IT IS OFFICIAL; PIGS CAN FLY

 With all that has happened in the last few months, it is very difficult to discuss any one issue alone. Just as soon as you begin, some other facts and events that may have influenced your original topic, invade the conversation. As Lulu, our childhood governess, was inclined to say, "This is a can of worm, one worm." (you had to be there) We digress.

In this offering, we would like to concentrate on two events that occurred on January 6, 2021: The President's rally speech and the violence at the Capital building. First, we will present the facts supported by video we viewed, official statements, and news reports, then, you knew you couldn't escape it, our opinion based on these facts will follow. Important note: we cannot post this info that takes you to another site (hence, the flag) or we will have our rears handed to us. You are left to do your own research.

Before we proceed, it goes without saying that all Americans, including us, condemn violence in any form. We condemned the violence that occurred all across America last summer and we condemn the violence that occurred at the Capital last week. The only question left to be answered is Who Perpetrated The Violence Last Week?

FACTS:

11:00 AM  Crowds had already gathered in front of and around the Capitol building.

12:00 Noon  The President began his rally speech.

01:11 PM  The President concluded his remarks and left the area.

01:15 PM  The initial breach of the Capitol occurred.

The Ellipse, where the President's speech took place is about 1 1/2 miles from the Capitol.

Walking from one location to the other takes between 30 to 40 minutes without congestion.

On January 6, 2021, the streets and sidewalks between these locations were packed with hundreds of thousands of people.

Cell service was a disaster on that day. Due to the large numbers of people in the area, cell service was disrupted. Accomplishing a simple cell call was extremely difficult and live streaming the President's speech to the people in the Capitol area was impossible, according to witnesses.

The CP  Chief was repeatedly warned by various officials and law enforcement agencies that there may be trouble on this day.

The CP Chief repeatedly asked to request assistance from various other law enforcement agencies but was refused permission.

Various news outlets stated  that no CP officers were killed in the riot; one died of a stroke and one died of suicide.

Numerous CP officers opened barricades and doors and WAVED protesters through and into the Capitol building.

Numerous CP officers stood quietly against the walls of halls and allowed protesters to walk through. Some CP officers are on video chatting with the protesters inside the Capitol building.

Although FB, Twitter, and Youtube were already actively censoring posts and videos in support of the President's assertion of election fraud, posts and advertisements promoting the January 6, 2021 rally in DC were not removed; were not flagged; were not restricted in any way.

The House of Representatives has issued articles of impeachment on the President for inciting insurrection.

The preceding information is FACT.  It is not opinion.  It is not conjecture. It is supported by print articles, TV newscasts, and video tape.

Now the worm turns. After a full week of reading the reports, reading the documents, and viewing the videos, do we have an opinion? You bet the farm we do. 

THIS ENTIRE FEASCO WAS ORCHESTRATED. 

When an event is as large as the  January 6, 2021 rally obviously was, it is absolutely impossible for  any of the organizers to control who attends. It is impossible for anyone, including the President, to know if individuals with a contrary agenda have infiltrated the crowd. No one is responsible for the individual behavior of the attendees except the individuals themselves. To blame the President and his words for the chaos at the Capitol is absurd.  In the first place, those listening to his speech could not physically attend the speech and be at the Capitol at the same point in time when the breach initiated.  Who among you believes the thousands of those who attended the rally speech in front of the WH could have made their way to the Capitol, through the thousands crowding the streets and sidewalks between the two locations, in a few minutes? Even if these thousands could have found a way to violate the laws of physics, nothing the President said can be construed as inciting a riot. Now we will address the activity we observed in the many videos of the "riot" as it was unfolding and during the following week. 

