LETTER: Vote no on redistricting | Aiken Standard

The following letter by Jane Vaughters appeared in the Aiken Standard today.The referendum appears on the ballot for the City Election on November 8. Since Mayor Cavanaugh, Dick Dewar and Mrs. Diggs who is running to replace Beverly Clyburn have no opponents many citizens may not bother to vote. It would be unfortunate if the referendum passes because of a very small turnout. I urge everyone to do their duty and vote on November 8. Also please inform your friends.

To the Editor:

                An important referendum is coming up on November 8 for voters in the city of Aiken.  We have a choice of keeping our 4-2-1 system of city government in which every citizen can vote for the mayor, two at-large members, and one member from the district of the city in which they live—in other words, the majority of Aiken City Council.  Our other choice is to change to electing six single member district representatives and a mayor --in other words, two members on the 7-member council.
                How important is it for citizens to be able to elect a majority of City Council?  Nothing much can be done without a majority vote and I believe this majority must be responsible to each citizen.  Then we can have transparent and open government .   During my eight years as an at-large member of Aiken City Council, I received calls from many people who did not want to depend on just one member and the mayor to voice their concerns.   Since the council appoints all city commissions, voters have the chance to influence the majority of the membership of the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and all other commissions who are important in determining public policy.
                Aiken County Council has single member districts.  I believe we would have known a lot more about the county office complex expenditures and location if a majority of that body had to depend on the voters throughout the county for reelection.  The Augusta City Council has single member districts.
                 Voters should realize what we are giving up if we make this change in city government.  Let us not be intimidated when we can see that this proposal will diminish the power of every voter.  Vote NO on November 8.

Jane Vaughters

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YUCCA MOUNTAIN: IS IT REALLY THE ANSWER? by Dr. Rose Lee Hayes Fox

The arguments for and against Yucca Mountain as a national repository for the nation's nuclear waste may be beating a dead horse.

Arguments have been put forth that since Yucca Mountain was designated by the U.S. Congress (1985/87) as the sole site to store and secure America's nuclear waste, from both nuclear weapons production (legacy waste) and nuclear energy production (spent nuclear fuel, or SNF), only the congress has the authority to revoke the designation. This school feels that the President overstepped his authority when he abruptly and arbitrarily canceled funding of this 30-some-year-old project with a price tag that is already in the billions of dollars.

We South Carolineans care very much about the outcome of the political maneuverings behind Yucca Mountain's cancellation because, until there is an actual functioning national repository for the nation's nuclear waste the Savannah River Site (SRS) will continue to serve as Yucca Mountain's stand-in. Stored at SRS are millions of gallons and thousands of tons of both liquid and dry nuclear waste materials. More receipts are scheduled from both foreign and domestic sources, depending on federal funding and the "our team versus your team" mentality of the current congress. The present inventory of spent, or used, nuclear fuel includes 15,000 assemblies in the facility known as L Basin. Another 8,400 assemblies will be received by 2019. The cost for this program is in the area of $30-40 million. There are also thousands of canisters containing vitrified nuclear waste buried under the floor of two Defense Waste Processing Facility storage buildings with no identified disposition pathway. Despite the volume of this material, SRS has made significant progress in cleaning up the site. Its safety procedures surrounding and securing these materials are repetitive and redundant. Without the occurrence of some unforseeable and catastrophic event, the public and biosphere are at low risk of exposure.

The problem is, SRS was not intended to be a long-term or permanent, storage site for such materials. There are laws and government agreements on the books assuring South Carolina that there would be pathways out of the state if the site took the materials in temporarily. Because of these committments, and the focus on Yucca Mountain as the heir apparent, SRS was never studied or tested for its appropriateness as the nation's nuclear waste repository. Its facilities and storage components are designed and built to withstand an earthquake much stronger than the so-called Charleston earthquake of the 1880s. However, the actual strength of that earthquake is not known since the technology to measure earthquake strength did not exist at that time. The strength of that quake is an estimate, based on damage done to architecture of the time and other factors. Since the Fukushima Dai ichi earthquake, it would appear foolish to declare the absolute maximum strength of any future quakes, including any that the Central Savannah River Area could experience.

Even if Yucca Mountain were put back on the political alter and opened shortly thereafter, much of the waste at SRS would remain there indefinitely. Yucca Mountain was not designed to receive all of DOE's legacy nuclear waste. It was designed to mainly receive and store SNF from the country's nuclear power plants. Only 8-9 percent of its space was to be dedicated to legacy waste from the DOE complex of national labs where nuclear waste has been generated. Which brings up the claim that nuclear energy is safe, clean, and cheap. That claim will not bear up under close scrutiny if cradle to grave costs of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy production total costs are tallied. These costs include the billions of dollars spent to study and test Yucca Mountain, the additional costs of maintaining Yucca Mountain if it became operable, the storage costs of more than 60,000 tons of SNF at the commercial plant sites for some fifty or so years while waiting for the government to develop a national repository, the billions of dollars awarded to nuclear power companies in legal cases against the federal government for defaulting on its commitment to begin removing the SNF to a national repository by 1989 from commercial nuclear power sites., and the billins of dollars spent in cleaning up the DOE sites where nuclear waste was left to languor and sometimes leak during the buildup of Cold War nuclear weapons stockpiles. The $4.8 billion MOX faciltiy, which is intended to turn surplus weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel for potential use in commercial power plants, has a scheduled operation date of 2016. Nuclear production activity would make the short list of any compilation of Americs's most expensive ventures.

