Beaufort Farmer's Market

2-6 Wednesdays

Pigeon Point Park

Billy Keyserling

Events in and around Beaufort


How Could I Write a Newsletter without 
A Parking Update

I hope you and yours had happy and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend. 

 

Between moving from my home on Ribaut Road last week and not getting reconnected to the internet, and taking a long weekend for the holiday, I did not get a newsletter out on Thursday.  I am sure you enjoyed the break.

 

City Council has a lot on our plate during the coming weeks. While I have not yet consulted with my colleagues on council, these are my thoughts about what is ahead of us.

 

We are likely to have a number of work-sessions and council meetings to consider recommendations from the Parking Task Force.

 

As you may have heard one downtown merchant collected in excess of $1,200 in tickets during the two hour free parking experiment and numerous employees successfully gamed the system.  This is to say nothing of the $60,000 in lost revenue dedicated to improving downtown. And most importantly there was no measurable change in sales downtown during the experiment.

 

Accordingly, paid parking went back into effect on July 1st though the task force made several recommendations that are under consideration by City Council. Some are short term and others are more likely in the future.

 

I believe the first order of business will be to establish a two hour time limit for Bay Street Parking at $1.00 per hour, with the current $10 fine and more aggressive management including the use of the boot for repeat offenders who do not pay fines as required.  Two hour limits are the industry standard and should be appropriate for Beaufort.  Those who want to stay downtown to shop and dine can park off Bay Street where there are meters which offer longer stays.

 

I believe we will consider adjusting hours of parking management so that early morning shoppers will not pay until 11 am and parking management will run until 7 pm.

 

We will be meeting with the larger downtown employers from whom some Task Force members were led to believe they would be willing to split the cost of parking for their employees in a designated lot away from Bay Street.  If we confirm their willingness, we will determine a designated employee parking lot with a reduced fee and,  if necessary, a shuttle that will drive them to the lot to ensure their safety late at night.

 

We asked staff to issue an RFP for a parking structure expert to explore sites,  fee structures and the overall financial viability to be determined. I believe at this point, this is a long shot due to financial constraints but am anxious to explore and understand options.

 

We will also explore creating additional parking spaces at the marina parking lot and possibly another downtown lot. 

 

Stay tuned for work sessions and council meetings where we will be discussing the recommendations and taking action.

 

Thanks again to the many who worked on the Parking Task Force.  You produced meaningful results and recommended some changes I think are in the works.

 

On a final note, I would like your opinion about the Capital Sales Tax that County Council is considering for the 2016 election.  Though it never made it to the ballot, because the Council thought proposals from the Commission they appointed were too ambitious, the City requested funding to expand the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park westward with more open space and to build a parking structure to absorb lost spaces from the marina and to create additional parking spaces for employers, employees and customers.  I am disposed to try this route again, but am interested in your thoughts before City Council makes any decisions.


 


 


 

Which Elected Officials do you most Trust?


 

When I first went to work on Capital Hill in Washington I read and was fascinated by a study released by the Senate Government Operations Committee chaired by Senator Edmund muskie from Maine. The essence of the report indicated that the closer to the people public servants serve, the more trusted they were.  In other words citizens had more trust in their local city council than they did in their state legislature and the US Congress.  I have been fascinated by this subject for about thirty years and attribute its findings to my understanding why I love being Mayor more than having served in the SC House or Representatives or as an aid on Capitol Hill in Washington.


 

"Poll: Americans Look Locally to Solve Problems"

Extracted from Efficient Gov Web Site, March 12, 2015 


 
As partisan gridlock plagues Washington, Americans are increasingly looking to state and local institutions for innovative approaches to solving the country's most pressing challenges, according to poll results released today by The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) and National Journal. The 22nd quarterly Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll explores Americans' experiences and attitudes toward their local communities in comparison to the rest of the country. The poll is part of The Next Economy series, a seven-year partnership between Allstate and Atlantic Media, of which National Journal is a part. 


 
The survey reveals an American public that is confident about their own local ingenuity, with 69 percent of Americans believing that new ideas and solutions to the country's challenges are more likely to come from state and local institutions compared to just 22 percent who believe that they will come from national institutions. A majority of Americans (64 percent) think more headway is being made at the state and local level compared to the national level (26 percent). Two-in-three Americans (66 percent) believe that state and local institutions are more equipped to improve the way we educate people. 


