SC Governor McMaster has the guts to make tough choices during the coronavirus crisis

On McMaster

In its recent editorial on Gov. Henry McMaster’s response to the coronavirus crisis, The State used the cowardly stance of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” to set itself up to take credit no matter how this crisis goes.

The bottom line is that McMaster and President Donald Trump will be judged on the outcome of their decisions; it takes a little brass to make decisions when you are building an airplane and trying to fly it at the same time.

Will The State take a stance immediately and be judged on the outcome — or will it continue to sharp-shoot those who demonstrate themselves to be bold decision makers? It is easy to criticize but it is hard to stand up and be counted.

When one is looking for class, courage and honor, you won’t find it in The State’s Editorial Board office on Shop Road.

Phil Williams, Lexington

On clean energy

My grandpa always told me that it’s a sin to waste money, and that’s why it’s time for South Carolinians to support making the switch to solar power as our main energy source.

If you are a fiscally responsible person, how could you possibly disagree that it’s more prudent to invest in locally-grown fuel sources like sun, wind and wave energy — and to not spend that money on nuclear fuel or imported fuels like oil, natural gas and coal? How many solar panels could we have purchased with the $9 billion that South Carolina has wasted on two nonexistent nuclear reactors?

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin has already established a goal of transitioning the city to 100% clean and renewable energy. It’s time for our state to do the same, and to set goals for 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Fran Rametta, Columbia

On Trump, media

I am just so tired of seeing the national news media try to do every thing they can to discredit President Donald Trump. I think their treatment of our president is very disrespectful.

I just pray that we Americans will come together as we always do in a crisis, and that we will beat the coronavirus.

Jerry Digges, Lexington

On children

As parents and professionals we understand the dual demands of being full-time parents and workers, and the current coronavirus crisis has forcefully upended the delicate balance of daily life for working families.

The closure of schools has required parents to act as educators, but our educators know that teaching our children is a full-time job that requires specific expertise and training. Now this daunting task has become a second job for working parents — and the responsibility multiplies with each additional school-age child that a family may have.

In addition, there are many parents facing uncertainty because they have hourly jobs now under threat because of the COVID-19 crisis.

We know that social isolation, limited resources and caregiver stress can set the stage for any parent to become more forceful than intended when face with a challenge like child misbehavior. The reality is that under such circumstances, the rates of child maltreatment may possibly increase.

So what can we do?

As parents, we should set reasonable expectations for yourself and for our children. As supervisors and colleagues, we should be flexible and supportive. As educators, we should pay particular attention in selecting the work we want students to complete — and we should carefully consider the needs of working parents.

And finally, we should all be patient and forgiving: what our children will most remember from this crisis is how it felt to go through this crisis.

Cheri Shapiro and Kristen Seay, Columbia

On Jaime Harrison

I’m sure that many of you have seen the attack ad that the Security is Strength political action committee is running against U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison.

But I think you should find it difficult to believe anything in the attack ad given that Strength is Security can’t even get the name of Harrison’s political party right: it’s the “Democratic” Party, not the “Democrat” Party.

James Tuell, Lexington

On McMaster

Here is my to-do list for Gov. Henry McMaster:

▪ Acknowledge that COVID-19 is a crisis, and that what’s needed is a plan focused on coronavirus eradication.

▪ Issue the long-delayed, statewide shelter in place order.

▪ Define the essential functions of state government during the COVID-19 virus transfer period until the disease is extinguished.

▪ Define the changes that the Legislature will need to put in place to unbind the administration from current legal obligations.

▪ Issue the initial executive orders to reconfigure the administration so that it is better able to defeat COVID-19, and to suspend existing administration services.

▪ Draw volunteers from the existing staff employee roster to serve on COVID-19 response teams.

▪ Put in place at MUSC a surveillance testing program that will be needed to support hospital services — and later to safely release those sheltering in place to return to work (and their children to safely return to school).

Feel free to add to this list, Gov. McMaster. We are running out of time.

Fred Palm, Edisto Island

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 11:59 AM.