Locally, S.C. legislators and members of the nuclear community have said that Yucca Mountain is still the best option for the storage of nuclear waste currently held at SRS and are disappointed with President Barack Obama's decision to put a stop to the project. Aiken County, along with the states of South Carolina and Washington and other parties, has filed a lawsuit attempting to reverse the decision.

Clint Wolfe, executive director of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, opposes storing SNF in Yucca Mountain permanently with no options for retrieving it when needed. "I personally oppose putting used nuclear fuel, as we now know it, into any geologic repository because it is a resource containing 95 percent of its original fuel value, and we should extract that energy before disposing of the waste resulting from those recycling efforts. Those waste, along with defense high level waste currently encased in glass logs at SRS, could then be placed in a deep geologic formation like Yucca Mountain".

Be that as it may, the wisdom of developing any deep geologic repository for a national site in which to store the country's nuclear waste is being questioned by scientists. Some warn that such repositories would become "plutonium mines" and present opportunities for both domestic and foreign terrorists. Growing concern about nuclear waste management is leading to unanticipated international decisions involving nuclear energy. Following the recent disaster at the Fukshima Dai ichi plant in Japan, Germany has announced a national energy plan that no longer includes nuclear energy production. That country plans to be nuclear free by 2022.

Other Eueopean countries are focusing on transmutation technologiies which involve fast reactors that leave spent fuel lowered in both radioactivity and volume. Such energy systems would also reduce the half-life of the spent fuel and require significantly less storage challenges. Reprocessing SNF is another option. The U.S. Regulatory Comission (NRC) has issued a Draft Regulatory Basis for a Potential Rulemaking on Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facilities (June 2011). The draft has been presented in a series of public meetings held for the purpose of resolving the regulatory gaps for licensing private commercial industries that may apply in the future to build and manage spent nuclear fuel

While some European countries look to the future, building on research and development of technologies that can eliminate nuclear waste management problems, the U.S. seems wrongly entrenched in burying it for future generations to contend with. The field of current presidential candidates demonstrates this fact. Most advocate a storage site such as Yucca Mountain but selected on the basis of stakeholder input. Mitt Romney suggests that the free market should be allowed to determine a geologically safe nuclear storage site where "the people say the deal is a good one...and where we put this stuff". Ron Paul believes that it is a states' rights position. Rick Perry suggest that the states be allowed to make the decision, "...and some state out there will see the economic issue and they will have it in their state". Newt Gingrich feels that the "small nits of nuclear waste all over this country are vastly more dangerous to the U.S. than a very deep place where it could be stored for 30,000 years in geologic safety. Other candidates, such as Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum did not comment when asked for statements by the Aiken Standard. The one candidate that appears to see the potential of eliminating, or significantly reducing SNF volumes through technology R&D is Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor and ambassador to China. Huntsman does not advocate storing nuclear waste in a single facility and, if elected, says that "he would direct the NRC to develop a transitional plan to more modern techniques of reprocessing nuclear waste".

Not only will the concept of a Yucca Mountain-like deep geologic repository for nuclear waste not solve SRS's problem, it does not seem to resolve the nuclear industry's hopes for the future, if for no other reason than the economics of such a system. With over 60,000 tons of nuclear waste currently stored at commercial plants, with that total growing by over 2,000 tons each year, and with plans to build new plants in the future, more Yucca Mountains would eventually be required. The eventual costs of developing and maintaining such sites would become self defeating. The most logical solution to the problem of nuclear waste management for the U.S. appears to be partnering with European entities that are achieving success in researching and developing technologies which ultimately reduce the volume and radioactive levels of the waste to the point that it no longer represents a threat to national security, public safety and health, and biosphere pollution.

City Council Update

AGENDA ITEMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY, October 24.

PRESENTATIONS –

Engineering and Utilities Update

OLD BUSINESS

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, OR COMMITTEES: Mayor Cavanaugh has recommended re-appointment of Brenda Mills to the Recreation Commission and Royal Robbins to the General Aviation Commission.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING RENEWAL OF A LEASE BY AIKEN CORPORATION WITH URS FOR PROPERTY ON NEWBERRY STREET AND ADJUSTING LOAN PAYMENTS - Wade Brodie, Chairman, Aiken Corporation, will be with us again Monday night to present a proposed lease renewal with URS regarding their corporate headquarters on Newberry Street. The City continues to own the land upon which the URS offices and the URS Center for the Performing Arts are located. We have leased the offices portion of the land to Aiken Corporation for 99 years, with joint use of the lobby. The City continues to own the lobby area and the URS Center for the Performing Arts (Theatre) portion of this building.

The Aiken Corporation Executive Committee has approved a proposed lease renewal at $28,090.20 per month for a five-year term, commencing November 1, 2011 and ending October 31, 2016. URS will have the right to renew for an additional five-year term in 2016. They have been in this facility for 10 years, and from all accounts have been a good tenant. URS has over 48,000 employees in over 40 countries worldwide, and has a book of business exceeding 9.8 billion dollars.