 
More than six-in-ten Americans (63 percent) also believe that state and local institutions are better at finding new ways to provide opportunities for the disadvantaged and creating new jobs than national institutions. National institutions came out on top only with "finding new ways to save energy and improve the environment" with 51 percent of respondents saying that national entities will do a better job compared to 43 percent at the state and local level, according to poll results. 


 
"These results resonate with what we have found while out reporting for The Next Economy-Americans are taking the country's problems into their own hands and solving them through innovation at the local level," said Atlantic Media Editorial Director Ron Brownstein. "While faith has clearly eroded in national institutions and Americans remain uncertain about the direction of the country overall, the public displays much more confidence in the direction of their local community, and the capacity of local institutions to address the major challenges facing the nation." "These poll results confirm what we've always known at Allstate, which is that great ideas start at the local level," said Tom Clarkson, president, West Territory, Allstate Personal Lines. "As a network of small businesses, we see the impact of creative, local problem solving first-hand. Communities are getting stronger and coming back, due to the energy of local individuals, businesses, and institutions." 


 
The poll found that Americans believe local institutions provide the best opportunities for revitalizing local economies. Specifically, 89 percent of respondents believe that investments by local businesses would be most beneficial to address challenges facing their local area. And, as for job growth, 62 percent said they see local businesses as more likely than national businesses, government, or non-profit groups to provide the best job opportunities. Americans are also ready to move beyond "tried and tested" approaches to local challenges and are instead looking for more innovative approaches. 


 
By a wide margin, 71 percent say they prefer "trying new ideas and solutions, even if the outcomes may be uncertain" compared to 20 percent who prefer "relying on tried and tested ideas and solutions, even if it means a lack of new thinking." 


 

Respondents also believe that they have greater ability today to drive this change. More than half (53 percent) say that, compared to 10 years ago, their personal resources like time and money allow them to make an impact in their local area. However, despite these resources, a plurality of Americans (44 percent) believe that average people have less influence on their local areas than 10 years ago. Survey Methodology Since April 2009, the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Polls have explored Americans' personal financial experiences, their views on the financial system, and their opinion of how the federal government's budget situation impacts their personal finances. 


 
The most recent Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor national poll was conducted by FTI Consulting, from February 18-22, 2015, among N=1,000 American adults age 18+, with 500 reached via landline and 500 reached via cell phone. The Denver polling was conducted February 22-25, 2015. The margin of error for survey is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

 

 

 

 

What Happened to One Man One Vote? 

 

Has this County Gone Insane? 

While the following story focuses on the political power of one man's money and happens to be about Republicans, the political cancer spans both parties as Hillary Clinton and other Democrats are following the same path created by wealthy special interests.  How can it be that our Constitution protects the "rights" of individuals to buy candidates, to buy legislative votes for their special interests and to buy elections thereby usurping the power of people like you and me. If we are not careful, the special interests and television ads that focus on us like we are buying soap or a car will rule the free country.  I am not a constitutional lawyer, but I know we can do better and we must!

 

If this madness continues, regular people like you and I will have no role in the electoral process.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Rubio takes lead in "Sheldon Adelson Primary"

extracted from Politico

 

Sources say the billionaire casino mogul is close to throwing his millions behind the hawkish Florida senator.

 

Before Iowa and New Hampshire, GOP candidates are competing in the Sheldon Adelson primary, and some will travel to his posh Venetian hotel in Las Vegas this weekend in hopes of winning it. But one candidate - Marco Rubio - has emerged as the clear front-runner, according to nearly a half-dozen sources close to the multibillionaire casino mogul.

 

In recent weeks, Adelson, who spent $100 million on the 2012 campaign and could easily match that figure in 2016, has told friends that he views the Florida senator, whose hawkish defense views and unwavering support for Israel align with his own, as a fresh face who is "the future of the Republican Party." He has also said that Rubio's Cuban heritage and youth would give the party a strong opportunity to expand its brand and win the White House.

 

Winning the backing of the 81-year-old Adelson would give Rubio a serious boost in his quest for the 2016 Republican nomination. His campaign is predicated on the idea that he can appeal to a broad swath of primary voters and stay in the race long enough to outlast well-funded establishment favorites like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. To do so, he'll need the support of deep-pocketed contributors like Adelson, whose $32 billion net worth makes him the nation's 12th-richest person, according to Forbes.

