TheState.com: Warren Bolton

Bolton: Here's hoping Morrison answers the call

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:47 EST

I HOPE attorney Steve Morrison does more than consider a run for mayor of Columbia.

His candidacy would be a welcome sight. That's not an endorsement of Mr. Morrison. It's just good to see capable candidates offer themselves for public service. That's so often not been the case, particularly in the city.

Over the years, too few people with the wherewithal to lead this city to the next level have run. After Mayor Bob Coble, who's not running for re-election, defeated former Mayor Patton Adams a couple of decades ago, his re-election every four years was all but sure because of a dearth of high-quality opponents. It was always the steady, capable Mayor Bob - and everybody else.

It wasn't until 2006, when Kevin Fisher entered the fray, that Mayor Coble was forced to defend his record and the direction the city was heading in. It's good for voters trying to make a decision - and the city in the long run - when quality candidates force one another to thoroughly explain their positions on the issues.

But Columbia hasn't gotten that as often as it should have. I'm convinced that more capable people haven't joined the field because they aren't interested in a part-time mayor's job that has no executive authority and is largely ceremonial.

Bolton: If it fixes what's broken, why not do more of it?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:49 EST

MOST Monday evenings, a group of prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, treatment specialists and a few others teams up in an effort to produce a small miracle - help an alcohol- or drug-dependent youth who's committed a crime turn his life around and stay out of prison.

While Richland County's Juvenile Drug Court and others like it around the state - including those for adults - don't get a lot of notoriety, they're very effective at helping reclaim young lives.

"If it works for one, it's worth it," said S.C. Appeals Court Judge Bruce Williams, who has presided over the Richland court since 1998. Fortunately, the program "works for a lot more" than one juvenile, he said.

The worthwhile program benefits not only the nonviolent offenders and their families, but also the state. Every young person steered away from the Department of Juvenile Justice keeps the inmate population down and saves tax dollars. Judge Williams said it costs $6,000 to $8,000 to send a teen through drug court, as opposed to $43,000 a year to house that same person at DJJ,.

And to think, the drug court - as is the case with them all in South Carolina - runs on a meager budget. Its effectiveness is attributable to the dedicated team of volunteers who give their time in an effort to save kids who otherwise would be gobbled up by the penal system.

Bolton: Light of hope shining on North Columbia

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:47 EST

A NEW and potentially powerful voice for change is emerging in North Columbia.

Area businesses have determined they won't sit back any longer and watch as other areas grow and prosper while their long-neglected community struggles to overcome a sluggish economy, elevated crime rates and various social ills.

They've banded together to support one another as well as promote and advocate for their district. In short, North Columbia isn't going to sit still and allow things to be done to it any more.

Spurred by an energetic leader, business owners have established the North Columbia Business Association, which they believe will be a catalyst for growth and development.

There hasn't been a collective business voice in North Columbia in decades, during which time the area saw serious decline. Members of the new association are adamant about working to grow their businesses, foster the development of others and ensure that their area gets what it deserves, especially when it comes to holding the city's feet to the fire.

Bolton: The good and the bad of elections

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:33 EDT

SOMETIMES we overlook the dramatic difference an election can have on our policies, our laws - even on what gets debated.

With President Obama's election has come a much-needed health care debate we wouldn't have fathomed a president ago. South Carolina has endured nearly seven years of nothingness in terms of real progress in areas such as education because of a governor with his own agenda.

There's no more clear example of how elections can change policy and laws than Richland County Council's recent embrace of digital billboards.

Several years ago, County Council voted to ban all new billboards, responding to public sentiment against the large signs that cause clutter and blight. In doing so, the council set a standard that many other local governments haven't been willing to adopt.

So when billboard companies approached the county about allowing them to replace existing signs with bright digital signs that many - including me - believe only cause greater distractions to drivers, even the sign firms knew they had a high hurdle to cross. Despite intense pressure to make an exception for digital signs, the council stymied the advance of the billboard industry.

Bolton: Airline passengers funding wasteful airports

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:43 EDT

MIDLANDS residents who fly commercial probably don't know much - if anything - about Lexington County's tiny airport.

But they and other airline passengers help pay for improvements at the facility and hundreds like it each time they travel.

That's because the federal government taxes airline passengers and then funnels billions to general aviation airports that cater mostly to recreational pilots and some corporate interests. The decades-old practice has led to a network of tiny airports, many of which are a waste of tax dollars.

Lexington County's airstrip in Pelion - once a drag strip - falls in the wasteful column.

When county officials purchased the strip from the town of Pelion in 2004, pledging to turn it into an operating airport, they didn't worry much about the potential cost. They knew the biggest expense - the cost of upgrading and expanding the airport - would be shouldered by the federal government. Federal Aviation Administration grants would pay 95 percent of the cost of the more than $2 million in proposed improvements.

Bolton: EMS, fire consolidation effort an emergency

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:45 EDT

DURING A recent visit with my brother Eugene, a trauma nurse in Jacksonville, Fla., I mentioned that, back home, authorities were trying to determine whether the lack of coordination between firefighters and EMS workers contributed to the death of a young boy in Richland County.

