Letters to the editor

Sad day for cycling

As part of my daily training I commute by bicycle from Summerville to downtown Charleston, where I work at a local hospital. My original commute takes me down Highway 165, County Line Road, Highway 17 into West Ashley, past Porter-Gaud and, yes, over the James Island connector into Charleston.

I’ve done this for three years, four times per week on average. After the James Island connector “ban” I decided to take the “legal” route. Once on Highway 17, I turned left onto Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, right onto Highway 61 (to get to the new bike lane), and right at the end towards Highway 17 (to avoid crossing a lot of lanes once on the bridge) and then over the Ashley River bridge.

The bike lane on Highway 61 was awesome — road surface is great and there seems to be enough space. Too bad one driver veered into the bike lane while texting with both hands.

I rode across the Ashley River bridge after the morning traffic to judge the safety of the route. Cars flew by me at speeds similar to cars on the James Island connector where the speed limit is higher.

Another hot spot is the bridge’s metal grate. I’m pretty good at controlling my bike after 20 years of racing, and my rear wheel was moving all over the place. That’s on a dry day. Add water and oil residue and there will be (deadly) accidents left, right and center. Will cars have chance to stop if a cyclist goes down on the metal grate? Definitely not at the speeds they were traveling. Broken bones? For sure.

It’s a sad day for cycling in Charleston.

J. Uys, Ph.D

Back Tee Circle

Summerville

Whose road is it?

It is difficult to understand the thunderous stupidity of those who want to end bike and foot traffic over the James Island connector. For years the connector has provided a relatively safe conduit off of James Island.

Now the trap is sprung. People ignorant of the facts argue that motorists pay for the roads with gas taxes and should have exclusive use of roads. According to the S.C. Department of Transportation, a significant portion of highway funding comes from “non-motor fuel” sources. Even if this were not the case, the argument that cars pay for the roads and should have exclusive use is silly.

By this logic gas guzzlers pay more taxes and should get to use all lanes of the road. Economy cars should be allowed to use only the right lane, hybrids could drive only every other day and electric car owners would have to hitchhike. Further, many cyclists and runners pay their share of gas taxes when they fill up their cars.

Beyond fairness, allowing cyclists and foot traffic on the connector benefits the community. In an era of increasing obesity and decreasing fitness how can you argue against commuting with muscle power which increases fitness, decreases pollution and reduces our reliance of foreign oil to boot?

We should be taking steps to make the connector more bike- and foot-friendly. There really is no alternative route. The bridge over the Wappoo Cut is a death trap. If you want to argue that no one would use the connector if it were so improved, you need only look to the enormous popularity of the walkway on the Cooper River bridge.

What would it take to make the connector safer? The speed limit could be decreased. The connector simply shuffles you from one slow road to another. Why rush it?

Blocking foot and bike traffic on the connector will decrease fitness, increase pollution, increase reliance on foreign oil and prevent people who are paying for the road from using it in a responsible and healthy way.

Russell Ball

Harbortowne Road

Charleston

Free roller coaster

Driving north on Highway 17 between the Isle of Palms Connector and the new high school in Mount Pleasant is like a roller coaster ride, with its ups and downs. There are up to five layers of pavement in some areas. One would hope that is not the finished project.

And for laughs, look at the median where the grass has been sprayed.

With a little more effort, this could’ve worked out much better.

Pete Clouse

Barony Boulevard

Moncks Corner

Hard to forgive

Dear Neighbor:

You packed up your family and left in the middle of the night, moving from the rental home next door, around Thanksgiving. I didn’t know you well, but we were neighbors for almost three years. I hoped you made the decision to move because maybe you received a promotion, or had an opportunity to buy a new home. Maybe you were downsizing.

About three weeks after your move, in the middle of December, I happened to notice a dirty, yellow “rug” rolled up on your back porch. That “rug” actually was your elderly chow-mix dog. I had to look twice to be sure. You once introduced me to this huge, sweet, golden haired, dog, and we laughed because I have a phobia about big dogs. You said he was your love.

However, you didn’t come back to feed or water that pet. The Animal Control lady checked on your dog in late December, and finally got legal permission to rescue him. By this time, he had open sores, was emaciated, had lost most of his hair and was starving. We, your neighbors, tried to put food and water into the locked, fenced yard until help arrived.

You didn’t have to abandon that pet; you could have asked any of us to care for him until you made arrangements. You could have informed the rental agency.