 

In 2012, Adelson's financial support allowed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to stay in the presidential race long after other donors gave up on him.

 

Adelson's attraction to Rubio is in no small part centered on the Florida senator's outspoken support for Israel, an issue near and dear to the billionaire's heart. Rubio has reached out to Adelson more often than any other 2016 candidate, sources close to Adelson say, and has provided him with the most detailed plan for how he'd manage America's foreign policy.

 

Since entering the Senate in 2011, Rubio has met privately with the mogul on a half-dozen occasions. In recent months, he's been calling Adelson about once every two weeks, providing him with meticulous updates on his nascent campaign. During a recent trip to New York City, Rubio took time out of his busy schedule to speak by phone with the mega donor.

 

The connection is also personal. Adelson, whose father emigrated from Lithuania and worked as a cab driver, has come to admire Rubio, the son of a bartender and a hotel maid, for his compelling life story. On March 2, the two had a private dinner at Charlie Palmer, a posh steakhouse at the foot of Capitol Hill. There, they talked for hours about their families and personal lives. "It lasted quite a while," said one source close to Rubio.

 

Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesman, declined to comment on the outreach to Adelson. "We don't discuss private meetings," he said.

 

Adelson has yet to declare his support for a 2016 candidate, and those familiar with his political views stress that he could ultimately get behind a candidate other than the Florida senator. But he's also provided subtle public hints about his leanings. On April 7, two Florida-based Adelson lobbyists, Scott Ross and Nick Iarossi, headlined a Rubio breakfast fundraiser in Tallahassee.

 

Andy Abboud, an Adelson spokesman who doubles as his political gatekeeper, wouldn't comment on the Rubio discussions other than to say: "It's a wide-open field and he's going to keep his powder dry until he needs to weigh in. He's excited about the field of candidates."

 

Should he make an endorsement, Adelson's advisers say, he would not do so until after the second Republican primary debate, which is expected be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in September. But he's already playing a public role in the 2016 sweepstakes. This weekend, at his Venetian hotel, Adelson will preside over the Republican Jewish Coalition's spring meeting, a key cattle call for presidential aspirants.

 

In attendance will be a group of well-heeled Jewish Republican donors, many of whom see Adelson, who serves on the RJC's board of directors, as a leader. Ari Fleischer, who was a press secretary in the George W. Bush White House and is also active with the group, said most people in the coalition supported either Bush, Walker or Rubio.

"I think there are many people at the RJC who are going to be influential in the primary," he said. "A lot of the people who aren't behind a candidate yet, including me, are shopping."

 

During the 2012 campaign, Adelson made his voice heard loud and clear. Of the $100 million he spent on Republican causes, about $15 million was devoted to supporting Gingrich, his favored candidate in the primary. His benevolence enabled the former House speaker, who was waging a long-shot campaign, to remain in the primary until late April.

 

This election, though, Adelson's advisers say he's determined to get behind a more mainstream candidate who has a better chance of becoming the party's nominee. "He doesn't want the crazies to drive the party's prospects into the ground," said one person close to him.

 

He's held private meetings with most of the Republican candidates, many of whom have courted him with fervor. But he's become particularly fond of Rubio, who attended last year's RJC meeting but who will not be present this year. He has told some friends that the senator would offer the party a freshness that most other contenders, including Bush, cannot.

 

In private, Adelson, who's had labor disputes with workers at his Venetian property, has also said positive words about Walker and that he admired how Wisconsin governor handled his 2011 clash with organized labor.

 

But Adelson's desire to get behind an electable candidate may also mean that others with whom he has close ties will be left by the wayside. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who shares many of Adelson's foreign policy views, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who last year sponsored an anti-Internet gambling bill that the casino magnate supported, will be appearing at the RJC confab on Saturday in hopes of winning the mogul's support.

 

But, Adelson's advisers say, there remain questions about whether either will be able to establish the kind of broad national following that would be needed to win the presidency.

 

For another 2016 hopeful, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, it's not about winning Adelson's endorsement - it's about making sure he doesn't come after him. During an appearance on a Jewish-themed radio program last month, Paul, who's come under fire from the neoconservative wing of his party for his more isolationist foreign policy views, said he'd recently had a private meeting with Adelson and his wife, Miriam, and asked him about a report that he was considering funding a campaign against him. "They assured me there was no truth to that," Paul said.

