Penalties in SCANA fraud case are a joke. How can any court call this justice?
On SCANA
Regarding “SCANA, Dominion agree to pay $25 million civil fine,” (Dec. 6):
For the SCANA CEO to be fined $5 million has to be a joke. That represents approximately a year of the many bonuses bestowed on him and his cronies while they mismanaged the nuclear project and the company into financial ruin.
They destroyed thousands of businesses, jobs, retirement accounts, families, and the only fortune 500 company in the state.
For this, SCANA CEO Kevin Marsh and others get a few months in a white collar prison, small fines, and then get to live like kings the rest of their lives while the many victims struggle to rebuild their lives and provide for their families.
How can any court call this justice? This smells of “white privilege.” They did everything to cover up their corruption so their huge salaries and bonuses would keep flowing. These people are no better than Bernie Madoff. These sentences are a slap in the face for the citizens of this state.
Dean Bain, Blythewood
Loan forgiveness
Regarding “If we’re going to forgive student debt, let’s really do so,” (Nov. 29 Opinion):
Paul Gilbert’s tongue-in-cheek op-ed asking for reimbursement for his college costs in 1966 as part of the president-elect’s proposed student loan forgiveness program was misleading because the state legislature was financially supporting schools at the time.
Conservative politics didn’t begin its domination of our legislature until the 80s, and then started passing back those costs to the students so they could cut taxes for the rich.
Today, state government contributes 90% less to colleges and universities than it used to. The result is that essential professionals such as nurses, teachers, social workers and scientists, who must have a degree but earn middle-class incomes, have a life-time of financial burden.
People always have issues with change, but the status quo is unacceptable.
Harry Spratlin, Columbia
Trump, the GOP
Our current president makes Nero look like a Boy Scout. Instead of a fiddle, President Trump plays a nine iron.
It is glaringly obvious that the Republican Party has little interest in the health and security of the American people. As hundreds of thousands die of COVID-19, or face hunger for the first time, Trump’s party turns a blind eye.
It’s hard to believe, that in the richest country the world has ever known, people go hungry while Senate leader Mitch McConnell and company bow to the will of Trump.
We are dying. We are starving as Trump Republicans appease him in his futile attempt at a coup. Never has the greed and callousness of the Republican Party been so blatantly obvious.
Sam McQuatters, Lexington
Troop withdrawals
I think President Trump is making a big mistake reducing our troops from 5,000 to 2,500 by Jan. 15. He should send all 5,000 back to United States.
We have spent $2 trillion since 9/11 on that country, for what? The Taliban is going to take over when we leave so why shed any more American blood?
Don’t get me wrong, Trump isn’t the only one involved. Presidents Obama and George W. Bush are at fault too.
We could use some of that money to help with our current economic situation due to the pandemic. No more American lives lost.
Pat Clark, Columbia
Peace Corps cuts
Peace Corps’ redeployment of volunteers who were evacuated due to the coronavirus pandemic has been long awaited. Each of the 60 countries where volunteers were serving are anxious to restart programs.
Peace Corps staff cannot do this alone. Support from South Carolina and Sen. Lindsey Graham will be critical. That’s because the Senate Appropriations Committee is proposing to cut Peace Corps funding by more than $50 million.
As the chairman of the subcommittee that covers Peace Corps funding, Graham needs to urge his colleagues to reject this cut during negotiations and support the House recommendation of level funding for the agency.
Approximately 1,800 S.C. citizens have already answered the call to Peace Corps service since 1961, including me. For many, this has been due to the leadership and support of Graham.
For the next generation of S.C. volunteers and the next chapter in Peace Corps history, his leadership is needed again.
Anna Thompson, Timmonsville
This story was originally published December 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.