Push SC’s agenda, not someone else’s

APRIL 27, 2012 — If you have ever been caught with your hand in the cookie jar, you can imagine what some big corporations and conservative state legislators are feeling today about their association with the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The group, informally known as “ALEC,” has been in the news over the past week for how it allows lobbyists and legislators from around the country to cozy up to each other at conventions and special meetings where they work together to craft model legislation for bills to introduce in statehouses across the country.

On hold: High court needs to rule on 1993 case

APRIL 20, 2012 — It takes four years for most high school students to graduate from high school. Most college students traditionally also graduate in four years.

But four years apparently isn’t enough time for the state Supreme Court to come to a conclusion about a festering school funding case first filed by poor South Carolina school districts in 1993. Yes, 1993. A student in first grade back then should, by now, be out of college and could even have a master’s degree. This thing has been going on that long.

Get the name right of the guy for whom bridge is named

APRIL 16, 2012 — Imagine my surprise on a trip to local strawberry fields over the weekend when we spied a sign for the “Easu Jenkins Memorial Bridge” ” across Church Creek between Johns and Wadmalaw islands.

At first, I didn’t think I saw it right. “Easu Jenkins?,” I wondered. “Surely the Highway Department couldn’t have made that whopping of a mistake.”

Yes, it did. Boneheads.

Esau Jenkins (1910-1972) was a Johns Island native and local civil rights hero for his life’s work to improve economic, health and political conditions for residents of the Sea Islands of South Carolina.

2012 elections won’t change much at Statehouse

APRIL 13, 2012 — With 170 Statehouse seats up for election this year, you’d think there would be a lot of change ahead.

Not really. Based on an analysis of the primary contests in June and general elections in November, about the only thing you’ll probably see in Columbia is a few more Republicans.

Option for Haley’s book: Take a pass

If you like Haley and want to be pumped up, go ahead and spend $28 for what seems more like a transcribed version of a lot of self-taped conversations than a book. Otherwise, don’t bother. Haley is trying too hard to be a real-life fairy tale.