Thumbs up
Lourie. Hats off to Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, for years of service in the state legislature, first as a House member and then as a state senator. He has announced he won’t seek re-election. Lourie’s vigilant pursuit of common sense legislation, such as holding the state Department of Social Services accountable for poor operations, has made the state a better place. Yes, you’ve got one session left, but we’ll miss you after 2016.
Boeing/USC. Hats off to the state’s university for its new $5 million aerospace research partnership with Boeing. It’s good news for the whole state as up to 24 home-grown research projects will solidify our growing reputation as a major player in the aerospace economic cluster. More.
Goff. If there’s anyone deserving of the Order of the Palmetto, it’s the Rev. Norvell Goff, who has led Emanuel AME Church in Charleston since the deadly shootings that killed nine. Congratulations.
Case expands. It’s good that the corruption case that netted former House Speaker Bobby Harrell has finally been expanded to look for other lawmakers who have “potential misconduct.” Leave no stone unturned to make the legislature a professional place, not a caricature. More.
Sandy Island. After years of debate, the island is getting a new boat to be used as a bus for children to be taken to school. About damned time. More.
In the middle
Sales tax holiday. From today through Sunday, parents can buy lots of school supplies without paying sales taxes, thanks to a gimmick from the state legislature. But the holiday often is criticized as unfair because it highlights tax inequities from the rest of the year — and not everyone is home at this time of year to take advantage of the freebie. It’s a low-cost gimmick and bad public policy. Better: Fix the whole tax structure to make it fairer.
Hurricane. All of these stories about how this year looks like a quiet hurricane season makes us very uneasy. Yes, we’re superstitious still. Hugo, remember, came in late September.
Thumbs down
Wilson. Attorney General Alan Wilson is trying to get out of paying legal fees of a couple who challenged the state’s gay marriage ban because, he says, his office was merely defending a state law. Hogwash. Pay up. More.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!