Driving the Speed Limit
A public service campaign, coupled with increased rates for speeding tickets and strict enforcement of the speed limit would do a whole host of good for our city and county.
One, through better gas mileage achieved, would reduce the amount of money that we spend on gasoline, money that goes directly out of our county since we import every drop that we use. This results in more wealth staying in the local economy.
Two, it would result in lower accident rates, lower hospitalization rates, and lower medical bills.
Three, in time, a lower accident rate would result in lower automobile insurance rates for the lowcountry.
Four, a temporary boost in city and county revenues as people adjust to the new program.
Five, a decline in airborne pollution from combustion engine exhaust as people learn to drive more efficiently.
Six, a collective feeling that we are doing something as a community to better the quality of life for ourselves.
Such a plan should be accompanied by a reevaluation of posted speed limits throughout the city and county, bringing them in line with what the actual safe driving speed is along our various highways and city and county roadways.
County Energy Conservation Initiative
I would like to put forth a program that collects and publishes our energy usage as a county, either monthly or quarterly.
Gasoline, Natural Gas, Electricity, water, recycling and solid waste.
Publishing these statistics will make us much more aware how much we are actually consuming. Using these numbers, we can track together how much we use, and collectively work to bring these numbers down.
Sometimes it is hard to get motivated to conserve when looking at individual home energy bills, when only a few dollars are at stake each month. It would be different if we tracked these numbers as a county where tens of thousands of dollars of potential savings are at stake. It is even more important when you realize that we import almost all of the energy we use.
Carry on.
MUSC FURLOUGHS
MUSC handles budget shortfall with furloughs.
I would like to suggest that MUSC, as well as University Medical Associates, stop using out of state companies to process their billing.
After recently using the emergency room facilities, after an unfortunate interlude with an automobile while on my bicycle, I received bills from each of them, MUSC wanting me to send a check to a p.o. box in Atlanta and UMA asking me to send a check to a p.o. box in Raleigh. I paid both bills locally.
Surely they realize they are sending jobs out of state at a time when unemployment is high. They are also reducing our state’s tax base with these practices.
Carry on.
Delfin Group Expansion
The impending expansion to an industrial lubricants facility in North Charleston is certainly a good thing for our local economy. I would like to suggest, in light of our already extremely poor air quality, that local government work closely with DHEC to insure that the best possible air quality control standards are initiated at the plant.
Concord Park
The recent article in the Post & Courier regarding the delay of the pending sale of land for development surrounding Concord park brings up the possiblility of the city leasing the land for development, instead of selling it, no?
This way we still get the development but we also still own the land. Hmmm.
Who owns your grocery store?
Just so you know where your money goes when you shop for groceries I have compiled the following list:
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co., corp. offices in North Charleston, SC, privately held corporation.
Bi-Lo, corp. offices in Mauldin, SC, privately held LLC.
Harris-Teeter, corp. offices in Matthews, NC, privately held.
Food Lion, corporate offices in Brussels, Belgium, owned by the Delhaize Group.
Publix, corp. offices in Lakeland Florida, publicly traded, employee owned.
Costco, corporate offices in Issaquah, WA, publicy traded.
Earthfare, corp. offices in Asheville, NC, privately held.
Whole Foods Market, Corp. offices in Austin, TX, publicly traded.
Now you know where your money goes when you’re stocking your larder.
Cheers
Bicycling Chucktown
OMG, could we live in a less bicycle friendly city? With our temperate climate and virtually flat geography, we should be doing everything we can to make ourselves into the preeminent bicycling city in the Southeast.
Handheld fire balls
Cool beans.