He had the most befuddled look on his face as I told him that although firefighters and two EMS workers were on the scene, the 3-year-old couldn't be transported until a second ambulance arrived. County policy doesn't allow firefighters to drive ambulances - even in dire emergencies.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He had more questions, many of which I couldn't answer. I had taken that Sunday's State along and we both read the story by staff writer Adam Beam.

We discussed the case a couple of times during my too-brief stay in Jacksonville and ended up scratching our heads each time. Why would there be a policy that would work against the best interest of patients?

It's a question Richland County and Columbia need to answer in short order.

Bolton: Traditional Lexington County making progress

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:34 EDT

WITH LEXINGTON County Council poised to pass a stiff workplace smoking ban several weeks ago - something that wouldn't have happened in the conservative county a decade before - I asked the council's chairwoman if that denoted a sea change in the county.

After all, when elected leaders in a conservative, traditional county that once would not have hesitated in deferring to restaurant and bar owners - the marketplace - instead stands up to fierce opposition and adopts a smoking ban, that's noteworthy.

But Chairwoman Debbie Summers said the slim 5-4 margin by which the ban would eventually pass wasn't strong enough to suggest any substantive ideological or philosophical shift. It was simply that a small majority believed it was time to protect workers, she said.

Taken alone, perhaps the slim vote doesn't represent dramatic change. But take a closer look at activity in the county - mostly on the council's part, but also on the part of voters - over the past decade, and it's evident there has been a gradual, noticeable shift in Lexington County. Considering its traditionalist leanings, Lexington has become quite progressive, in the best sense of the word.

Does that mean Lexington County is becoming more (here's where conservatives should take a collective gulp) liberal? No, it hasn't left its conservative, frugal roots, by any stretch. Council members still don't like raising taxes unless it's absolutely necessary. They just recently nixed a minimal levy that would have gone to beef up night ambulance service; instead they raised ambulance user fees.

Bolton: Why Bob Coble isn’t running for re-election

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:30 EDT

SO WHAT’S the real reason Mayor Bob Coble isn’t running for re-election? People have been pondering that question since Mr. Coble announced last week he won’t seek to lead Columbia for another four years.

Frankly, the No. 1 reason Mr. Coble cites is explanation enough. “I think I finally just summed it up that 20 years is enough,” he said Thursday. Earlier in the week he said he wants to spend quality time with his wife, Beth, and his family.

Of course, that doesn’t stop inquiring minds, including mine, from exploring the various factors — spoken and unspoken — that might have played into the mayor’s decision.

First, let’s set aside a couple of misperceptions:

• He didn’t bow out because he thought he was going to lose. For sure, the dynamics in the race and the city’s poor fiscal position wouldn’t have been a help to him. But he has broad community support that would make him a formidable incumbent, regardless of the field. Still, Mr. Coble said losing crosses every candidate’s mind. “You’re always afraid of losing,” he said. “I was afraid of losing last time.” Yeah, but he pummeled his closest challenger.

Bolton: Weak mayor system should end with Coble’s departure

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:17 EDT

COLUMBIA Mayor Bob Coble hasn’t been the most innovative or forceful leader, but he’s been as effective as anyone could have been during his nearly 20 years of service.

Quite frankly, if it weren’t for Mayor Bob, a proven leader who loves this city’s people — and being their mayor — there’s no telling what caliber of mayor we would have had over the past two decades. The field of candidates has been weak over the years; few capable people want a part-time mayor’s job that has no executive authority.

Thank God for Bob Coble. While he has noted the challenges, Mr. Coble has served well and without excuses.

It’s next to impossible to be an effective mayor in a system where council members are as powerful as, if not more powerful than, the mayor. Yet Mr. Coble was able to form partnerships and build alliances across racial, social and political lines that helped make Columbia a better place.

During his tenure, the city’s stock rose, and it stood on the brink of unprecedented growth; the Vista thrived, downtown and riverfront redevelopment held great promise, and residential development spiked. (Although it’s been tempered greatly by the recession, there’s still great hope for the future.) There have been other developments in the city, including an improved relationship with USC, a partnership with the university and others on building a research campus and developing a new economy around fuel cell technology, work to keep Fort Jackson open and vibrant, and strengthened neighborhoods and homeownership.

Bolton: Much ado about nothing

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:16 EDT

GOV. MARK Sanford deserves every bit of the public shellacking he’s getting for leaving the country for several days without telling anyone.

But are calls for his impeachment or resignation warranted? After all, nothing happened.

A hurricane didn’t strike South Carolina. There was no nuclear meltdown. No need for the National Guard to be scrambled.

As a matter of fact, so little happened that nearly all of us — from the media to those state leaders who were reachable to the rest of South Carolina and much of the nation — had countless hours and energy to spend commiserating over the question of where, oh where, had our long-lost governor gone. But for the governor’s ill-advised trip, many of us in these parts would have had precious little to worry about.

Mr. Sanford’s actions were indeed irresponsible. You don’t leave without telling anyone where you’re going and how to get in touch with you or leaving someone in charge, even though, as an elected official, you’re not required to have set hours, set vacation or a published schedule.