Mr. Brodie is also requesting that the rental receipts under this renewed lease be allocated with $10,000 to be applied toward retiring the Aiken Corporation debt obligation on the Visitors Center and Railroad Museum to Security Federal Bank; $10,000 toward retiring the Aiken Corporation debt to the City of Aiken [balance as of August 31, 2011 was $1,938,342.18]; and the remainder to be used for LED operating costs, including debt payments as funds permit.

As part of this renewal, Mr. Brodie is also requesting that the interest rate on the LED note to the City of Aiken be revised to be 1% above the Local Government Investment Pool [LGIP] rate, adjusted monthly, and removing the 4.00% minimum interest rate from the current loan terms. City staff estimates it will take 12 years to pay off the Aiken Corporation loan if $10,000 each month is paid on the Railroad Depot debt for a five-year period.

Council approved this ordinance on first reading at your October 10, 2011, meeting. For Council consideration on Second Reading and public hearing is approval of the Aiken Corporation request to renew the URS office space lease, modification of the appropriation of the lease payment, and adjustment of the interest rate to be charged to be 1.00% above the LGIP, as determined monthly.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO SELL PROPERTY TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AS PART OF THE NORTHSIDE REVITALIZATION PROJECT – During the extensive work we have done as part of the Northside Revitalization Project, we have partnered with several nonprofit entities, including Aiken Habitat for Humanity. Richard Church, Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity, has contacted me about obtaining more property for potential construction of Habitat homes on them.

Our recent tour identified two vacant lots for Habitat construction. They are asking for Council to convey these vacant lots to them for token consideration. Council has agreed in the past to convey parcels to Habitat in this manner. We paid $14,508.15 for the lot at 1026 Cornish Street in Crosland Park and $15,000 for the lot at 610 Hampton Avenue, N.E.

Habitat has been working hard in Aiken, and dedicated their 86th home last month. They continue to find qualified buyers who contribute sweat equity toward building their home and who must pay mortgage payments, property taxes, and utilities as part of their purchase.

SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING OF ORDINANCE FOR CPST FUNDS ADVANCE FOR THE ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND TO BE BUILT AT THE CORNER OF CHESTERFIELD STREET AND SOUTH BOUNDARY AVENUE.: At the annual Horizons Retreat this past January, Council expressed your desire to go ahead and build the accessible playground at Chesterfield Street and South Boundary Avenue. In order to do so, you approved advancing the funds, totaling about $153,000 from reserve accounts in anticipation of collecting Capital Project Sales Taxes beginning in the Summer of 2012. This approval was given at your September 26, 2011, meeting.

In order to process this advance draw, as we have done with the ADPS mobile computers and SPCA construction payments, Council needs to approve this advance of these funds as part of a Second Reading of an Ordinance to advance funds to construct an Accessible Playground at the corner of Chesterfield Street and South Boundary Avenue.

APPROVAL FOR PLACEMENT OF A COKER SPRING HISTORICAL MARKER - Council will recall this past summer we heard from representatives from the Bernard E. Bee Camp of the SCV regarding their desire to erect a historical marker commemorating our historic Coker Spring. Our Design Review Board reviewed their request. The DRB has recommended that the proposed historic marker be placed either at the spring, on the Aiken County Historical Museum grounds, or in the island at Newberry Street, near the Museum property.

Aiken Department of Public Safety Director Pete Frommer has obtained permission from SCDOT to put a historical marker directional arrow sign on the street sign at Coker Spring and Whiskey Road. It indicates that a historical marker is located on Coker Spring Road one-half mile from this street sign.

Now that this directional sign is in place, Council needs to approve the location of the Coker Spring Historic Marker. For Council consideration is the location of a historic marker for Coker Spring.

NEW BUSINESS

RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT A DEED OF DEDICATION FOR UTILITIES IN WOODSIDE PROFESSIONAL CENTER: The principals of WSC-SC, LLC, as owners of Woodside Development Limited Partnership, and the Woodside Professional Center have requested acceptance of this development's water lines, storm sewer lines, sanitary sewer lines, and related apparatus. Their proposed deed of dedication is attached for your review.

Engineering and Utilities Department Director Larry Morris has reviewed this proposed deed. So has our City Solicitor and Staff Attorney Ben Moore. In addition, Larry has informed us that his staff has inspected these systems and found no deficiencies whatsoever. In addition to this deed, signatures from Sidewood Development LLC, the Woodside Property Owners' Association, Vandelay Development LLC, Southern Bank & Trust Company, and Savannah River Banking Company have been obtained so that all stakeholders with an interest in this development are aware of, and approve, this utility deed of dedication.

For City Council approval, therefore, is approval of a Resolution for acceptance of a Deed of Dedication for stormwater, sanitary sewer, and water utility lines, along with all related apparatus for Woodside Professional Center.