You were spared the heartbreaking sounds of pitiful crying and moaning night after night. You weren’t here to see the daily suffering. You did not know it, but your loyal dog kept watch behind that fence and looked for you, even though eventually, he lay there because he couldn’t stand. You didn’t cry like we did. You didn’t see the Animal Control people carrying your dying beloved pet to the shelter. You didn’t cry that day but my family did.

You seemed to be a nice person, but you didn’t have to look into those huge amber eyes. It still haunts me.

I want to give praise to the Berkeley County Animal Control Shelter. They came with food, compassion and love. I needed to write this. It helps me forgive.

M.M. Holt

Trinity Place

Ladson

Proud of Scott

I am a veteran who, like other veterans, served and fought for the rights of citizens, one being free speech. One of my concerns is that citizens often employ that right with their brains in neutral.

Case in point, a recent letter to the editor about Rep. Tim Scott falling short. Are you kidding me? This young man not only is a fine Christian, but he has proven over and over when he runs for office and wins that he is for not only his constituents, but all of citizens of South Carolina and this country. Before anyone steps out from behind the curtain of anonymous gossip and puts his thoughts in writing, he should have more than a conversational knowledge of his subject.

Rep. Tim Scott has never been elected to a public office where he fell short. Has he won every battle for his constituents? No. Will he fight for his constituents? Absolutely. Perhaps the writer should challenge him in the next election and see if First District voters agree.

Politicians don’t have magic wands, they can’t leap tall buildings, and they know who they work for.

I knew Rep. Scott back when as a young man beginning his work with Chick-fil-A at Northwoods Mall. What this state and country needs is more upstanding and caring leaders who try to make a difference.

A wise man once said, “You can’t be all things to everybody, but you can try.”

Rep. Tim Scott has and will continue to do the best job possible for his district, state and country. Ask the thousands of people who elected him.

Joe Lysaght

Toura Lane

Charleston

Chance for change

On the 21st of this month South Carolinians will have their chance to go to the polls and vote for the person whom they prefer to head the Republican Party ticket come November.

For those who favor a powerful statist federal government and all that comes with such a government the choice will be difficult as they have several candidates from whom to choose.

If one of those people ends up being the Republican Party nominee for president, then the choice in November will be between a big government statist of the right and a big government statist of the left, Obama.

For those who believe that the federal government has metastasized into an out-of-control Leviathan-on-the-Potomac that must be reined in and returned to its constitutionally prescribed limits, the choice is easy.

There is but one candidate who is truly committed to doing that, and he is Ron Paul.

Walter D. Carr

Ashley River Road

Charleston

Marines at risk

If U.S. Marines urinating on dead Muslim Taliban fighters is a criminal act, what would have been the charges against these Marines for urinating on them while alive? And even worse, what would the charges have been if the Marines had killed them in combat?

Those brave Marines are in the service of their country to protect the idiots in the federal government who have charged them as criminals.

No previous president of this once great country would have done anything this stupid.

President Obama’s behavior is once again infuriating and despicable.

E. DuBose Blakeney III

Church Flats Road

Hollywood

Romney a phony

Mitt Romney was the winner of the New Hampshire primary, and the circus has descended on South Carolina. As a person born, raised and retired from a professional career in Massachusetts, I hope the people of the Charleston area will examine Mitt Romney’s performance there carefully.

My grandson, a 2010 graduate of Clemson University, is living and working in Boston. He was unable to get a full- time job there partly because of the economic climate, but largely because of Romneycare. Businesses in Massachusetts avoid hiring full-time personnel because they must provide them with Romneycare health insurance.

My grandson cobbled together three part-time jobs to support himself. None provided health care. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts threatened to fine him $1,000 if he did not buy his own health insurance. Fortunately, one of the part-time employers offered him a full-time job with health care.

My son, the father of this young man, is a small business owner in Massachusetts. He is required to carry malpractice or “errors and ommissions” insurance. He must carry additional insurance at a cost $6,000 per year. This is Gov. Romney’s idea of making Massachusetts small-business-friendly.

I hope people here will see through his phony baloney and support someone — anyone — else.

Loe Anne Pino

Pinehurst Avenue

Summerville

Easy voting

I see that the Republican primary is scheduled for Saturday. Well, that’ll be convenient for people.

But now I’m confused. Suddenly the Republicans want to make it easier for people to vote?

John R. Young

Brianna Lane

Charleston