 

 

 

 

Seismic Testing for Oil and Gas: Another Chapter

 

Several months ago, the City of Beaufort and Towns of Port Royal and Hilton Head Island passed Resolutions in opposition to seismic testing and drilling for oil and gas along the South Atlantic Coast. We are among sixty municipalities from NC to Florida who have passed resolutions.

 

Since then the staff at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has issued at least three "permits" to big oil telling them that seismic testing is consistent with SC law. 


 
The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP), state environmental organizations and several cities, of which Beaufort is one, wrote to the DHEC Board requesting board review of permits.  The first request was turned down and it appears the board will not consider our request and leave the matter to staff.


 
Subsequently,  SCELP has decided to file petitions in the administrative courts to let the court decide if the DHEC board is obligated to hear us and make the otherwise staff driven determination. The petitions will be delivered next week and we will wait to see what the administrative Judge says.


 
City Council has unanimously endorsed this action.  No city funds are being expended on this initiative.  SCELP is a 501-c-3 tax exempt organization which is funding the legal expenses through private contributions.

 

Climate change is a controversial issue and different people take different sides often based on partisan lines and on emotion.  I believe the following article is helpful to those who want to better understand the issue.

 

A professional's View about Seismic Testing

Guest opinion: 

Climate change's enormous risks for SC require bipartisan solution

BY CHESTER SANSBURY

Special to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette

July 8, 2015

 

Read more here:  

http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/07/08/3828849_guest-opinion-climate-changes.html?rh=1

 

 

 

 

 


Two years ago, I asked my friend Deloris Pringle to help establish the building blocks for an Interpretative and Information Center on the rarely talked about Reconstruction Era in Beaufort. She wrote a grant application to the National Endowment for the Humanities and look what developed.  More is to be coming soon.

Beaufort owns this history which is unique to the world from which we can learn about the past and perhaps better prepare for tomorrow.  

USCB Summer Institute on America's Reconstruction 
Attracting Educators from Around the United States

 
The inaugural workshop is funded by a grant from 

the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 
The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), in partnership with the City of Beaufort, Penn Center, and the University Of South Carolina College Of Education, will host 30 K-12 teachers from around the country for a three-week summer institute July 12 - August 1, 2015. The institute, "America's Reconstruction: The Untold Story," will guide the educators through more than a century of American history-from the final years of the cotton kingdom in the South, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, and up to the modern civil rights era.
 
The institute is funded as a result of a $200,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant awarded in 2014.  
 
"Reconstruction is known for the federal government's attempts to grant equal rights to former slaves as well as the political leadership of African-Americans in the former Confederate States," says Dr. Morris. "Reconstruction actually began in Beaufort County in 1861, the first year of the war, and, though the era fell short of many Americans' expectations, it laid much of the groundwork for the 'Second Reconstruction,' or the Civil Rights Movement, of the 20th century."
 
Nationally renowned American history scholars are scheduled to teach the courses. Along with Dr. Morris, instructors for the institute include Pulitzer Prize winning historian Eric Phoner, Ph.D., of Columbia University; Lemoyne College professor and author of The Wars of Reconstruction Douglas Egerton, Ph.D., distinguished Clemson University professor Orville Vernon Burton, Ph.D., USCB distinguished professor emeritus Lawrence S. Rowland, Ph.D.; and Director of the Parris Island Historical Museum and USCB faculty member Steve Wise, Ph.D. (Click here for a complete faculty listing).
 
Taking place on the USCB Historic Beaufort Campus, institute participants will review the exploits, writings, and influences of key Reconstruction figures, as well as the ideologies that motivated them.  Each week, new themes will be studied and examined including the importance of the Sea Islands in South Carolina and Georgia. Additionally, participants will hold classes at locations tied to the weekly themes in order to help them gain a better understanding of the issues and to personalize the story.
 
"Demonstrating how that history has been influenced by events and personalities originating from the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia is an important aspect of the summer institute," says Dr. Morris. "It will be a critical piece to learning and understanding more about one of the most neglected and misunderstood periods in our nation's history."

 

Please forward this email to others you think might be interested in being on the Mailing List for my weekly missives.