The first video we viewed depicted a rather large crowd of obvious Trump supporters on a veranda of the Capitol building. Most of the people waved flags. They were cheering but just standing there. One man who was close to the building was dressed differently from the others. He climbed up on something not visible from the angle of the filming. He had some kind of instrument in his hand (similar to a pipe or rod) and began pounding on the glass transom above the doors. A woman in the crowd, closer to the camera, started yelling for someone to stop the man, accusing him of being ANTIFA. In about 15 seconds, two other men in the crowd pulled him down and started talking to him rather aggressively. This group would have numbered at least 100 people. The clip ended there.

The next video we saw was supposedly a "live feed" from inside the Capitol in Statuary Hall. There were two velvet ropes arranged straight across the center of the room forming a walking path, similar to those in museums. This path allows visitors to view the room and its contents without them being able to come in contact with displays or statues. All through this clip there were numerous people, obviously Trump supporters, walking through the room. ALL were inside the velvet ropes, walking slowly, and looking around as if they had never seen the room before. No one was running; no one was breaking anything; no one was, in any way, disorderly. All totaled, maybe 75 people walked through, turned around, and walked back out. After maybe 2 minutes, the clip ended.

The next clip was in another room we did not recognize. The room was large with a stone floor. There was a line of CP officers across the center of the room and a group of young men in front of them. There was pushing and shoving; obviously a confrontation. In this scene, there were more CP officers than there were civilians. Those confronting the CP officers numbered about half of a dozen, possibly 7.

In one video recorded in a hallway, several young men (no more than 4) were engaged in a confrontation with CP officers. The most noteworthy thing about this scene was that the other people in the hallway were doing their best to extricate themselves from the situation. They were not engaging; they were just trying to escape. People in this group were trying to shield the person next to them and get out of the area.This clip lasted maybe 30 seconds.

We watched clip after clip that seemed to us to depict people who realized too late that they were in a situation they did not intend. It appeared that some involved, a very small minority, knew exactly what they were doing.

Later, we saw a video that showed a group of people, again obvious members of the rally, standing behind a "bike rack" barrier. If their intent was to storm the Capitol, it would have taken no great effort to just step over the barrier but they didn't. These 100 or so people were just standing behind it looking at the Capitol which was about 20 yards away. At that point, a CP officer walked to the barrier from the direction of the building, picked up one end of a section of barrier, and swung it open. He stepped aside and literally waved the people through. We saw a similar video taken in front of the building where two CP officers did the same thing, removing two sections of barrier and waving the people through.

In two other clips, one taken from INSIDE the building, we saw CP officers unlock and open the outside doors to allow people to enter. The CP officers stepped back to allow the people to pass. More than once, a person coming in stopped and spoke at length with a CP officer. There was no pushing or shoving. There was no hostility to the CP officers. It all appeared like business as usual. Another video that appeared to have been taken in the same area of the same group, depicted the group of people going down the hallway with CP officers standing against the walls on either side. The people were speaking to the officers and the officers were speaking back. No one was angry or yelling or in any way displaying hostility. The officers did not seem to be concerned or upset in the least.

During the week after the Jan 6th event, we saw more video of violence. We saw still photographs of individual people doing really bad stuff. We saw a few people on the House floor and in some of the offices. We watched carefully and COUNTED carefully. In every case, we saw large groups of obvious Trump supporters either standing or walking or trying desperately to get the hell out of there. In every case, the people doing the damage were few in number. From reports posted on line by people who were actually there, this was the case.  

Now, let us ask a few questions and don't forget to use your common sense and deductive reasoning.

If, in ANY situation, you find your self standing behind a barricade and a police office moves the barricade and waves you through, would you anticipate any problem with doing so?

If, in ANY situation, you find yourself standing outside the door of a government building and a police officer opens the door and waves you in, would you see any reason why you should not do so?

If there is an actual INSURGENCY in progress, not to mention a RIOT, can you think of any reason why the police would invite onto the scene more of the people supposedly involved in the crime?

Now, let's put together what we know about this event and what we know about the recent past.

