IN THIS EDITION
FOCUS: James Island woman, 95, honored for years of nonprofit service
COMMENTARY, Brack: Henhouse politics must change on redistricting
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
NEWS BRIEFS: Red Cross needs volunteers, blood donors for hurricane season
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Brick and glass building
CALENDAR: From parties to contests and more
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | State legislators might have a little extra incentive to do something about nameless groups that pour dark money into elections to affect their outcomes: their own political hides.
If elections set for Tuesday in the Charleston area are a hint of the political future, state House and Senate candidates in 2020 should get ready to be hammered by nasty direct mail pieces. The way out? Rein in dark money.
IN THIS EDITION
FOCUS: Citadel military band to represent U.S. at Edinburgh Tattoo
BRACK: Dark money pours malice, nastiness into elections
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
GOOD NEWS: Home improvement spending is up, New local social network
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Under construction
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Barbecue
CALENDAR: Holiday Festival of Lights to start Nov. 15
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s issue starts our 12th year of publication. Happy birthday to us (although we’re still a pre-teen)!
IN THIS EDITION
FOCUS: Something a little different — jazz from Oscar
BRACK: Stop dividing America with words evoking racial terror
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: South Carolina Ports Authority
GOOD NEWS: MUSC’s DuBois earns major honor
FEEDBACK: Why the need to impeach?
MYSTERY PHOTO: Great flower boxes
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Edisto River
CALENDAR: Spooktacular events to chill you to the bone
Commentary by Andy Brack, editor and publisher | After more than 850 weekly columns totaling more than 600,000 words over 17 years, I’m like the Farmers Insurance guy – I’ve seen a thing or two.
And I’ve learned a thing or two about how politics, policy and governance works – and doesn’t – in the Palmetto State. Now with elections around the corner, maybe it’s time to share some of the bigger lessons.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Summertime and vacation conjure images of spending time with a light novel – a “beach read” – to while away the time and recharge the brain’s batteries.
But what if someone wanted to read something a little more substantive to learn about South Carolina’s history or politics? Or read a great novel that inspires?
At the top of the history list should be “The Palmetto State: The Making of Modern South Carolina,” a 2009 examination of modern South Carolina history by Jack Bass and Scott Poole that gives context to everything going on today.
IN THE AUG. 6 ISSUE:
FOCUS, Crossley: Rooftop bars offer great views of Holy City
COMMENTARY, Brack: S.C. leaders suggest history, fiction titles for summer reading
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
PALMETTO POEM, Gold: If, Then
GOOD NEWS: Red Cross has emergency need for more blood
WHAT WE LOVE: Tell us what you love about the Lowcountry
FEEDBACK: Two say column on lynching markers was right on point
MYSTERY PHOTO: Tall structure may be a clue
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Josephine Pinckney
CALENDAR, Aug. 6+: Art, tours, engagement and more
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Political positioning has already started for next year’s state budget, not that you should be surprised.
The culprits are two big numbers causing some confusion before the debate even begins.
Last month, the state Board of Economic Advisors projected South Carolina lawmakers would have about $440 million in new revenues for the 2017-18 budget. It’s not the $1.2 billion they had to craft the current budget, but it’s not small potatoes either. The lower number — which would have been a dream come true during the Great Recession a few years ago — reflects a slowing economy, perhaps. But it’s important to note this: The economy is still growing.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Turn the pages of South Carolina history to about 50 years ago if you want to better understand the rise of Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential candidate who is fueling rage across America.
Back in 1968, America was changing. African Americans, long disenfranchised across the South, had won major civil rights victories. They were voting, going to integrated schools and starting to move into “white” neighborhoods. It was a big change for the white South.
A key Republican Party strategist at the time, Harry S. Dent Sr. from South Carolina, recognized how the political playing field was shifting and translated it for impact. He became a major architect of Republican Richard Nixon’s so-called “Southern strategy,” which successfully sought to win white votes in the solid Democratic South by appealing to fears and prejudices of white Southern voters upset by changes caused by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Some of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been are Southern black churches on Sunday mornings — halls of worship filled with bright eyes, toothy smiles and genuine warmth.
They have been places where the bonds of close-knit communities seem tangible, where voices lift to shake rafters and where a spirit of togetherness provides palpable strength to those in the room.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! (2019) by editor and publisher Andy Brack offers incisive commentaries on the American South, politics, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders. Available exclusively for Kindle for $7.99. A paperback version will be ready soon. Learn more.
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