APPROVAL OF LANDSCAPE PLAN REVISIONS FOR THE McDONALDs’ RESTAURANT LOCATED AT U. S. AT I-20: Planning Director Ed Evans and his staff have been working with the owners of the U.S. Highway 1 McDonald's restaurant. They are completely reworking the restaurant at this location. They intend to demolish the existing restaurant, rebuild on this site a 5,176 square foot restaurant with a new drive-through lane, and outside dining opportunities. The original building was built in 1991. Since that time, Aiken County has adopted more stringent parking space requirements and storm water detention regulations. The City provides water and sewer utility service to this site under a 1991 utility agreement.

In order for the owners to meet stricter County requirements, and reorient the restaurant building, they need to modify the landscaping of this tract as shown on the attached documents. Modification of this landscape plan necessitates City Council approval of a new landscape plan. Specifically, grand tree removal and alternate plants in perimeter planting strips, other than trees, along the north side of the property are being requested. Ed has requested authority for any minor modifications to the plan that may become apparent when the project is undertaken.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ANNE 0.6 ACRE OF LAND ON UNIVERSITY PARKWAY ON THE NORTHSIDE OF AIKEN NEAR S. C. HIGHWAY 19: Frances S. Whittle has requested approval of her annexation request for 0.6 acre of land on University Parkway near S.C. Highway 19 and that it be zoned General Business (GB). This tract is a portion of TPN 120-09-01-001. It is to be combined with a parcel at University Parkway and S.C. Highway 19 that is owned by the principals of Greg's Gas Plus. They will construct a gas station and convenience store at this location.

The Planning Commission met October 11, 2011, and unanimously approved this annexation request with the conditions that are contained in the attached ordinance. A memo from Planning Director Ed Evans sets forth the actions taken by the Commission, their conditions, and the application filed by the owner.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO REVISE THE SOLID WASTE ORDINANCE: With the reorganization of our Public Works Department and dividing it into two separate entities: Engineering and Utilities and Public Services, revisions to our City Code are now necessary. Public Services Director Tim Coakley has worked with City Solicitor and Staff Attorney Ben Moore to update our Solid Waste City Code provisions related to residential garbage, yard trash, and recycling; weekend roll-off container use; small business garbage; and small business recycling.

MISCELLENAEOUS ADDITIONS:

AIKEN RETAINS OUR ISO CLASS 2 RATING: Public Safety Director Pete Frommer has confirmed that our ISO Class 2 rating has been renewed. This rating is achieved through meeting various standards, including our number of trained firefighters, condition of our fire equipment, our fire safety inspections program, and the state of our fire stations. In 1982, we were the first fire department in South Carolina to receive a Class 2 rating. This rating means continued lower rates on yearly fire insurance premiums for our local businesses and homeowners. The hard work that Public Safety puts in to this effort makes all the difference.

LEADERSHIP AIKEN COUNTY: Since 1982, Leadership Aiken County has identified and developed future leaders throughout our community. This year, the City has three employees participating in this program: Human Resources Director Alicia Davis, Public Safety Officer Aaron Dowdy, and Risk Manager Lex Kirkland. Leadership Aiken County has 20 individuals this year representing local governments and educational institutions, SRS, small businesses, and financial institutions. The group kicked off their yearlong program with a 2-½ day retreat at Camp Gravatt earlier this month. They meet monthly through June 2012. Each daylong session covers a specific topic important to our community. Their year will culminate with a class project designed and implemented by its members. Sessions include the history of Aiken and Aiken County, education, business and economic development, health care, and law enforcement. As a 2003 graduate of Leadership Aiken County, City Manager Richard Pearce believes this program provides a great benefit to our community by instilling leadership through involvement.

SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM: On October 20, we held the second session of our staff Succession Management program. These initial sessions focus on teambuilding. Subsequent half-day meetings will cover supervision, customer service, and business writing. Another important program component will be assigning mentors to each participant. They will provide additional guidance and support. Ten staff members are participating in our FY 2011-12 program.

PUBLIC SAFETY CONTINUES TO SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS: Aiken Public Safety Department Lieutenant David Turno says our participation in the Defense Logistics Disposition Services/Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) at no cost to the City – has resulted in our obtaining $25,000 worth of hand tools. These tools, most of them brand new, are used for Community Services, the SWAT team, and for officers at our fire stations. Lt. Turno discovered this program about a year ago. For a $1,200 annual membership fee, Public Safety has had access to equipment purchased for the US military that is now surplus. Since our participation in this program began, we have found various items valued at over $150,000 that includes binoculars, boots, jackets, first aid kits, gloves, handcuffs, night vision apparatus, and fire extinguishers for the cost of gas to go and pick it up.

CROSLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Cynthia Mitchell in our Neighborhood Services Division facilitated a Crosland Park Collaborations meeting on Tuesday, October 11. Participants included representatives from our faith community, neighborhood activists, Crosland Park neighborhood association members, and City staffers. This group discussed collaborative efforts for improving this Northside neighborhood. It is part of our ongoing efforts toward Northside revitalization. Some of the initiatives discussed include our Crosland Connection Winter Break program scheduled from December 19^th to 22^nd and an effort spearheaded by Christ Central to offer a GED training program at River of Life Church. Additional meetings and activities are planned. We will keep you informed about dates and times as specific events are scheduled.