Suppose for a moment you are a back stabbing, low bred, conniving, underhanded, mouth breathing, dishonest, unscrupulous, Janus faced, duplicitous, indecorous, unscrupulous person on the far Left. For over four years, you have desperately attempted to discredit and destroy your primary enemy. Every attempt, no matter how well planned,  has fallen flat on its face. Your time is running out. Your remaining opportunities to succeed are few. You have to do something to distract attention from a really big illegal issue in which you are involved. You must do something. Then, you remember. You have friends who are very good at organizing very bad things. You know, thanks to other supporters, (media) these friends have remained faceless and nameless. Your enemy has thousands of people in town supporting him.   No one will notice your friends. So, you hatch one last plan. Why not have your friends infiltrate your enemy's crowd, find some useful idiots to go along, and, then, have your friends do something REALLY bad? Then, you could blame it on your enemy. Then, everyone would focus their attention on the really bad thing your enemy did and they wouldn't focus on you and what you've done.

HENCE, THE CAPITOL INVASION

Unfortunately, once again, the plan didn't develop as intended. There weren't as many of your friends (or useful idiots) as you had anticipated and the optics were not as spectacular as your plan demanded. You needed more warm bodies to achieve the desired results. What do you do? Well, DAAAAA, you get someone to go outside and get some more people. Take down the barriers; open the doors;  allow as many people as possible to fill the building. Presto, now you could use words like "MOB", "INSURRECTION",  and "RIOT". 

Not only did you get the focus off what you and the rest of the far Left (see defining adjectives in previous paragraph) have done, you have created an issue that, with the help of your supporters, (media) can influence whichever other issues you may choose. The possibilities are endless. You not only convinced everyone that DC is in a state of eminent peril, you have spread this insanity throughout the Nation. This issue is the main topic of discussion and, of course, the gravity, intensity, and severity of the situation expands and becomes more dire with each telling. See how well a plan can work when you get a bunch of the (see defining adjectives in previous paragraph) far Left joining forces with their supporters (media) ? Last year, you convinced half the Nation that a bunch of anarchist burning down whole city centers, looting stores, destroying businesses and livelihoods, shooting policemen, assaulting innocent citizens, establishing "independent countries" within US cities, and killing dozens of people are, in fact, a group of marginalized innocents seeking their voice. Why couldn't you convince the same people that a group of 75 million Patriots are, in fact, anarchists?

 It has been a long time since we have thought it necessary to post anything here so, we may be a bit rusty. Therefore, we would ask your indulgence and, most of all, patience.  We will endeavor to amuse you, maybe inform you, and not bore you. So, as soon as we determine what the hell that flag on this site means  (it popped up as soon as we opened the site) we will begin.

GIVE US THE FORMULA



As you have probably heard, there is a lot of conversation among the Democrat candidates for president about "reparations".  This issue is supposed to concern all the "African" Americans and "White" Americans in the United States. These "reparations" are, as I understand it, supposed to compensate present day Black people for the horrors of slavery and hold present day White people accountable.  According to some of these candidates' remarks, somehow, all the "White" people in the US are supposed to pay some amount of money to all the "Black" people in the US.  At this point, no-one has provided any details as to how this effort is to be accomplished. We have a few questions after we establish a few facts.

The first most obvious fact is that there is not one single person in the United States today who is a slave or has ever been a slave. The same is true of everyone's parents and grandparents back 5 generations.

The second fact is that there is not one person in the United States who owns a slave or has ever owned a slave. Again, this is true of everyone's parents and grandparents back over 150 years.

In stating these facts, we must conclude that the issue of reparations for slavery would, by definition, have to deal with the actions and circumstances of people's far distant ancestors.

Also, being as the United States is, and has been for a very long time, a true melting pot, there are virtually no people in this country who are pure blooded anything.  You hear people all the time bragging about being of Irish/ German descent, English/Scottish descent, or Native American/ Italian descent.  Whatever. We seriously doubt that one 100% "African" American or "White" American could be found within this country.  So, here are our questions.

