FEEDBACK

3/28: Venture fund could be powerful tool

To the editor:

Insightful article on Senator Richie's new bill on venture fund and university funding.

Small business and entrepreneurship are the life blood of economic development and job growth. New ideas and businesses need funding but, of course, bank funding is difficult and expensive because of interest costs. Venture funding not only brings money to new ideas and new business but allows existing businesses to expand. Venture funds can provide important management advice and experience to their portfolio businesses.

South Carolina significantly lags behind our region and neighboring states in venture fund investment. The new legislation could provide a powerful tool to the Commerce Department to direct new monies to the university's incubator programs and professional venture capital funds.

- - Steve Imbeau, Florence, S.C.

3/14: Responses to the budget challenge

To the editor:

1. Eliminate National Board Certified Teachers' pay - stop the program.

2. Eliminate the state TERI Program; it's a drag on the economy.

3. Cut school superintendents' pay by 15 percent or more. None of them are worth $100,000+.

4. Get rid of the SCDOT. Bid roadwork to private contractors.

5. Require scholarship funding from the Lottery to go to A students who likely will maintain good grades at college and not waste a year's tuition. B to me is average, especially when I went to school; an A was 95-l00.

6. Please choose furloughs over job losses. How about requiring those employees with 30+ years to retire? Businesses do it. Furloughs also might inspire some of these to retire also.

7. Recommend no job loss for anyone who is within 6 or 7 years of retirement eligibility.

-- Dianne Hare, Edgefield, S.C.

3/14: Salaries for top state employees too high

To the editor:

I pulled up two sections of the budget. Section 18, Arts Commission, and section 24, Department of Natural Resources.

Arts. The first thing that caught my eye was that the Director of the Arts Commission is paid $80,000 a year. Way to much. The next thing to catch my eye was classified positions. What is that, and why is it classified? Why does it cost 1 million dollars for Administration? It appears to be 1/6th of the total budget. The classifications in the left column appear vague and I believe further break down is necessary to examine it properly, although that will probably cost another half million in administrative costs. Why does the state need to fund the arts anyway? The private sector should be responsible for that. If you like the museum and enjoy visiting, send them some money. The Spoleto festival is given $160,000 by the state. That is a drop in the bucket and could certainly be raised by the City of Charleston and private citizens who love the festival and spend their money in the city while attending.

DNR. As an avid boater and fisherman, I figured this one might be difficult. Again, the Executive Director is paid $114,000. Way too much! Classified positions at roughly $2 million. What is $1.4 million in magazine costs. I would like to know exactly how that money is spent. It needs to be broken down further so that it can be examined piece by piece.

As usual, the bureaucrats have made the system more difficult than necessary. You can't get anything done that requires State approval without having to jump through a thousand hoops.

- - Jay Auld, Bluffton, S.C.

3/14: Combine some functions; use data for decisions

To the editor:

I have been a special ed. teacher for 24 years in SC. - - the last 12 in preschool special needs. I am very interested in your budget challenge and have a few ideas. I also have a question: do the people making these budget decisions have valid information on the success/failure of the various programs from which funds are being removed/added? Several of the programs I have never heard of; some I didn't realize were still in existence; and several could be combined with other groups.

Some ideas on combining:

• Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School
  
• John De la Howe School SC School for the Deaf and Blind
  
• Could these be incorporated into existing school programs?
  

In Education:

• Bonuses for National Board Certification. It is an insult to those of us with a Master's or Master's+30 that these people can pass our salaries so easily. Also, do you realize that teachers with more than 20 years do not get a yearly raise? Aren't experienced teachers as valuable as that new teacher with National Board credentials?
  
  
• First Steps. We have early childhood programs for 4 year olds that do these same things and also do parent education. My experience with First Steps has been CD classes with a nap (aka free babysitting).
  

Before making any decisions I would want information and statistics. I doubt most of our esteemed legislators want to be bothered with that kind of trivia. I will pray that they receive divine assistance in their decisions and be grateful that I don't have to be the one to do it!

-- Betsy Bunker, Fountain Inn, S.C.

3/7: Insightful article on budget

To the editor:

I found your article to be very insightful. I hope that the SC
government will be receptive to your analysis of the budget
situation and take seriously your recommendations for dealing with the
fiscal crisis.

Can you imagine how difficult CA's deficit of $35B is to deal with
effectively? The two parties here are of two completely different
minds. There is absolutely no bi-partisan approach or cooperation.

-- Alan Patterson, San Diego, CA (formerly of Charleston, SC)