News Views

Nuclear waste

When it comes to nuclear waste, it’s perfectly all right to be a NIMBY in South Carolina. Indeed, people trying to stop additional radioactive waste from being dumped in Barnwell County should wear the label proudly.

South Carolina waged a battle for more than three decades before succeeding in limiting waste stored at the dump. Before 2008, waste came from all over the country. Then South Carolina finally gained permission to accept only waste from South Carolina, Connecticut and New Jersey.

This is not an area to encourage growth, whatever the monetary “rewards.” Any supposed benefit would be offset by potential long-term hazards. …

Even if the plan being pitched does not expand the storage site in Barnwell, it increases the number of states that are allowed to send waste to Barnwell, and it intensifies the toxic nature of the waste.

South Carolina legislators and the governor should continue to hold the line on dumping at Barnwell.

Moped safety

Moped-related fatalities are increasing in South Carolina, and many state legislators have various ideas about how to address this alarming rise in deaths. The precise cause of this increase hasn’t been determined, although several factors could come into play: More mopeds on state roads including higher speed highways, a lack of regulations for moped drivers, more distracted drivers of vehicles, and possibly even the deplorable condition of many streets and highways.

What’s clear is this: In a collision involving a moped and a vehicle, the moped driver faces terrible odds.

And this is apparent too: Many drivers report not seeing mopeds until it is too late — sometimes even not until there is a collision.

Local decisions

Like legislators, city and county council members are elected by the people. But they are more accountable to the community they serve than are the legislators. If city business license fees are too onerous, the buck should stop at city hall, not the Statehouse.

The legislature has already hamstrung local government budgets too much, while not living up to its financial commitment to local governments. State law says local governments are to get 4.5 percent of the previous year’s state budget, but that’s not happening. It’s supposed to pay for state services provided by local government employees. The services have not gone away, but dollars from Columbia have.

If the legislature wants to help small businesses, it should get rid of the infamous Act 388, which placed the largest tax burden for public school operations on businesses and second-home owners.

Local governments and small businesses need fewer ham-fisted dictates from Columbia, not more.

▪ “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.”

▪ “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”