In order to ascertain who gets how much money and who pays how much money, would everyone have to take a DNA test to determine what percentage of what race we are?

Suppose a person's DNA proves they are 50% "White" and 50% "Black"? Would their bloodlines cancel out either receiving or paying reparations?

Suppose a "White" or "Black" person immigrated to this country after 1930 and married a person who's grandparents were in this country before slavery was abolished? How would their children's responsibility be calculated?

Suppose a person has the appearance of being either "Black" or "White" but their DNA says otherwise?  How would that be addressed?

After we arrive at a formula to satisfy these questions, wouldn't we be required to address the fact that many other peoples in the history of our country have, also, caught the dirty end of the stick?

How about the multitude of Irish girls who were brought here during the great potato famine? Faced with the inevitability that their entire family would starve and die, many Irish parents opted to send their young girl children to America with the promise they would be fed, schooled, and provided with a bright future. Upon arrival, many of these girls were sold to wealthy men, to work in their houses as maids, of course.  NOT.  These girls were, in polite society, referred to as "indentured servants"; a classy term for slaves. No one knows exactly how many Irish girls fell prey to this fate but conservative estimates put the number in the hundreds of thousands.

How about the Chinese laborers imported to the west coast to work on the railroads? They came with the promise of making their fortune but wound up being worked and starved to death.  Again, no one knows the number of people caught up in this atrocity or the number buried in the wilderness with no markers.

Now, if we want to talk about something unfair, something horrible, something with no redeeming excuse, let's talk about the fate of the "Native" Americans. These people were living here, happily, when the Europeans arrived. They lived and hunted in the swamps of Florida, the woods of Georgia, the low lands of South Carolina, the mountains of North Carolina, and on up the Atlantic coast of the continent. Everything they needed for a comfortable life was there on the land.  They would barter with other tribes for luxuries. The Europeans wanted their lands so the indigenous people were moved to the deserts of Oklahoma. (Until oil was discovered and that land was taken back) It would be a tossup as to whether those who survived the trip were the lucky ones. How would you like to try to fish and grow crops in the desert?

Enough already. As you can see, there have been many atrocities and ill treatment of people during our long history. But, when you get to where the rubber meets the road, that's not the operative point here. The important fact to remember is 'what is and was the point of this country from the start'?  As we read in our founding documents and as we see it, the whole point was and is that we always strive to do better than we did in the past. And, from our vantage point, we have made great progress.

Today, no one has to be a "rich" kid to get an education. It's there for the taking. Today, no human being "owns" another human being. Today, there is no such thing as an indentured servant. Today, no matter how rich or poor you may be, you have rights. Today, anyone can say anything about any subject. Today, no one can take your property or your freedom without due process. Today, you can go where you want, shop where you want, live where you want, eat where you want, work where you want, and most importantly, worship where you want. It doesn't matter your color, creed, gender, or religion. Opportunity is here for any American. In this great nation of ours, the only person standing in the path of any person's success is the individual himself.

So, we have a revolutionary suggestion:

What say we all get off this train of finger-pointing and "what about me" isms? There is not one person reading this who doesn't have some or other ax to grind. We have all been taken advantage of at one point or the other in our lives. We all have regrets from our pasts. But, we have to remember that the world only revolves in one direction, forward. No one can turn back the clock. Wherever we are, the only option we have is the future. Why don't we concentrate on making that future the best it can be. Wouldn't that be a better use of our limited time on this earth?

WHAT'S BEHIND THIS CURTAIN?

As our readers know, we only post when we want to discuss an important issue that has gone unaddressed and unresolved. Through the grace of God, for quite a while, all important issues have, in one way or another, been addressed by the forces that be. Such is not the case here of late.  Despite numerous efforts from several quarters, there remains an unresolved, unacceptable situation in one of Berkeley County's elected offices.

