Letters to the Editor

Come on back
A picture of a glitzy chandelier from Charleston Place, food described as “scrumptious,” “unforgettable historic tours.”

We hosted some of the most influential people from each of the other 49 states and we’re concerned about some $10,000 to do so? They also brought $15,000 worth of gifts.

The economic impact, you ask? Maybe multiple millions. Are you kidding me? Thanks, Bobby, Chip, David. See if they’ll come back next year.

Tommy McQueeney

Mazzy Lane

Mount Pleasant

Boondoggle
I would like to respond to an Aug. 25 article regarding the county’s plan to give free airport shuttle service. The venture would cost almost $1 million, most from taxes on hotels and vacation rentals.

Unless our hotel provided it, my husband and I have never experienced free shuttle service anywhere in the world.

Mayor Joe Riley believes free shuttle service “could be a great convenience to our community.” The Charleston County Aviation Authority and Charleston County Council have voted to support the venture.

CARTA is to run the operation, although some airport commission members objected, saying that would be unfair to businesses. Former Rep. Tommy Hartnett said, “Subsidized competition is hard on any business.” Rubin Nelson, president of the Airport Limo Taxi Association, said, “They could have provided a supplement to us, and we could have provided the same service.”

Where is data showing government can accomplish this task more efficiently than private enterprise? Is CARTA profitable? Despite a recession, county personnel and Mayor Riley apparently think it’s a good idea to spend nearly a million dollars so they can kill taxicab jobs.

I have a better idea. Let’s give visitors free room and board. We can also throw in a round of golf at the city’s golf course. By the way, why is the city in the golf business?

Susan Bissette

Short Street

Charleston

Save the fleet
Shem Creek Fisheries wants to thank everyone who came out to Goldbug Island on Aug. 19. A great time was had by a sellout crowd. Thanks to the sponsors and people who bought tickets, the volunteers who cooked and the ones who donated prizes and food.

The band “HollowPoint” played from 1-6 p.m. without asking for a penny. I believe a message was delivered about the Shem Creek shrimp fleet. Several articles in The Post and Courier have been supportive of it. There is more work to be done to “save the fleet.” What we don’t want is to wake up one day with no shrimp boats in the creek.

What we do want is to entice more boats there. Maybe Mount Pleasant can lift restrictions on the very expensive docks that were built and aren’t being used. We want more restaurants not only to advertise fresh, local shrimp, but to use fresh, local shrimp.

We want a business and lifestyle that is lucrative and prosperous for all.

Steve Waters

Hasting Court

Charleston

Straight ticket
Election time is heating up, and with that come increased solicitations for our votes.

While my main priorities are fiscal responsibility, personal liberty and a strong military, I’m also non-religious and environmentally sensitive. In short, I’m like the vast majority of Americans, open to many ideas, policies and honest debate.

As I vote in Republican primaries, the suggestion I receive from the other party, in person or otherwise, is to think for myself and vote accordingly — not to vote a straight party line.

Yet when elected officials face a tough vote on impactful legislation, especially at the federal level, both parties vote nearly unanimously along straight party lines. This reality makes me more inclined to vote straight party for the side I agree with more.

These politicians ask me to vote and think for myself, but bow to pressure and special interests come crunch time. How hypocritical.

Term limits, anyone?

Mike Pilbean

Tundra Lane

Ridgeville

Sign of the times
An Aug. 28 article titled “What spurs motorists to flee the scene?” offers a lot of intellectual poop that ends with “a recognized obsessive-compulsive disorder in some people.” So it is our genes and parents’ behavior that caused the problem? More poop.

Try using terms like “a nation where morality and individual responsibility have degraded to the point of non-existence thanks to more of this intellectual poop.” Or, “a nation where amorality is so rampant in our government leaders that it has led the citizenry to similar amoral behavior.” Or “an overabundance of lawyers and greed and a justice system that provides for the complete economic destruction of an individual involved in any kind of accident — guilty or not.”

Seymour Rosenthal

Waterfront Drive

Mount Pleasant

Sertoma thanks
C. T. Lowndes & Company was the title sponsor for the 2012 Sertoma High School Football Classic. I want to thank the community, schools, fans and other sponsors for their support of this wonderful event.

The Classic is professionally staged by the Charleston Sertoma Club. Our independent insurance agency is proud to be associated with it. And best of all, money raised from this event goes to local charities.

HENRY H. LOWNDES JR.

C. T. Lowndes & Co.

St. Andrews Boulevard

Charleston