Editorials from across South Carolina: Nikki Haley, House Republican Caucus, dwindling water supply

Haley’s star status

If President Donald Trump expected Nikki Haley to be a quiet, low-profile ambassador to the United Nations, he has gotten a surprise. In South Carolina, there is no surprise.

From the time of her emergence on the statewide political scene in 2010, the Bamberg County native has been unafraid to take a stand and to stand on her own. She won a stunning victory against establishment Republican candidates to become governor, then used the position to become one of the state’s most popular chief executives in recent times.

In the process, she bucked the GOP-controlled Legislature and the party leadership. She went her own way on many issues, not the least of which was stepping up to call for removal of the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds .…

Haley is an embodiment of the contradictions that are the Trump administration. Even if the State Department’s scripted positions were echoed by Haley, the president’s words could quickly undo any appearance of uniformity in stances.

As long as Haley is popular (a Trump measuring stick) and does not do anything to directly undermine the president, she is likely to continue to grow in stature and influence.

GOP Caucus’ secrecy

Now don’t be shocked when you read this, but the lawsuit stems from efforts to unearth information about possible Statehouse corruption. The Associated Press, The State newspaper of Columbia, The Post and Courier of Charleston, The Greenville News, the South Carolina Press Association and South Carolina Broadcasters Association joined in filing the suit in an effort to have a judge declare the House Republican Caucus a public body, thus making it subject to the state’s Freedom of Information .…

The State newspaper sues House GOP for records in corruption probe

When he was the state’s attorney general in 2006, (Gov. Henry McMaster) issued an opinion that, in fact, the caucus is subject to FOIA. That the caucus pays no rent for office space in a taxpayer-funded legislative building and receives assistance from House staff — guess who pays the staff salaries, by the way — subjects the caucus to FOIA.

All that is certainly reasonable enough, but we also offer this up: there would be no caucus without publicly elected officials serving in that capacity and tasked with doing the business of the people, for the people. What should or could they possibly have to hide? Given their bunker mentality, apparently plenty.

Shrinking water supply

Though fresh water supplies are replenishable, they’re not unlimited. Increasing and changing demands are straining parts of a complex and interconnected hydrology system that water managers are constantly studying in an effort to preserve our most precious natural resource.

Thirsty mega-farms siphon S.C.’s rivers as state watches

The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) are now working to complete models for the four major river basins to get an accurate picture of surface and groundwater supplies and to develop water demand forecasts and maps for sustainable growth. The goal is to assemble comprehensive statewide and regional water plans. Those should lead to updated regulations.

The necessity is underscored by the arrival of lightly regulated large-scale farming operations covering about 10,000 acres in Aiken County along the upper reaches of the Edisto River that have consumed billions of gallons of water.

According to a recent series in The State newspaper, more than half of the 10 billion gallons of surface water withdrawn annually statewide comes out of the Edisto basin, which farther downstream helps supply Charleston’s public water system.

Due to agriculture alone, water withdrawals in the area rose by about 30 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to DHEC.

While a wealth of water can be a lure for certain industries, their needs must be secondary to the ability of rivers and aquifers to replenish themselves, as well as the needs of a growing population. Ensuring a sustainable clean water supply is a logical way to go confidently into the thirsty future.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Editorials from across South Carolina: Nikki Haley, House Republican Caucus, dwindling water supply."