Cayce Candidate Forum

Posted by Alexi on May 27th, 2012

Incumbent Elise Partin and Johnny Sharpe, running for mayor of Cayce (nonpartisan), tonight held a forum at the Broad Acres Neighborhood Association meeting. Candidates for City Council also participated in the forum, funginix held at Edwards Memorial Church. Full disclosure: the church did not allow (audio/video) recording and I went in supporting Mayor Partin.

Opening statements:

Johnny Sharpe was born and raised in Lexington, went to USC, and worked for the city of Cayce for 38 years, including 10 as city manager. He retired in June.  He stated many people urged him to run for mayor, and he is qualified and trained for the job. The city is doing well economically with no layoffs, and doing well transparency-wise. He feels the increased water and sewer rate is an indirect tax. He calls himself a fiscal conservative.

Elise Partin was elected two years ago to fill an incomplete term. She pointed to the promises she made that have been fulfilled. The public can now comment before the council votes; the packet of information council receives is available online; businesses are coming to Cayce and bringing jobs; police officers have improved equipment. She disapproves of the Green Diamond annexation.

Questions flew furiously. Many regarded July’s water rate increase of 10% and sewer rate increase of 10%, which Sharpe translates to a 20% increase in campaign materials. Sharpe african mango was also called out on OSHA violations found in December 2009, which he minimized in a The State article and allegedly did not notify council of. Both candidates were asked how they would solve Cayce’s brown water problem, which ultimately needs further study to find the cause. Partin, in referring to her threatening phone calls, and residents being afraid to put up her signs, stated, “This is America, not Bogotá, Colombia!”

Partin veered slightly from her promise of positive campaigning with statements like “we couldn’t get these things done under the previous city manager…” Still, were this a debate, Partin would be the decisive winner.  Sharpe states he wants transparency, but did not provide it when he worked for Cayce. The attendees were not fans. If this reflects an overall trend in Cayce, Partin- with zetaclear the incumbent advantage- should win handily.

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Revolution By Fire

Posted by Alexi on May 27th, 2012

Last month,  a man named Mohamed Bouazi set himself on fire after police confiscated the fruit and vegetables he was selling without a license wartrol. After his January 4 death, his countrymen took up his cause, protesting massive unemployment and a corrupted regime.

The ruler of 23 years, Ben Ali, has been deposed; the ministers remaining are apidly resigning from his party.

Ethan Zuckerman of New York University asks why we (as a social media collective) are not hailing the downfall with cries of “Yezzi Fock!”, as we encouraged the efforts in Iran.

But Mohamed Bouazi is indeed being heard. In Egypt, there have been three incidents of self-immolation, and one each in Mauritania and Algeria.

Will more coverage from the Western media help the Tunisian cause? What of possible rumblings in Egypt? If we can help overturn a regime that represses human rights without committing forces, using the power of our words, why are we as freedom lovers not steaming full ahead?

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I Can’t Hate ObamaCare (1)

Posted by Alexi on May 24th, 2012

I am 25 years old, but I rarely feel young. As I have aged, I have acquired more chronic health conditions. Among them?  My allergies include life-threatening food and drug reactions, and have resulted in chronic nosebleeds that needed two surgeries. Effects from my assault last summer include seizures and chronic facial pain.

Until I was 23, I was covered under my parents’ insurance and had relatively few problems. When I aged out, I found that private insurers absolutely refuse to cover me- I am too high risk. In South Carolina, Medicaid is only available to those who are considered disabled.

Currently, I am covered by my university’s insurance plan, including preexisting conditions. But their prescription coverage tops out at $1000 per period. Some of the medicines I need to live- literally- and function cost $400 or more. I also do not have the freedom to see my own providers. Coverage is only extended to the student health center, even when I had a procedure that was dependent on the experience and training of the practitioner.

I am graduating this week, thus my coverage is running out on January 5th. If I go without insurance, my preexisting conditions won’t be covered- for a year? Forever?

I pay a lot for car insurance, because I am a horrible driver. This is entirely fair. But I didn’t do anything, to be sick all the time. I have lousy genetics, and some bastard tried to kill me. I survived. I think I deserve to live, and take advantage of current medical technology. Not be punished over and over financially for things that aren’t my fault.

This isn’t a pity-me post. It’s an explanation of how things are for me. My next post will explain how ObamaCare will help me and how I can’t- just can’t- agree with the conservative view on it.

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