administration shies away from addressing the sluggish economy, instead referring to economic fairness.It’s a way to shift the debate away from his failed and ineffective polices, a weak and fragile economy and increasing gas prices.

On a refreshing note of honesty, Sen. Charles Schumer may have let the cat out of the bag when he responded to a question on a morning TV show.

Why increase taxes on the millionaires, he was asked?

His reply: “We have to start somewhere.”

Does this imply that maybe the champion of the middle class, as the president fancies himself, may have a more expansive tax increase in mind? Is this another “this is my last election, after my election I have more flexibility” moment?

Tom Fazenbaker
Gold Cup Lane

Hollywood
Respectful debate
The Post and Courier recently respectfully called the president out for his having called out the Supreme Court. Except for the president’s mistakes about “unprecedented” activism by the Court and a “strong majority” that passed the Affordable Care Act, the president was totally respectful in challenging the Court.

When he called out the court in his State of the Union address about Citizens United, he even prefaced his remarks with “with all due respect.” I disagree that the president is being disrespectful. Not only is he a constitutional lawyer, he is the president, providing checks and balances.

Every one of us has something to say about court opinions. As regards the mandate, we pay mandatory car insurance and follow a speed limit, all for the greater good and protection of all.

Strict constitutionalists need to look at the big picture regarding “Obamacare.” The Constitution is best interpreted according to the complexities of the time (2012, not 1776) and present-day issues.

In my view, Obamacare is the right thing to do. Why? People get cared for more universally with Obamacare. The crux of Obamacare is to care for people, not to rob people of freedoms. Additionally, insurance companies’ denying people care for pre-existing conditions becomes a thing of the past, “free” treatment becomes less an issue (making people more responsible actually). Health care providers get paid for “free” treatment they deliver, and one sixth of the economy gets help.

We’re still one of the most free countries on the planet. For that I am grateful.

Ed Kosak
Evening Shade Drive

Charleston
Control guns
A recent letter writer argued, “The reason for it (the Second Amendment) is ... to protect ourselves from our own government in the event it becomes oppressive, violates its own Constitution, or tries to usurp our liberty.

“It is there to enable us to oust those in Washington. And, as any rational patriot who believes in our Constitution would agree, it is rapidly approaching the time when we might need to do just that.”

Armed takeover of the federal government? I don’t think that’s what the Second Amendment intended. While the ambiguousness of the Second Amendment ensures a debate as to its meaning, the right to armed rebellion against the government is not enshrined within.

Rarely have I seen a viewpoint expressed so clearly supporting the careful control of access to deadly weapons.

John Holenko
Edisto Avenue
Charleston

Crosstown trees
In the last few months I have been thrilled to see progress taking place on the Septima Clark Project. In addition to alleviating the drainage problem, it is promising to be a welcome passage through our beautiful city.

I have been most impressed by the trees that are being planted in the esplanade section. Clearly thought and research went into the choice of the Everclear elm. This beautiful tree is resistant to smog, heat and drought. It has a narrow crown making it suitable for this small urban area.

Mary Louise Schabel
Windermere Boulevard

Charleston
Not breathing easy

In Berkeley County at 7 a.m. Tuesday: The sky is gray with smoke; one has to hold one’s breath just to go outside to pick up the paper.

9:30 am: The sky is still gray; the smoke still lingers in the air, making it difficult to breathe.

South Carolina continues to allow this proliferation of burning. By the 21st century, one would think we could have come up with better solutions to this “managed burning” than choking the airways of residents.

When is this state going to wake up?

When do we have to contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to intercede on our behalf?

JOAN M. BOARDMAN
Schooner Bend Avenue

Summerville
Correction
Due to an editing error, a letter to the editor published Tuesday contained a mistake. The sentence should have read: “As for Charleston County, its total budget is $368 million and the sheriff’s expense is $79 million.”