FINANCE DEPARTMENT REPORTS SAVINGS: Finance Director Kim Abney reports we have saved more money by outsourcing our mailing services. The immediate cost savings totaled almost $2,900 since we did not have to purchase equipment or licenses. In addition, all our mail can be metered at a lower rate, which saves an average of $1,009 monthly. Director Abney estimates that savings for outsourcing our mail will be over $15,000 this fiscal year.

COMMENDATIONS: Bob Storey has written to commend Lt. David Turno’s response to an incident that occurred during the Equine Ambulance fundraising BBQ on October 1. A tree limb had fallen on Mr. Storey’s truck which was parked across the street from the event venue. Lt. Turno was sensitive to this loss and assisted him with the incident. Lt. Turno coordinated the search for a tree removal service and arranged a speedy police investigation. Mr. Storey was pleased with how Lt. Turno minimized any inconvenience. He described Lt. Turno as a great ambassador for Aiken Public Safety.

CITY EVENTS:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 FROM 7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. The Municipal Election for Mayor; City Council Districts 1 and 3; and the referendum approved by Council to change our method of City Council elections from a 4-2-1 plan to a 6-1 plan will be held.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 FROM 11:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M. The 7^th Annual One Table Thanksgiving Dinner will be served in The Alley behind City Hall.

For other events and happenings around Aiken, be sure to visit www.AikenIS.com.

Hillsdale College President Interview

Through the courtesy of Powerline  we have been provided with the following video interview. Hillsdale College is truly a source of excellent conservative thought and I recommend that readers check their site and subscribe to their free newsletter.

Scam uses post office email to collect info | Aiken Standard

The following article should be brought to everyone's attention. I understand that quite a few Woodside residents have received similar emails.Thanks to the Aiken Standard for publishing the warning.
Scam uses post office email to collect info | Aiken Standard:

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Three steps toward solving dog and cat overpopulation | Aiken Standard

Some good suggestions concerning homeless dogs and cats were made by Barbara Nelson of the SPCA. The full article by Barbara Nelson appeared in the Aiken Standard. The first paragraph and a link to the article are posted below:

Let's not be discouraged and believe that the serious problems associated with the overpopulation of homeless dogs and cats cannot be solved in the near term. It can, but it will take a strategic plan that puts forth reasonable ideas that can be supported by the general public and not alienate sportsmen, sporting packs, low volume breeders and responsible pet owners.more

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When Obama met Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office

All day I have had  thoughts  similar to those expressed by Juan Williams in the following article:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/10/13/when-obama-met-martin-luther-king-in-oval-office/

Cain the Tax-Code Killer

This is an excellent balanced view on Herman Cain's  9 9 9 plan. Written by Lawrence Kudlow. Follow the link to Rasmussen Reports.

Cain the Tax-Code Killer

Important Message from Aiken County Tea Party for all Conservatives

It's possible many ACTP members have not heard about the I-95 Corridor Authority.  We will be discussing this at our next meeting, Monday, November 14, 6:30 PM at the Aiken County Council Building.  In the meantime, please contact your Representative about this.

This email is from Talbert Black:
On June 1^st, 2011, the General Assembly ratified the creation of the I-95 Corridor Authority.

According to the legislation, the I-95 Corridor Authority “must carry out economic development and educational improvement activities which, in the opinion of the authority, will improve the economic conditions” along the I-95 corridor or South Carolina.

Yep, you read that right!  The General Assembly is about to create a new agency for centrally planning the economy of the 17 counties along I-95.

Have they forgotten the Soviet Union?  Don’t they know that bureaucratic central planning of the economy doesn’t work?

The new law also mandates that the I-95 Corridor Authority must “oversee the implementation of the recommendations contained in the I-95 Corridor Human Needs Assessment”.

This Assessment is a 189 page document created by an out of state group.  It outlines how the government needs to intervene to help improve chronic problems with struggling schools, cyclical poverty, and health and social wellbeing.

It recommends six different areas of intervention ranging from local leadership, to economic development, to health care and social services.

The last thing we needs is a new government bureaucracy to help where we are already burdened by too much “government help”.

Fortunately, the governor vetoed the I-95 Corridor Authority Act.

Unfortunately, the Senate soundly overrode the governor’s veto 30 – 10.  You can see a list of who voted to override the veto here on the Palmetto Liberty Senate report card.

The House will vote on the veto on January 10^th when they reconvene for the new year.  We need 1/3 of SC House to vote to sustain the governor’s veto so we can stop this agency before it gets created!

Though this has largely flown under the radar, it is a monumentally bad piece of legislation that must be stopped.

Please contact your Representative and tell him or her to sustain the governor’s veto on S211, the I-95 Corridor Authority Act.

You can find who your State Representative is at this link by entering your zip code.

Because this new bureaucracy has not received much attention we must make repeated contacts in order for the lawmakers to realize we are serious.

The scope and authority of this new agency are wide ranging.

It will have the authority to:
·         hire employees, consultants, officers, etc. and to decide their salary and compensation;
·         partner with any other government agency from federal down to local to implement the Authority’s agenda;
·         buy and sale anything (land, property, assets, etc.) and to manage, lease, rent, or otherwise do whatever they determine is necessary with the property they acquire in order to implement the Authority’s agenda;
·         enter into contracts, agreements, etc., with anyone or anything in order to implement its agenda;
·         sue and be sued in its own name;

The I-95 Authority will, in essence, have the authority to do whatever it thinks it needs to do in  “furtherance of its own purpose”.

