Reader disturbed that South Carolina has lingered without a poet laureate since 2020

Where’s our poet?

Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the governor to promote poetry projects and deliver poems for special occasions. Marjory Wentworth, our previous S.C. Poet Laureate, resigned in 2020 after serving for 17 years.

In March 2021, the S.C. Arts Commission initiated applications for the vacated position. According to their office, they submitted three finalists to the Governor’s Office in April 2021, meaning it has been almost two years since the process began.

To no avail, I have contacted the Governor’s Office, Congressmen and legislators to inquire about the situation.

In the absence of a response, I will rally city poets laureate, arts organizations and local media. If no progress is made, I will coordinate a rally at the State House in April, National Poetry Month.

It is unfortunate that this literary arts tradition has been left neglected by our state’s officials. Poets reveal and examine the things in our world that we struggle to grasp or understand.

Gov. McMaster, please select the new S.C. Poet Laureate.

Len Lawson, Irmo

Many surprises

I’m surprised on many levels regarding the proposed abandonment of the protective zoning on St Helena Island. Here’s some of what surprises me:

– That County Council didn’t abide by the clear rules and deny the proposal at once.

– That the county staff wants to change the rules for developers.

– That the property is still being surveyed and prepped for development.

– That county staff is pressured by the threat of a lawsuit from a developer when the gutting of the zoning ordinance will result in a multitude of lawsuits from many groups supporting the ordinance.

– That the Planning Commission, made up of citizens, saw through the arguments of the county staff, but the Land Use Committee, made up of council members, claimed not to understand the ordinance.

– That “golf course,” “gated community” and “resort” need defining.

– That the county website talks about preserving local heritage while the Gullah culture is being sold out, island by island.

Jerry Floyd, St. Helena

Congrats, CRNAs

This year marks 160 years since nurses first gave anesthesia to wounded soldiers on American Civil War battlefields. Soon after the war, nurses became surgeons’ anesthesia providers of choice.

Today there are nearly 59,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the United States; 1,400 of them based here in South Carolina, who safely deliver more than 1.25 million anesthetics to patients each year.

You may not be familiar with CRNAs, but there’s a good chance you or a family member have received anesthesia care from one. Every day, CRNAs across SC care for patients in every type of facility where anesthesia is required for surgery, labor and delivery, trauma stabilization, and other patient-care services. And not surprisingly, CRNAs are still the primary providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel serving around the globe.

As president of the S.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists, I want to recognize the original anesthesia experts for their historic 160-year run.

M. Iszard, Blythewood

Fiscal medicine

Not so many decades ago, politicians cared about fiscal policy, making tough decisions such as George H. W. Bush’s decision to raise taxes in spite of his promise not to. Clinton, with a Republican congress, went on to erase the deficit with the help of a Social Security surplus. Since then, no president of either party has taken a hard line on the deficit.

Last year, 22% of the money the federal government spent was borrowed. In spite of relatively good economic times and low unemployment, our national debt has risen to over $31 trillion.

The next few years will likely bring higher borrowing costs and a slowing economy, which will only hasten the process. While there are many unknowns, no one can argue that our current path is sustainable.

Many things need to be done, including collecting taxes that are due within our current system. The so-called “tax gap” is now estimated by the IRS to be at least $600 billion.

Simultaneously we absolutely must reduce spending wherever we can. This medicine may be hard to swallow, but doing nothing will only cause worse-tasting medicine later.

Wm. Griffith, Beaufort