Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing is no doubt a great loss to his family and to our country. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family. His efforts to uphold the Constitution and our country’s founding principles will be sorely missed.[cointent_lockedcontent]

The president and I both agree that the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice is a responsibility that the president and the Senate share under the Constitution; however, it is ultimately the voice of the people that should be held in the highest regard when nominating our next justice. This seat on the Supreme Court should not be used as a political tool to promote a legacy. Instead, it should be used as an opportunity to promote the will of the people.

Because it is an election year, the American people will make clear their preference when they elect our next president in November. This election should be seen as a great opportunity for the people to tell government exactly what they want from the Supreme Court in the decades to come. It is our next president who should be responsible for nominating our next justice to ensure that the people’s wants of the future, not of the past, are clearly represented.

The president’s argument that a strict reader of the Constitution would see the postponement of the nomination, to hear the voice of the people, as misleading is faulty at best. The Constitution certainly gives the president the ability to nominate a new justice; however, he must do so with the advice and consent of the Senate.

To claim that the GOP is not doing its job by not considering a nominee from a lame-duck president is simply incorrect. The Senate has advised the president that we are rightfully siding with the people who elected us, the people we work for, and that he should do the same.

This advice virtually mimics the advice that Vice President Joe Biden gave President George Bush in 1992: “…it is my view that if a Supreme Court Justice resigns tomorrow, or within the next several weeks, or resigns at the end of the summer, President Bush should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not — and not — name a nominee until after the November election is completed.” (Sen. Biden, Congressional Record, S.16316-7, 6/25/1992)

I, along with my colleagues in the Senate, will stand firm on the principle that Americans should have input in determining who will be the next Supreme Court nominee. The last time the Senate confirmed a nominee in a similar situation was 128 years ago.

It has been widely understood that for more than a hundred years a lame-duck president should not be making a lifetime appointment, and that is not something we should or will ignore. I will continue to fight for our country’s right to have a say in the future makeup of the Supreme Court; the next president must nominate a successor to Justice Scalia who upholds the Constitution and our founding principles.

Republican Tim Scott has represented South Carolina in the United States Senate since 2013.

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Now that the finish line is in sight for the presidential primaries, I’m waiting for the “shoe to drop.” It’s about this time in any campaign when something ugly is dragged out from under the rug to knock candidates off their pedestals.

Although in this particular election it would be hard to say who might even be on a pedestal.

Setting that aside, isn’t it time for some obscure person to come forward to reveal an unsavory secret from a candidate’s past or even present?

Now we know there has to be something out there. We just don’t know when we’ll find out about it.

Are there a bunch of mistresses running around loose with the illegitimate offspring of any candidates?

Are there any candidates in the illegal drug business, perhaps bringing drugs across the borders?

Anybody who ever hired a hitman to rid themselves of the opposition?

Does anybody have a murder in their past?

Is there a closet terrorist among them? A cannibal? A serial killer?

Somebody knows. And if the information is out there, as we’ve seen in the past, eventually it will come out.

A little web surfing located some interesting reports on how to detect when a person is lying, although several studies said it is more difficult to detect lying in politicians because of the practice they’ve had.

The studies say lying is a lot more stressful than telling the truth. It requires a good memory and a lot of repetition. It takes a lot of energy to lie, and keeping up with the lies can become overwhelming.

In trying to decide whether or not a person is lying, watch facial expression, body language and content. Poker players are supposed to be very good at this.

For example, a liar will give way more detail in answering a question than a truthful person. A liar may also tell another version of his lie the next time questioned about it. It’s a lot harder to remember the details if they’ve been made up.

A liar has trouble answering a direct question but often skates around an issue and manages to direct attention to another issue.

A liar will often fold their arms across their chest, clench their hands, place a hand over their mouth or turn the head to one side.

Of course, none of these behaviors are surefire red flags in all people.

That’s when we have to get out there and learn as much as we can about important issues.

We tend to believe things that we want to believe. It doesn’t mean they are the truth.

So it’s up to us now. This whole campaign thing seems to have gotten out of hand. It would be nice if there were some adults on the ticket. Is that too much to ask?

Tax increase needed to save schools

Dear Editor,

I attended the Monday night meeting of the Stakeholders Committee for the School Board Facilities Committee. I do appreciate the time and energy devoted to the tasks given this diverse and dedicated group of Pickens citizens. I attended in support of finding ways to keep Ambler, A.R. Lewis and Holly Springs elementary schools open. There are some important takeaways that must be shared — and soon.

1. This catastrophe-in-the-making is not something that has come about just in the last month, or eight months, or 11 months. It has been brewing for quite a while. A long-time, organized effort to keep taxes down, apparently at any expense, has placed our entire school district in jeopardy. No longer can this situation be shoved to the back burner, tabled for further research or referred to committee. It is evident that the communities represented by these committee members know that the disunity of our school board is the greatest contributor to our current crisis. I wonder what AdvancED thinks about this current proposal. SDPC administrators are not the “bad guys” here — the recommendations they present to the board must fall within law. Our budget is sound and transparent, but we cannot spend more than we bring in.

