He Asked For WHAT ??

I’m sorry but I’m having a really difficult time figuring out politics these days. Either I’m not nearly as smart as I thought or some politicians have sunk to a new low.

Senator Barak Obama came seemingly out of nowhere with a message of change. He went up against an established candidate in Senator Hillary Clinton. The smart money said Sen Obama didn’t really have a chance. And the smart money would have been wrong.

One important element of Sen Obama’s campaign from the beginning has been his total opposition to any and all military action in Iraq. He has made speech after speech loudly declaring that it was time to bring the troops home.

Now, I don’t personally agree with Sen Obama’s stated position on Iraq. Withdrawal from Iraq without achieving victory would be, in my opinion, a disaster. We would be inviting every despot in the Middle East to bring the war from there to……………here.

But I do respect Sen Obama’s position and the fact that he has stuck to his guns. He has never waivered. I have to admire a man who is willing to take a stand.

So I was surprised to hear about Sen Obama’s recent visit to Iraq. The Iraqi Foreign Minister said that Sen Obama made an unusual request. He wanted the Foreign Minister to delay the planned draw down of American forces until after the election. Soldiers on their way home would be asked to stay longer because of the man who has been screaming for them to come home.

Why?

Well, there’s a clue in the timing of his request. He’s only asking their homecoming be delayed a few weeks………just until after the election. I think the answer is obvious. Sen Obama does not want it to look like we’re winning in Iraq. He doesn’t want troops to come home because he thinks that might hurt his chances to get himself elected.

And that.............is despicable. So, other than being despicable, Barak Obama is a super nice guy.

Worth Every Penny

I suppose everyone in Laurens County (and a lot of other places) is aware by now that the annual football contest between Laurens and Clinton is being held this week. Maybe some people who aren’t native to our little corner of paradise are bewildered by all the excitement. In fact, I heard a gentleman state rather forcefully that “It’s JUST a football game”.

Give him time. He’ll come to appreciate the intensity of this rivalry just like the rest of us do. He will eventually realize that it most certainly is NOT just a football game. No, it’s much more than that. It’s their way of life against ours. And that phrase is interchangeable……..it’ll work for either side.

So, come Friday night virtually the entire county will converge upon Wilder Stadium in Clinton and watch the contest unfold. The victors will carry with them the pride of being Laurens County’s football champions for the coming school year. And the losing team will leave the field with a burning determination to turn the tables next year.

The fans, meanwhile, even the ones who pulled for the losing team will leave thinking that was the best six bucks they’ve spent lately.

Hold on there.

It’s not six bucks. Not this week. It’ll cost a dollar more than normal to get into Wilder Stadium this week. Sure, the normal price for a football game at Clinton High School is six dollars. This week it’ll cost you seven.

Now, I sat down to figure out why it will cost an extra dollar this week and I think I’ve got it. I think it’s because you’ll pay it. The folks at Clinton High have a product to sell this week that has generated a lot of demand. They decided to get an extra buck for it.

Okey Dokey.

For the rest of the season the ticket prices will go back to $6.00. But if you want to see the Raiders beat the Red Devils this week you gotta pay seven bucks.

Oh what the heck……………it’ll be worth it.

Thank You PC

The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacology is coming home to Clinton.

For a while there we wondered. From an economic development standpoint, this was a plum project. It had it all……………higher than average salaries, a draw of dozens of students who most likely come from upper middle class and above families. In other words, a significant and positive economic impact with (and this is the good part) ZERO environmental impact.

Industrial recruitment is great but sometimes we don’t realize the environmental impact for a very long time. Recently I spoke with a gentleman who was working at the former Torrington/Temken site. He was drilling test wells so the toxic chemicals in groundwater could be monitored.

There won’t be anything like that with the School of Pharmacology. There will be, however, about 30 well paying jobs associated with the instructors. And then there’s the money students will spend during their stay.

In fact, the economic development impact was so great that Presbyterian College had several locations from which they could choose. Several other potential sites lined up to offer PC incentive packages.

In the end PC decided to locate the pharmacology college in Clinton. I’m glad for that but that’s not what this is about. What I’d like to point out is that the incentive package offered to PC in Laurens County was NOT the high bidder. Not even close.

Presbyterian College was willing to take a lower incentive package to continue to be our neighbors. For that, I think we owe PC a debt of gratitude.

Agreed?