Remember, its purpose is to implement the recommendations of the 189 page I-95 Human Needs Assessment and to “carry out economic development and educational improvement activities which, in the opinion of the Authority, will improve economic conditions.”

Wow, the only limit is its own opinion of what will improve economic conditions.  Unbelievable!

Now consider that the Human Needs Assessment identifies these six areas of need: (1) Leadership and Local Capacity; (2) Regional Economic Development; (3) Education; (4) Infrastructure; (5) Tax and Finance; (6) Healthcare and Social Service Disparities.

Again... Wow!  The scope of the I-95 Authority covers nearly every aspect of our life.

Make no mistake, this new agency will have the authority to do whatever it thinks is necessary to “improve” your life at almost every level.

As I said earlier, we don’t need more government to fix the problems created by government.

In order to make real improvements in the 17 counties of the I-95 Corridor, indeed, for all of our state, government needs to get out of the way and unburden the opportunities of the people.

I have great faith in the ingenuity and work ethic of the people of our state. If government simply gets out of the way, we can, and will, take care of ourselves and our neighbors.

The SC Policy Council (SCPC), in a 2010 report, specifically addresses the I-95 Corridor Human Needs Assessment and its failings.  The SCPC goes on to make alternative suggestions for improving the I-95 Corridor.

Among their suggestions are:
·         implement true school choice,
·         eliminate tax exemptions and reduce the tax rate,
·         remove barriers to private investors who use objective cost-benefit analysis to determine how to best utilize resources to serve the needs of the communities.
It’s not just the growth in government size and spending that must be stopped!  We’ve gotta stop the monumental growth in how the government bureaucracy is trying to control every detail of our life.

Government simply does not have the ability to successfully plan our life.  Experience and history shows that governments always fail miserably and the people suffer more because of their attempt, and their failure.

Contact your State Representative today and tell him to sustain the governor’s veto of S211, The I-95 Corridor Authority Act.  It is vital to the future wellbeing of our state!

Our State Representatives are our last chance to prevent this huge growth in state government size,  spending, and authority!

You can find who your State Representative is at this link by entering your zip code.

Thanks for all you do!

Best Regards,
Talbert Black, Jr.
Palmetto Liberty PAC
 P.S.  Remember, in order to stop this unprecedented growth in the size, scope, and spending of South Carolina’s state bureaucracy, contact your State Representative today and tell him or her to sustain the governor’s veto of the I-95 Corridor Authority.
We must stop the creation of this new state agency that will be given almost unlimited authority to “improve” the lives of people that live in the 17 counties around I-95.  We know that anytime the government tries to “improve” our lives, we suffer the miserable consequences!

Contact your Representative today!

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To stay informed about the Aiken County Tea Party, please visit our web site here:
http://aikencountyteaparty.com/

Of particular interest is our calendar which lists the dates and times of all our events and activities.

Newt Gingrich in Aiken October 28

The following was received from the President of the Aiken Republican Club. I understand that reservations are coming in fast. You better reserve quickly if you want to attend.

"Dear Members,   The Aiken Republican Club October Meeting Notice   I am extremely pleased to announce that the former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will be our Guest Speaker at a Dinner to be held on Friday October 28, at the Houndslake Country Club. Houndslake is located at 901 Houndslake Drive SW Aiken SC.   Newt Gingrich is the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in forty years.   Under Newt’s leadership, Congress passed the first balanced budget in a generation, leading to the repayment of over $400 billion in debt. Congress also cut taxes for the first time in sixteen years and reformed welfare, leading to over sixty percent of welfare recipients either getting a job or going to school. In addition, the Congress restored funding to strengthen our defense and intelligence capabilities, an action later lauded by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. The Washington Times has called Newt Gingrich “the indispensable leader” and Time magazine, in naming him Man of the Year for 1995, said, “Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable. Newt Gingrich belongs in the category of the exceptional.”   Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Newt's experiences as the son of a career soldier convinced him at an early age to dedicate his life to his country and to the protection of freedom. Realizing the importance of understanding the past in order to protect the future, he immersed himself in the study of history, receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and Master’s and Doctorate in Modern European History from Tulane University. Before his election to Congress in 1978, Newt taught History and Environmental Studies at West Georgia College for eight years. He represented Georgia in Congress for twenty years, including four years as Speaker of the House.   The registration /social time will begin at 5 PM and dinner will be served at 6 PM The cost for members is $20 and $25 for non-members and includes dinner.   Please RSVP to suecollinsworth@bellsouth.net or call (803) 648-9542. Keep in mind your are responsible for your reservation.   You can make a Reservation up to 12 noon Thursday, October 27. HOWEVER, cancellations must be received no later than 4 PM on Tuesday, October 25 .   All my best,   Tony Coffaro"

The Aiken Patriot is Back

The Aiken Patriot that was created by Walter Lamb shortly before he passed away is back online.It will continue to be a source of conservative news for Aiken.

