Monday letters: Richland County Council must come clean on penny tax

Richland County Councilman Seth Rose has some great ideas about regaining the public’s trust in the penny transportation tax, but Mr. Rose and the council need to understand that the public no longer trusts them.

We believe the tax problems of former Columbia City Councilman Brian Newman and current County Councilman Kelvin Washington are only the tip of the criminal iceberg. We believe the state revenue director when he says he thinks there is criminal activity in the penny tax program. None of us suggests that every member of the council is crooked, but we wonder how those honest ones remain silent when they observe malfeasance.

Tell us what has been going on and why it has been allowed. All evil needs to flourish is for good people to do nothing. Why do we need to hire more people and strengthen the oversight committee? Why not severely punish those who choose to rob the public?

Where were the good people when Mr. Newman was awarded a half-million-dollar contract? With hundreds of lawyers in Columbia, how was he chosen? Every member of council who wasn’t complicit could have blown the whistle.

I believe Mr Rose is trying to help, but let us not spend a fortune trying to keep the snake out of the house, when we just need to cut the head off the snake.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 4:49 AM with the headline "Monday letters: Richland County Council must come clean on penny tax."