2. The Pickens County School Board must decide quickly on plans to address critical needs. It must not be considered a stop-gap measure. The research presented at the meeting showed that every school in our district will eventually be affected by the current proposal. Two viable solutions were presented last night, and both can work. My preferred solution is to increase the Pickens County sales tax. Yes, I used that four letter word — TAXX! Keep reading — a 1 percent sales tax would be added to prepared food. This is a tax that we choose to pay when we choose to eat out. It will not be added to groceries. It is not a property tax. This increase is conservatively projected to bring a substantial amount of dollars to the school district’s coffers. A penny sales tax would decrease everyone’s property tax, including commercial and investment property owners. This proposal will have a 10-year limitation. By law, 10 percent must be used to reduce district debt, which will in turn, reduce tax. The balance of the revenue must be spent on capital needs in the district — in other words, things (buildings and technology), not people. The provisions for business owners may be an encouragement for potential businesses moving to Pickens County. This is a win, win, win for our students, schools, and communities. This should debunk the theory of the organized anti-tax group in our county that all tax increases are bad. There are two major concerns, however; our board must be united in order for the community to see the critical importance of passing this in a county-wide referendum. In addition, a strong grassroots effort will be necessary to ensure that our citizens are convinced completely and quickly of the dire need for this tax. The potential for the revenue is amazing.

The second solution involves using school buildings for charter schools. From the reports presented on Monday evening, starting a charter school will take more time than we have for a 2016-2017 opening. If the board will give the time needed to work toward this solution, we will need to work like crazy and pass the 1 percent tax increase (the consumer tax) in November, then work toward offering public charter schools through the SDPC beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.

I know that Pickens County can and must provide a “free quality public education for all students.” I am ready and eager to do my part.

Vickie Gibson

Pickens

A mountain treasure

Dear Editor,

For the past 18 years, I have been helping with the Holly Springs Garden Club. People should know what a valuable resource our district has in Holly Springs Elementary School. Besides having the community of parents, volunteers and teachers working together to improve many aspects of our students’ lives, we have the physical grounds that foster an interest in science that rivals any field trip we have taken.

Our active garden club now has about 30 students that meet after school. Years before STEM and Career Ready Standards, we were problem-solving and collaborating with each other. There is a combination of older students working with younger ones in each garden group. We are affiliated with Pickens Garden Club, which enables students to win numerous youth awards sponsored by the Garden Clubs of South Carolina. At the present, we have a Lifetime Certified Schoolyard Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation, Carolina Yard Recognition and we are progressing in the Green Steps Program.

Over the years, students have created several gardens — a butterfly garden, which students designed into north, south, east and west sections; a vegetable garden; and a woodland rain garden. For the rain garden, students met with a landscape architect, who took their designs and meshed them together to help with stormwater runoff. In this garden are planted jonquil bulbs donated from the original Andrew Pickens home place. We collaborate with Clemson Extension Service, native plant specialists and master gardeners. This collaboration also gave students an opportunity to lay out and dig a bioswale to help solve a water drainage problem between the wings of the school.

Volunteers from the Vineyards helped students build bird houses and place them around the school. As a result, many students recognize native plants and birds that frequent our garden. On our last field trip to Table Rock State Park, students were knowledgeable of those birds and plants.

Students have created an environment around the school that enhances both writing and art. In warmer weather, students sit in our colorful gardens, listen to nature and write. What a wonderful way to reflect on what you learn, read about and observe! Currently, the art teacher and I are collaborating on how to work in smaller groups so part of second grade can garden while the other part does art with nature.

Volunteers are working on repairing the greenhouse, so students can grow and experiment with planting our own seeds with compost we use after collecting leftover food from lunch. We have a huge storage container for our numerous tools which were acquired with grant money. Many projects are ongoing.

It will be disheartening to dismantle what we have invested in over the years. This scenic environment fosters a love of the outdoors and conservation. Losing Holly Springs and its location is a decision that will be regretted in the future. This is a valuable resource for math, science and outdoor learning!

Ann Bowen

Holly Springs Elementary

Second Grade Teacher

‘Just say no’ to closings

Dear Editor,

In the midst of the school board still trying to push to close our small community schools, one fact is still predominant — that we, as a community, need to stand strong and unite to keep this from happening!

It’s easy to get complacent when they put a vote off for a couple weeks, but the threat is still looming and very real. We need to get involved. Be vocal! Show your support in keeping our schools open! We have board members who are from outside our immediate community and therefore, the closing of these schools doesn’t personally affect them. They do not have children in our “mountain schools” who will be displaced and heartbroken.

I saw a sign along the road here in Pickens that said “Save the schools … Oust the board,” and that is so true. We need people from Clemson and Easley who are willing to run for election on these two seats, who care about our schools and have a community mindset. We need to vote and let our voices and wishes be heard!

I know that there are actually three seats coming open, however, Alex Saitta, in my opinion, should stay, as he does want to keep the schools open and has demonstrated his leadership in our community and appreciates our values. I think some of the board members forget who exactly they represent.

I emailed and/or wrote to every single board member, and the only two board members who are great about responding are Henry Wilson and Alex Saitta. Big surprise, considering the others just want an easy answer to close the schools and open up more revenue to just blow on other “wants.”

Oh, and to the chair of the facilities committee, who was very clear about his position on not compromising and wants to close the schools — considering your original view was to have “greater emphasis on the classroom, local control and community values,” well, that is what we, as a community, are fighting for! Please try to think if it was your child or grandchild who attended one of these schools. Would you look at them with tears in their eyes, and tell them that you were going to close their school?

We teach our children to “just say no” to drugs, bullying and violence. This is something the board members need to try — “just say no” to closing our schools and preserve the community values that thrive in our “mountain schools!”

Laura Demler

Pickens