First of all, we need to provide a bit of file information on a few rules that apply to all Berkeley County elected officials. The procedural information I provide here came directly from one of these officials. It seems that, when BC officials take office, they are expected to operate, mostly, by the honor system. Elected officials such as the Sheriff, the Coroner, the Supervisor, the Clerk of Court, etc. do not carry any "official" vacation time, personal leave, or sick leave.  They are not required to punch a time clock or keep any record of their time on the job. These elected officials are supposed to use common sense and judgment when taking time off from their jobs. It seems that the only authority to be exerted over these officials concerning this issue, would be the voters.  So,  in reality, there are no rules governing the number of hours an elected official spends daily, weekly, or monthly doing his or her job.  There are no rules as to the accessibility to the voters to an elected official. There are no rules as to the participation in civic affairs by an elected official. Consequently, one could expect any number of individual results from the various elected officials. Let us delve into just two comparisons.

During the last election cycle, the voters of BC elected a new Sheriff. Since his election, it has come to the notice of the voters that this new Sheriff seems to have no concept of what constitutes a regular work day. At all hours of the day and night, the Sheriff can be found either at his desk, out on patrol, or in the process of breaking up criminal activity in the County. The voters have been made aware of his efforts by the reduction in the crime rates and the destruction of numerous drug rings within the County.   Even after putting in such long hours at his job, the Sheriff finds the time to attend  numerous political and civic gatherings, even if he only stays a short period of time due to other pressing official business. Also, the Sheriff is very accessible. It is relatively easy for a voter to reach him to discuss any problems that might arise. If he doesn't answer the call straight away, he returns calls in a timely manner.

Let's recap:

The Sheriff is in his office every day.

The Sheriff is accessible to the voters.

The Sheriff is regularly seen at gatherings around the County.

The Sheriff makes himself available to the media.

The Sheriff is doing the job the taxpayers hired him to do.


Now, let us flip this coin over and look at the other side.

We will start this comparison with a question.

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME ANYONE READING THIS POST HAD A FACE TO FACE ENCOUNTER WITH THE CLERK OF COURT?

Speaking personally, the last time we actually saw Mary Brown in the flesh was over two years ago. Since that time, we haven't seen her at the court house.  We haven't seen her at any political functions. We haven't seen her around town.  We haven't seen her at any civic functions or special occasions. We haven't seen her, period.

Naturally, after some time passed, we became curious. We started asking questions. Frankly, the answers we got were very confusing and upsetting, not to mention unbelievable.

The first information we received, over 18 months ago, was that the Clerk was in extremely poor health. These reports indicated several strokes and hospitalizations and indicated that she was almost totally bedridden. These reports were received with great sorrow and sympathy. Considering the seriousness of her infirmity,  we anticipated her resignation. After a year and a half, that resignation has not been forthcoming. Then came further reports.

Could it be possible that the elected Clerk of Court has not been in her office to do a day's work in over a year and a half?

Could it be possible that the Clerk of Court has not put in a full work week at her office in over three election cycles?

Could it be possible that a County employee drives the Clerk's personal vehicle to the courthouse parking lot every day to make it "appear" that the Clerk is at work in the building?

Could it be possible that an employee of the Clerk's office makes numerous daily trips to the Clerk's house carrying official court documents that require the Clerk's signature?

Could it be possible that an employee at the Clerk's office is, and has been for years, responsibly for all of the Clerk's courtroom duties?

Could it be possible that a closed circuit television system has been installed in the Clerk's office and the courtroom that is connected to the Clerk's home computer, at taxpayers expense? If this is true, how secure from hacking is this system? If true, who else has access to this system? If true, how is the privacy of "closed proceedings" assured? If true, do the judges know about these cameras?

Could it be possible that three local television news outlets and one major local newspaper have, over a period of the last two years,  received stories on this subject, submitted by their own reporters, and have neglected to publish the information?

