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Graham talks foreign affairs

October 5, 2009 By

The White House is in the midst of making a decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. General Stanley McCrystal is commander for the U.S. forces in Afghanistan and is asking for a troop increase. Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News he hopes President Obama will listen to McCrystal’s call.

“It’s impossible to bring about better governance without security and what we have in place now is not going to work. General McCrystal tells us that. He needs reinforcements- I hope the President will send them,” says Graham.

On Sunday, Graham also commented on the nuclear fuel facility in Iran that some U.S. officials believe may be dangerous. Graham says something needs to happen quickly and half measures will not work. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Military, News, Politics & Government

Recession lessens nursing shortage but problem still there

October 5, 2009 By

South Carolina as well as the nation has faced a nursing shortage for years. While that shortage continues, it is not as evident as it has been due to the recession. In many cases hospitals and clinics have made do with existing staff instead of hiring more.

USC’s Dean of Nursing Peggy Hewlitt says there has been  a short-term let-up in the need.  “We have an aging population and an aging nursing workforce.  And we don’t have enough nurses in school coming up, who will replace those in the workforce over the next 15 years?”

The nursing dean says part of the problem is found in colleges and universities, where there is a shortage of qualified instructors and sometimes a shortage of funding for nursing programs. 

Hewlitt says current figures indicate that South Carolina has a 17 percent deficit in the number of nurses it will need as recovery from the recession continues.  “We anticipate that we will need more and more nurses and finding a way to admit more students into programs without hurting the quality of the program is a problems for every nursing dean and director in South Carolina.”  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Health & Medicine, News

Sanford calls for unemployment roundtable

October 5, 2009 By

The potential for tax increases on the state’s businesses prompted Governor Mark Sanford on Friday to call together what he calls an Unemployment Roundtable with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. That meeting is set for October 19th. 

BEA Chairman John Rainey

Board of Economic Advisers Chairman John Rainey has been meeting with leaders of the Employment Security Commission, the Department of Commerce and others, to develop a plan for paying back the federal government for an Unemployment Insurance Fund deficit fast approaching $1 billion, and for rebuilding the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund. 

Sanford has had a long-standing contention with the Employment Security Commission.  He has withheld his signature until the last minute on federal loan requests to cover unemployment checks for South Carolina workers. 

BEA Chair Rainey says this is a responsibility that lawmakers can’t put off.  He says state leaders need to stand up and lead, even in tough times.

But President of the State Chamber of Commerce Otis Rawl says anything done that will affect business and industrial prospects must be done carefully. He estimates that businesses face between $140 and $200 per-employee increases but some sources say the cost could be much higer.  Rawl says the Boeing company falling out of favor with the state of Washington is an example of what South Carolina wants to avoid. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, News
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