Commentary
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Hasty change in S.C. tax system imposes predictable toll
Act 388, passed by the General Assembly in 2006, was an ill-conceived, piecemeal change to our tax system. That Act 388 has turned out poorly is widely accepted. It is unfortunate to hear so many critics of Act 388 deride the legislation's 'unforeseen consequences,' especially when many of those consequences were in fact completely foreseen.
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Worrying ‘wonders' are adding up
If you'll forgive a Pennsylvania Dutch expression that seems particularly apt in present circumstances, it wonders me how anyone, with a straight face, could call the spending and tax proposals unveiled Feb. 1 (National Freedom Day) a budget. What's presented projects a $1.6 trillion deficit for fiscal year 2011, a deficit even greater than the record one this year. This isn't a budget. This is a roadmap to drive the U.S. economy over a cliff.
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Cruise study reveals broad local economic contributions
The expression "a rising tide floats all boats" best describes Charleston's cruise business and its contributions to the local economy in 2010.
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When will next shoe drop for Sanford?
While Gov. Mark Sanford no longer has to fear impeachment, he still faces a long list of alleged ethics violations, with a state Ethics Commission hearing most likely in mid-spring. Still undecided, however, is the much grimmer prospect that the governor might also have to defend himself against criminal charges.
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Supersized stats stretch past XLIV
Happy Super Sunday. OK, so our long economic losing streak casts an unhappy shadow on this unofficial national holiday. So do hand-wringing Super party poopers who cite our football fixation as incriminating evidence of alarmingly warped priorities.
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Higher education must do its part to revive our economy
Higher education must do its part to revive our economy
With reason, countless Americans are fixated on the number 10, the percentage of unemployed family members, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who are without work and a predictable future. More than a few have lost hope and others fear the possibility of a jobless recovery.
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Our Port City should welcome the cruise ship boost
For the U.S. maritime industry, the containership business has tanked in the great recession. That's been painfully apparent at the Port of Charleston.
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Scott House run would draw spotlight
While there are no safe bets in politics, here's one that's 99.9 percent certain. Charleston-Berkeley state Rep. Tim Scott will run for the U.S. House rather than for lieutenant governor, guaranteeing that a South Carolina congressional primary will be one of the most closely watched in the nation.
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From left to right, tax suckers abound
"Tax the rich" was the winning pitch in the Beaver State. "Tax nobody" remains the winning pitch in the Palmetto State. OK, so nobody in power in South Carolina is actually saying, "Tax nobody." But they might as well be.
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Employment Security Commission reform is a must
The Legislative Audit Council's reporting of just how broken the Employment Security Commission has become was quite shocking. When leadership in the South Carolina House of Representatives began pushing for ESC reform last year, we knew there were great concerns about the Commission. However, this report shows an agency in shambles.
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Don't let setbacks deter needed support for Haitian relief
The nation of Haiti has long been the jewel of my heart. My passion for that country has led my research, study, and work for as many years as I have known it to exist.
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Port expansion risks high public-health toll
A new study reveals that the local public health costs associated with the SPA after the North Charleston port expansion could be as high as $81 million per year. While the port provides many benefits for the state, its expansion will undoubtedly incur increased health care costs for Charleston residents.
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Protect the timeless local treasure of McLeod Plantation
I'm reminded about the changes that keep coming to James Island every day as I bounce through the intersection of Folly Road and Maybank Highway, where road crews are busy with major improvements.
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Patriots Point needs attention
Here's hoping we've heard the last of the 'Mr. Liberty' nonsense. The real Lady Liberty doesn't need a super-sized Athenian husband. And Charleston harbor doesn't need some contrived and tawdry structure to interpret and validate our community's portfolio of history.
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The U.S. occupation of Haiti, Part II
"I wrote the Haitian Constitution myself, and if I do say it, I think it is a pretty good constitution."
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