February 8, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / December / Archives for 30th

USC Economist: Consider recession an opportunity

December 30, 2009 By

Don’t expect recovery from the deep recession to come quickly. University of South Carolina economist Dr. Paulo Guimaraes says recovery is going to be a very slow process.

He says the recession may be considered an opportunity, not a burden. “Make the best of it,”  Guimaraes says.  “Unless you’re in a dire situation, and if you are stable in your job, take advantage of it now with your purchasing power because six months from now it may not be there.”  But Dr. Guimaraes says that does not mean filling up a high-interest credit card with debt that you have to pay back. 

Guimaraes co-authored the Moore School of Business’ annual economic forecast this year. The forecast calls for a slight .2 percent increase in South Carolina’s job base next year, and a 3.3 percent climb in the personal income of state residents.

Guimaraes says this is definitely a buyers’ market, from small items all the way up to houses. He says buy now if you can, because prices will go up.  He says the interest rate on loans is really low now so it’s a good time to go home shopping.  And he says most retailers, of all types, are desperate to sell. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News

DeMint defends position on security, union involvement

December 30, 2009 By

Senator Jim DeMint has held up the appointment of the nominee for the Transportation Safety Administration, saying Erroll Southers may allow baggage checkers to seek union membership. After a foiled terrorist bombing on Christmas, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano wants to get airline safety in order. Some officials are pointing fingers at Demint for delaying change at the Transportation Safety Administration.  He appeared on CNN Tuesday, responding to accusations that he is delaying change at the T.S.A., which serves under Homeland Security.

“The President has been downplaying the threat of terrorism since he took office,” says Demint.  ”He waited eight months to even nominate someone for this position and then he wanted him approved with no debate and no vote. The only thing I asked for was limited debate and a recorded vote. Senator (Harry) Reid of Nevada (Senate Majority Leader) could have done that months ago. But that fact is they’ve been working on other things and have not seen airport security as a priority.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

Lawmakers prepare for session, demands high

December 30, 2009 By

State lawmakers are preparing to return back to the Statehouse with various demands on their minds for the new legislative session. State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell told WCSC in Charleston there are many needs, with little funds.

“We got excessive demand and a short supply of money, and we’re not going to raise taxes, so we’ve got to reduce the size of government,” says McConnell.

McConnell says there are other issues, besides budget. One example is deciding whether there should be a state constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide if they want the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket. McConnell says he would like the state police to decide the level of security the governor should have. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Bill requires background checks for substitute teachers

December 30, 2009 By

A bill submitted in the South Carolina Senate would require school districts to do background checks on substitute teachers. Current law requires FBI and SLED checks on full-time certified teachers but not on substitutes. The legislation would prohibit the employment of substitutes who don’t pass the test.

Bill sponsor Senator Paul Campbell, a Berkeley County republican, says most districts already require the checks, sometimes at the substitute’s expense.

“We do background checks on regular teachers and on school staff,” said Campbell. “We need to do them on substitutes as well to assure that we are giving students the safest education we can provide. This measure just looks for bad actors trying to get a job in a school system, everything from violent criminals to pedophiles to anything else. If there has been rehabilitation, I guess a school district can make a choice. But it means that a district has to look carefully at a person who wants to be alone with a classroom full of young people.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Legislature, News

Director: Wilderness schools help DJJ survive

December 30, 2009 By

The latest round of state budget cuts are deeper than some projected. With 5 percent across-the-board reductions looming, the Department of Juvenile Justice Director Bill Byars is worried that they may lose progress his agency has made in keeping youth from returing to detention centers.

One of those lower-cost solutions has been contracting the services of wilderness schoolsalso called camps, run by the Associated Marine Institute, called AMIkids, based in Florida. These supervised centers teach life skills and school for youth deferred from DJJ. There are AMIkids single-gender facilities throughout South Carolina.

Rickie Hardy is executive director of Piedmont Wilderness Institute near Clinton, SC. “It’s on the outskirts, in a wilderness type of environment. our campus consists of an education building, an office building, dormitories, kitchen facility and a ropes course throughout the acreage on the campus,” says Hardy.

Outdoor exercise and skills are a part of the curriculum, along with counseling. Hardy says he has a variety of staff: “We have highly-qualified teachers, same that would be in the public school system. We have a treatment team which consists of a master counselor and a human service professional. We have teams, evening shifts run by a team leader and behavior modification specialist. We have night staff and a ropes course instructor, among other things.”

Judge Bill Byars, the Director of DJJ, recently told SCRN that he is a fan of the wilderness schools:”We know that kids are in a wilderness camp do better than kids who are behind a razor wire. There are probably two reasons for that. One, we don’t send the worst kids to wilderness camps and two, they just do a better job.”

DJJ still has to adhere to a federal court standard for youth prisons after SC was found to be overcrowding and underserving juvenile offenders. Judge Byars says the rural wilderness camps are a cost effective solution.

“There’s not as much bad influence [at the camps] that is going on. That is why we need to reduce the numbers behind the razor wire, get more kids into the wilderness camps where we know we’ll get a better result for them. Also, wilderness camps are cheaper,” Byars says.

DJJ now faces another round of across-the-board cuts which could amount up to more than $4.6 million.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Legislature, News
« Older Posts