Letters to the Editor

Stern’s lofty legacy
Soon after arriving in Charleston seven years ago, I was introduced to Dr. Theodore S. Stern at a social event.

Immediately, Ted, then already well into his 90s, took me by the arm and led me through the large room, introducing me one by one to the various attendees.

Who is this man, I wondered at the time.

As I came to learn, Ted’s generous spirit informed much of the Charleston landscape, including the creation of the South Carolina Aquarium.

Ted had a gift for connecting people and ideas, in the simple belief that communities could achieve greatness through the application of hard work, perseverance and humility.

When approached about an issue or concern, Ted always looked to who else could be engaged to find resolution. He believed in the power of people coming together to enable change, and he was a tireless, self-effacing broker.

The aquarium is proud of Ted’s legacy in our community.

We will miss the voice that shaped so many of our decisions, right until the end.

Ted truly was a man for our time, and for all times.

Kevin Mills

President and CEO

South Carolina Aquarium

Aquarium Wharf

Charleston

‘Enforce the law’
If our good Sheriff Cannon doesn’t want to enforce laws he deems unconstitutional, perhaps he should apply for the next Supreme Court opening, and leave us in Charleston County to have a sheriff who wants to enforce the law.

Anne Knight Watson

Pinckney Street

McClellanville

Deficit sacrifices
The deficit — how did we get where we are today? It all began with a record surplus, then Bill Clinton left the White House and George W. Bush took his place.

Bush decided the surplus should be returned to the people so he cut taxes for everyone, which was the right thing to do.

Then 9/11 occurred and we went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The two wars have ended up contributing up to $6 trillion to the $16 trillion national debt.

Bush refused to raise taxes, which was the wrong thing to do.

Then came the housing market crash, and the bailout added another $2 trillion to the debt.

And the Republicans still hesitate to raise taxes on the very rich. It is time the very rich pay their dues. In fact, we all have to step up and pay our dues.

The idea that we also need to cut our spending is absolutely correct. There is incredible waste: Saturday mail delivery, producing pennies, producing dollar bills, allowing people to own assault weapons that increase the need for tighter security, closing tax loopholes, cutting waste in government, cutting Social Security payments and Medicare coverage for the very rich, implementing ceilings on tax deductions, etc.

The deficit is not a simple matter of raising taxes on the very rich. It is a very complex problem that requires sacrifice by everyone.

Annie Sitton

Radcliffe Place

Charleston

Natural process
Al Gore and others would have you believe that the temperature swings we are seeing are caused by humans. Temperature swings, however, are cyclical.

On Feb. 28, 1966, I left Pittsburgh, where it was 32 degrees. and arrived in Charleston, where I was to be stationed in the Air Force.

I was dressed in my heavy blues and carrying my heavy blue overcoat, which I called a horse blanket.

When I stepped up to the plane’s door, the heat and humidity in Charleston nearly knocked me back inside. It was 90 degrees here. Talk about weather changes.

The next month some of us from the base went to the beach. We couldn’t go into the water because the water temperature was in the upper 40s or lower 50s. We did, however, lie on the beach and soak up some sun.

So I say enjoy the warmth and sunshine because it can, and probably will, change quite soon.

Joseph Ohorodnyk Sr.

Vickie Street

Ladson

Dangerous roads
The reason a parkway has been proposed is not for tony Seabrook and Kiawah residents to get to Charleston more quickly or avoid seeing people in poverty.

Something has to be done because Bohicket Road and Maybank Highway are dangerous as they are now. If an ambulance or EMS needs to pass on these roads there is nowhere to go.

Thousands of people work at both Seabrook and Kiawah and need a better road.

Ilse Calcagno

Hidden Oak

Seabrook Island

Save turn lane
Is Mount Pleasant about to take a giant step backward?

After nearly $600 million for a new Cooper River Bridge, and around $30 million to widen the Highway 17 by-pass, which incidentally is bottlenecked to two lanes in several places, the city powers are getting ready to crash traffic on Coleman Boulevard.

Word has it that we will lose our turn lane on Coleman Boulevard and install bike lanes on both sides.

If we give up our turn lanes, whenever someone has to turn left, then everyone behind them will have to stop and wait for them to turn left.

Imagine the accidents caused by folks trying to pass on the right to go around someone.

Having lived on the East Side for over 30 years, I can remember traffic being backed up on East Bay Street trying to get onto the old bridges.

When the new bridge was built traffic flowed smoothly. Then they put a left turn light going to Patriots Point. Traffic began backing up half way across the bridge during drive time.

Next came a left-turn light at the new Shem Creek Park. Traffic once again took a hit and now backs up from stop light to stop light, and half way across the bridge.

As long as they keep issuing building permits east of the Ravenel Bridge, traffic will continue to increase.

Dave Yount

Cottingham Drive

Mount Pleasant

Beach bailout
Bo Petersen missed the point in the Jan. 20 “Beach Balance” article. South Carolina’s new policy of “preservation” will create future TARP payments for beach-front billionaires.

Just as reckless, irresponsible mortgage lending by Citicorp and JP Morgan created the financial crisis of 2008, this new policy will create reckless and irresponsible development along South Carolina’s beaches.

Who now has the responsibility to bail out the investors on Isle of Palms?

We, the taxpayers.

This policy will require the government to run a continuous beach re-nourishment program that will cost us taxpayers a billion dollars every 10 years on the Isle of Palms alone.

It’s politics: The rich and irresponsible will always get bailed out.

H. Dickman Pfann

Old Tabby Lane

Mount Pleasant

Scary numbers
I found the recent article regarding murder statistics in the tri-county area disturbing, as I am sure most of your readers did.

Given the current evolving dialogue on gun ownership and limitations, it would have been most informative to know which of the many “firearms” deaths were attributed to so-called “assault rifles.”

Additionally, it would have been helpful to know if any of the murders attributed to such firearms were committed by a legally qualified owner of such a weapon.

Richard Brownyard

Chuck Dawley Boulevard

Mount Pleasant

Healthy exception
Did you notice that Tea Partiers didn’t ask the big, bad federal government to stay out of their lives when they got those preventative immunizations during the current influenza epidemic?

CARL NANDRASY

Olympic Lane

Mount Pleasant