Unfortunately, from personal observations, personal knowledge, and eyewitness accounts, all these things are not just possible but facts.

First and foremost, if the Clerk's health is as bad as reported, she has our full sympathy and our most sincere prayers, BUT, there is such a thing as responsibility to duty when one attains elected office. All elected officials swear an oath. All elected officials know the duties they are expected to perform. It is unreasonable to expect the taxpayers to pay an elected official while, also, paying other employees to perform the duties of said elected official.

But, the bigger question is "WHY?"  Why would the Clerk of Court go to such lengths to retain control over the Clerk's office?  Many elected officials reach the age where they are no longer capable of performing their duties and they retire. No shame in that. It happens all the time. We are cognizant of the fact that this Clerk has been in this office since the boat came over and she might be resistant to the idea of leaving, BUT, that does not explain all the elements of this situation.

Why would the Clerk perpetuate this illusion for so many years?
Why would an employee enable the Clerk to conceal her inability to do her job?
Why do other employees at the courthouse so adamantly refuse to even discuss this situation?
Why have other officials, even those with authority over the Clerk's office, ignored this?
Why have various local news outlets refused to expose this story?

In our humble opinion, that which is known (and, moreover, that which is still unknown) dictates that it is time for a complete, systemic change of leadership at the Clerk of Court's office. No one who was involved in this coverup should continue to be associated with the Clerk's office. It is past time for a clean sweep and new leadership.

The primary is a little over a month away. The existing Clerk is not seeking reelection. Check out the candidates who are running and ask questions.


UPDATE:  MORE OF THE SAME

This week the SC Association of Clerks of Court is holding its 2018 Spring Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. As a rule, the various Clerks of Court, Deputy Clerks, and selected department heads (Supervisors) attend. The reservation cost is $300 a person.

As might be expected, the BC Clerk of Court is not attending this function due to health issues.  The BC Deputy Clerk and a few Supervisors did make reservations to attend.  The Supervisors are at the conference as we speak. However, the Deputy Clerk has been observed yesterday and the day before in the Cain Bay and Hanahan neighborhoods erecting campaign signs.

This choice on the part of the Deputy Clerk would be of absolutely no interest to anyone except for the fact that the reservation fees are payable in advance and are nonrefundable. This waste of money places the burden on us, either directly or indirectly, as it's funded with public money.

ORGANIZED VOTER FRAUD? NO WAY

We are currently on the Left Coast observing how the other half lives. There seems to be no end to the surprises we encounter. This is, truly, another world.

However, we will stick to one subject in this post.

This morning,  we read that the SCGOP is encouraging voters to vote absentee in this election. The article suggested that, so far, the effort has been a huge success. But, from our experience yesterday, the GOP may have overlooked one tactic.

We had reason to be on the computer train from San Francisco to Hayward yesterday afternoon. About halfway through the ride, 3 young Black men walked into the car. They were well dressed and carried clipboards with stacks of forms. They approached only other Black riders. One of these people approached was the young lady seated next to me.

The young man introduced himself and said he was a "voting rights advocate". He asked the young lady if she was registered to vote. She replied she was. He, then, asked if she had ever considered voting absentee. She said she never had. He went into a long explanation of the process and how it would save her a lot of time on election day. She said she didn't think the process would work for her as she moved around from one relative's house to another.

But, he had the solution for that problem. He told her she could fill out and sign the ballot request document, putting HIS address on it, and he would "get back with her when it came in". He said she could just tell him who she wanted to vote for and he would fill the ballot out and mail it in for her.

About that time the train was arriving at the young lady's stop so she thanked him and said she liked to vote in person. With that, she walked away leaving the young man standing there. We couldn't help it; the words just seemed to jump out: You do realize that would be voter fraud?

The young man summoned his friends and left the car.

IS IT GREED OR STUPIDITY?

