Letters: Consider motives of penny tax critics

Is the Columbia Chamber of Commerce walking away from Richland County’s penny transportation program that it worked so vigorously to get approved? Or has Chamber President Carl Blackstone simply gone rogue?

I was amazed at how quick Mr. Blackstone was to parrot the words of Department of Revenue Director Rick Reames. While the chamber president noted in his Jan. 25 guest column that the penny program still holds promise, he adopted Mr. Reames’ storyline about mass corruption, hook, line and sinker. Did he talk to Richland County staff to get their side? How about council members? Why not wait until the SLED investigation is completed?

Mr. Reames has been working to undermine the penny from day one. He filed an unsuccessful protest seeking to overturn the people’s will following the approval of the program in 2012. Since that failed, he is now using his public office to continue his personal crusade.

Richland County must administer the program properly. I’m confident that County Council will make any needed changes.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Letters: Consider motives of penny tax critics."