City Council Update from Dick Dewar

AGENDA ITEMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY, October 19.

PRESENTATIONS –

SPECIAL PRESENTATION to Centenarian Cecilia McGhee.

AIKEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS: FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS - Kristin Brown, Executive Director, Aiken Center for the Arts, will be at our meeting to make a presentation regarding the facade improvements the Center has made to their Bee Lane entrance. Council approved funds in last year's budget toward these improvements. The work was completed at approximately the same time that we completed upgrades to Bee Lane, which included laying of paver brick, installation of a new parking pad, undergrounding power lines, fence installations, and other improvements. These upgrades to Bee Lane have proven very helpful to events downtown, including the most recent 5th Friday event conducted by the Aiken Young Professional group of the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce.

NEW BUSINESS

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING RENEWAL OF A LEASE BY AIKEN CORPORATION WITH URS FOR PROPERTY ON NEWBERRY STREET AND ADJUSTING LOAN PAYMENTS - Wade Brodie, Chairman, Aiken Corporation, will be with us Monday night to present a proposed lease renewal with URS regarding their corporate headquarters on Newberry Street. Council will recall that the City continues to own the land upon which the URS offices and the URS Center for the Performing Arts are located. We have leased the offices portion of the land to Aiken Corporation for 99 years, with joint use of the lobby. The proposed lease renewal is for $28,090.20 per month for a five-year term, commencing November 1, 2011 and ending October 31, 2016. URS will have the right to renew for an additional five-year term in 2016. They have been in this facility for 10 years, and from all accounts have been a good tenant.

Mr. Brodie is also requesting that the rental receipts under this renewed lease be allocated with $10,000 to be applied toward retiring the Visitor Center and Railroad Museum building debt; $10,000 toward retiring the Aiken Corporation debt to the City of Aiken [balance as of August 31, 2011 was $1,938,342.18]; and the remainder to be used for LED operating costs. As part of this renewal, Mr. Brodie is also requesting that the interest rate on the LED note to the City of Aiken be revised to be 1% above the Local Government Investment Pool [LGIP] rate, adjusted annually, and to remove the 4.00% minimum interest rate from this loan.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO SELL PROPERTY TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AS PART OF THE NORTHSIDE REVITALIZATION PROJECT - As part of our Northside Revitalization Project, we have partnered with several nonprofit entities, including Aiken Habitat for Humanity. Richard Church, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity, has contacted me about obtaining more property for potential construction of Habitat homes on them. Our recent tour identified two lots for their potential use. They are asking for Council to convey these lots for token consideration. Council has agreed in the past to convey parcels to Habitat in this manner. Habitat has been working hard in Aiken, and recently dedicated their 86th home. They find qualified buyers who contribute sweat equity toward building the home and who must pay a mortgage payment as part of their purchase.

RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT EASEMENTS FOR THE SILVER BLUFF FINISHED WATER LINE - You will find attached to this memo a Resolution to accept four easement deeds. These deeds are from Santee Cooper, Woodside Golf LLC, Woodside Village Residential LLC, and Silver Bluff Development, LLC. Larry Morris and his staff have undertaken obtaining these deeds in order to complete the finished water main that will emanate from our new Silver Bluff Water Treatment Plant. Council approved construction of this plant as part of the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget approval process. We will inform the Grantors that the City of Aiken by State law cannot agree to indemnify them. We believe this construction will be a tremendous help in addressing the water pressure variances we have been experiencing on our City's Southside each summer.

OLD BUSINESS

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – Councilmember Homoki has reappointed Martin Buckley to the Building Code of Appeals Committee.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX 1738 TWP MPTCJ RPAD AMD ZPNE IT RS-1 - Judith W. McNeely has applied for annexation of her property at 1738 Two Notch Road. This residential property has a single-family residence on it. Our Planning Department has determined it is contiguous to our city limits. Ms. McNeely is interested in connecting her property to our city sewer system and being able to pay in-city rates for utility services. She has requested RS-10, residential zoning for her property. Our Planning Commission has reviewed her annexation request. They voted unanimously to recommend annexing this property, and for it to be zoned RS-10, Residential.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX 126 VIVION DRIVE AND ZONE IT RS-10 - Ellen and Kevin Staniszewski have applied for annexation of property they own at 126 Vivion Drive. This property has a single-family residence on it and is adjacent to the 'Laurel 9' of Houndslake Golf Course. They have requested RS-15, residential zoning, for their property. Our Planning Commission has voted unanimously to approve this annexation request, and for this property to be zoned RS-15, residential.

MISCELLENAEOUS ADDITIONS:

PARKS, RECREATION AND TOURISM RECEIVES STATE AWARD: PRT Director Glenn Parker and his staff have won a 2011 Class III Agency of the Year Award from the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association. This is the 17^th time since 1975 that PRT has received this high honor. This year’s submission highlighted their department’s grants, financial partnerships, and utilization of their 2008 Master Plan. Glenn and his staff deserve this recognition for their collective hard work toward receiving this award.

BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PLANS: Planning Director Ed Evans has let us know two bicycle/pedestrian plans are being prepared by the Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) group. One document will describe a Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan for the entire ARTS area (the urbanized portions of Richmond, Columbia, and Aiken Counties). The other will detail a plan to identify major road corridors where the City and the County can devote resources for pathways. An Aiken County steering committee will be formed. Ed seeks two members of City Council to be appointed for this project. As part of the second round of Capital Sales Tax Projects (CPST), Council and our citizens have approved spending $210,000 for bike pathways.

RESIDENTIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE PILOT PROGRAM: Public Services Director Tim Coakley reports that the City began a pilot program on October 3^rd to collect hazardous waste from residential households. This effort began with a recommendation from our Environmental Committee. The program, similar to our e-waste program, is a pilot effort to provide participants delivery of a bin at their homes for certain household chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers to then be picked up. In order to be eligible for removal, this hazardous waste must be in its original package and is limited to residential use quantities. After Public Services collects the chemicals, a private company will remove and dispose them. Currently, our pilot program has 20 bins are available for hazardous waste collection. Once we see the results from this initial effort, we will explore opportunities to expand it as part of our annual budget process.

PUBLIC SAFETY PARTICIPATION IN ATF TASKFORCE: Public Safety Director Pete Frommer reports that two of our officers participated in an ATF taskforce that resulted in a major CSRA drug dealer being sentenced to 30 years in prison. In addition, the judge has awarded the City a $1,000,000 judgment against his assets. This judgment was the culmination of a three-year investigation.

ANIMAL CONTROL STATISTICS ENCOURAGING: Aiken SPCA President Barbara Nelson writes that their intake of cats and dogs at the shelter is down 21% since 2005. She attributes this reduction to the implementation of our City Spay and Neuter program. It made registration free for the life of an animal when it is sterilized at the time of its registration.

SENIOR EXTRAVAGANZA: Our Fourth Annual Senior Extravaganza was held on September 21. It proved to be another big success. Over 260 seniors attended this event at our Weeks Center. They saw displays by 76 vendors and also enjoyed a lunch prepared by the Doctors’ Hospital Chef, one of our sponsors.

EQUINE AMBULANCE: Jack Wetzel and Bruce Duchossois provided the perfect spot for our October 1, 2011 fundraiser in support of the equipment upfit to our new Equine Ambulance. Approximately 275 people attended this event, which was a completely sold out soirée. Jack, Bruce, local veterinarian Lisa Handy, Jeff Frommer, Barbara Nelson, Barbara Uskup, and Aiken SPCA staff, Charlie Herrick, Chief Pete Frommer, Aiken Drug, Lionel Smith LTD, Boots Bridles & Britches, Floyd & Greene, Chief Deputy Dewayne Courtney, Alan Willing, Mike Grabowski, Lt. Ben Harm, Lt. David Turno, PSO Jennifer Bickle, PSO Celeina Dobbs, PSO Chad Cathcart, Stephanie Christianson, Karen Daily, Chuck Jordan’s Bluegrass Band, local graphic designer Cindy Pearce, and a host of others are to be commended for all their hard work and dedication toward making this event so successful.

ONE TABLE THANKSGIVING: For the past five years, on Thanksgiving Day, many churches and non-profit organizations within our community come together for the community-wide event called One Table. Each year has been a wonderful time for all to come together in one place to break bread and share fellowship at One Table. These volunteers are again sponsoring a community-wide Thanksgiving celebration and have asked Public Safety’s permission to close The Alley from Laurens to Newberry Street. The Alley will be closed at 9 a.m. November 24, 2011, to allow time to set up tables and chairs. Food to be served at noon. The Alley will be reopened around 3 p.m. They have also requested the City’s permission to use the Conference Center for public use of our restrooms and for inside dining in case of inclement weather. Over the past five years you have graciously given them free use of the Conference Center. Unless you have any concerns, we will again provide the Center at no cost. Our staff will deliver the tables and chairs on Wednesday during normal work hours and finish cleaning up the area on Friday, November 25, 2011.

COMMENDATIONS: Several citizens wrote to compliment the fine customer service they received from Ginny Frierson and Missy Hart of our Public Safety Department’s Records Division. Mr. R. L. Riley of Warrenville notes that both employees “are always a pleasure to deal with.” Another writes that Ms. Frierson is superior at her job and offers “great customer service.” She also earned praise from a couple that wrote that she “was very nice and helpful under a stressful time.”

Janet and Barry Wade wrote to compliment Public Safety’s Reverse 911 telephone calls made to Aiken Estates residents after the attempted Bradberry Jewelers robbery on September 12.

Bob Toomey, Director of the SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services has written to congratulate our Alcohol Enforcement Team (AET) for their selection as the 2011 Law Enforcement Agency of the Year by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Underage Drinking Enforcement Center. Public Safety Director Pete Frommer adds that our AET is a seven-officer unit that works closely with the Aiken Center as well as patrolling events around our City.

CITY EVENTS:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, AT 6:00 P.M. The Planning Commission meets in Council Chambers, Second Floor of City Hall. A work session is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Room 204. The Union Street Area Plan is on their agenda.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, AT 5:00 P.M. is the annual meeting of the Aiken Corporation in Council Chambers.

For other events and happenings around Aiken, be sure to visit www.AikenIS.com.