I do believe that our Founders were Divinely inspired when they wrote the documents for the formation of our Republic. In creating the Bill of Rights, they guaranteed all Americans that the newly formed government would not possess the power to infringe upon a variety of freedoms. Unfortunately, hidden between the lines of these stated freedoms lurks the "Right to Stupidity". From our observations, some people over-exercise this right. We digress.

The Constitution of the United States of America clearly states the responsibilities and powers of the Federal government. It, also, clearly states that all other powers, those not stated, belong to the several states and to the people. Well, as we all know, this little portion of the document is no longer in fashion. For decades now, the Federal government collects, some say steals, monies from the individual citizens and, then, uses these monies as bargaining chips to inflict the Federal will upon the entire nation.

Some of these activities are accomplished as "pork barrel projects" initiated by our elected officials in the Congress. Others are in the form of grants created and controlled by unelected bureaucrats. No matter how they are created and offered, there are ALWAYS strings attached.

Overly simplified, here's the way it works. Some unelected bureaucrat, (with absolutely nothing to do to fill his workday) sitting in an office somewhere in the nation, comes up with a "bright idea" of how to spend some more of our money and/or take away another freedom. After he/she sends the proposal up the 15 layers of supervisors (who, also, have nothing to do with their time) to the decision makers, it is concluded that the taxpayers will NEVER stand still for this "bright idea". BUT, all the bureaucrats really, really like the "bright idea". At this point, the implementers take over. These implementers look around for a likely grant onto which they can attach the "bright idea" as a provision of receiving the grant. This "bright idea" can concern any agency from the EPA to Homeland Security and everything in between.

This is where the aforementioned "Right to Stupidity" comes in.  The conveyor of the Federal grant ties the hundred dollar bill to their proverbial bumper hitch and takes off for the nearest trailer park.  "Hey, State of Whichever, do you need some extra money to revamp your high school curriculum? Well, bless your little hearts, we've got a bucket load of cash we'll give you. All you have to do is agree to implement this one small "bright idea"." (Has anybody ever researched the genesis of Common Core or the Storm Water Management Program?)

Originally, if there was any cost involved with implementing the "bright idea", there was money included in the grant to pay these costs for a year or so. After that, the recipient of the grant was left to hold the bag for any continuing expenses. But, the process has evolved to the point now that the expense of the "bright idea" is left entirely to the recipient, start to finish. But, even more insidious, are the "bright ideas" in which the recipients contractually convey a variety of actual rights and powers to the Federal government.  Even if the Federal government does not immediately execute this acquired power, the ability to do so is sitting there like a time bomb.

This process has become so successful, due entirely to either the greed or the stupidity of the States, Counties, and Municipalities, that the Federal Grants Program  has accelerated the process to the point of being ridiculous. A grant of less than $50,000 can now carry literally scores of mandates. It is beyond belief that, despite the obvious risks involved, recipients are still lining up around the block to put their names on the dotted line and take the cash.

If you require proof that all this is true, watch the video of the last BC Council meeting. A Federal grant to the Sheriff's department of just over $30,000 was discussed. This grant has an unbelievable FIFTY FOUR attached mandates. Wait for it...............it passed with only 3 dissenting votes; Mr. Whitley, Mr. Farley, and Mr. Newell. To make matters even worse, during the discussion, it was stated that the funds for the equipment in question are available from the general fund. And, with all due respect for your rising blood pressure, the only justification for taking the grant, despite the attachments, was that a refusal to do so might have "a negative impact" on any future screw jobs the Federal Grants Program might offer BC.

As always, the final determination is left to you, the reader. Our only question is, "How far down this rabbit hole will this country go before the bill comes due?"

SCHOOL BOARD

Did anyone need more proof that we have serious problems with the Berkeley County School Board? If that is the case, that proof was provided at last Tuesday's meeting. With only three votes, the board approved a satisfactory appraisal of the job performance of our indicted, former Superintendent. We have officially entered the Twilight Zone.