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Water Missions provides more systems to Haiti

January 21, 2010 By

A Charleston-based organization that provides clean drinking water to poverty or disaster-stricken countries has sent more relief to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Water Missions International currently has systems over in Haiti to help supply clean water to the victims of the earthquake. As the charitable organization in Charleston has struggled to get more systems over to Haiti, Molly Greene of Water Missions says they received a big boost this week. FedEx has chartered a cargo flight to Port-Au-Prince with more water treatment purification systems. Greene says it’s important more systems go to Haiti, because now more than ever, it’s needed.

“They look at this nasty, dirty, contaminated water where the hose is stuck, and it comes out crystal clear, bacteria free. We drink first to show it’s good, it’s safe,” says Greene.

In 14 hours, more than 8,600 gallons of water can be purified through one system. Roper St. Francis Hospital in Charleston has donated $15,000 to Water Missions to help in the relief efforts.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, News, Weather

House approves Haiti relief bill

January 21, 2010 By

The House has approved a bill that will allow individuals who contribute donations to the victims of the Haiti earthquake to claim those donations on their 2009 tax returns. Congressman James Clyburn helped offer the bill that allows people to claim these itemized charitable deductions on their taxes.

If the bill were not proposed, those individuals who provided assistance in the Haiti relief efforts would have to wait until next year to claim these donations. After the passing of the bill, Clyburn said: “For us to offer all Americans the opportunity to deduct on their 2009 taxes any contributions they make to this effort by the 28th of February, will go a long way toward incenting the kind of behavior we think is very, very important.” In 2005, after the Indian Ocean tsunami, Congress passed a similar legislation.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, News, Politics & Government

Sanford pays tribute to first lady in final State of State (Audio)

January 21, 2010 By

Governor Mark Sanford’s final State of the State address Wednesday was marked by a few more apologies, but he was well composed. 

Gov. Sanford opened his speech with a thanks to those in the armed services, including those South Carolina soldiers who lost their lives.

Sanford paid tribute to First Lady Jenny Sanford, for her grace in dealing with what he called the storm that he brought to the state.Sanford said he must apologize one last time for what he did, referring to an affair he had with a woman from Argentina that put South Carolina in the national spotlight.

Sanford thanked individual lawmakers for their work in passing items from his agenda over the last seven years. Sanford says bills from his administration have been part of the reason for $19 billion in capital investment in the Palmetto State since 2003, $4 billion last year alone.  

(Selection of Sanford speech MP3 8:56 )   Listen to Sanford here 

Download document: 2010 State of the State

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government

BEA chief: SC economy “bouncing on the bottom”(Audio)

January 21, 2010 By

The Board of Economic Advisers said during their monthly meeting Wednesday that they currently have no change in the state’s revenue projections. Chairman John Rainey says now the state’s economy is just “bouncing on the bottom” this year, but at least is not going down any more.

As far as the next year is concerned, some economists expect a turnaround. South Carolina now subscribes to a data service from the financial forecasters at Moody’s Investment Services, which predict an increase in the state’s revenues over the next two years of almost 15 percent. Rainey’s group has not dared a prediction that far in advance, but he says he would be surprised if their growth estimate is that high.

Rainey says the recessions of 1982 and 2002 were followed immediately by more than nine percent growth, but he says the current recession has changed the structure of the economy considerably. Moody’s was basing it optimism on stricter bank regulation and lending requirements, and increases in population and manufacturing. [Read more...]

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