Richland County, SC — Some 65 years ago, as a boy on a farm, I was a member of a 4-H Club. Each year, as one of my several projects, I would raise three pigs. I saw and learned early on that once the pigs fed at the trough they did not want to “work” for their food.

There appears to be a similarity to this when we look at some of our public officials. Elected officials as well as city, county, state and federal employees “retire,” wait a few days and then return to their old job, drawing their retirement and salary. We see people hired and/or promoted with little or questionable qualifications. Some of these are receiving questionable high salaries.

Recently in Richland County, a well-paid new position was created for a person whose performance in overseeing the elections was minimal at best.

There is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. Where is the accountability for the decisions that are being made?

It is time to empty the trough.

Charlie Walton

Columbia