SC Off Topic

[goodbye]

This was in the news several months ago, but I don't recall seeing this particular website, so definitely thanks for the link.

[GvilleSC]

I just saw this somewhere else and I thought it was interesting. They had a 'state of the week' thread. During the week, they post information, developments, etc on that state. I was wondering if there were any interest on here to do something like this. Maybe for SC Counties? There's 46, it'd almost be perfect to finish out the year. Also, it'd give us a chance to do a little research on a given place and share it with others, whether it's facts, or better yet developments which may be flying under some people's radars. I wouldn't mind seeing some pictures from various places, either, if someone has them. Just an idea.

[Spartan]

I like that idea. The question is how do we divvy it up, and what's the order going to be?

[GvilleSC]

I like that idea. The question is how do we divvy it up, and what's the order going to be?

Simply alphabetical. Or, I'd rather see maybe a rotation between the regions of the state. That way, Charleston metro counties (Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester) aren't all in the front of the rotation, while a lot of the Columbia metro (Orangeburg, Richland, and Lexington) have to wait 'til the middle or end.

Something like:

-Orangeburg

-Spartanburg

-Newberry

-Sumter

-Abbeville

-York

-Horry

-Clarendon

-Aiken

-Oconee

-Richland

-Allendale

-McCormick

-Pickens

-Berkeley

-Lee

-Lancaster

-Edgefield

-Chesterfield

-Dillon

-Laurens

-Georgetown

-Union

-Marion

-Greenville

-Calhoun

-Fairfield

-Jasper

-Dorchester

-Greenwood

-Marlboro

-Williamsburg

-Colleton

-Cherokee

-Charleston

-Lexington

-Chester

-Florence

-Kershaw

-Anderson

-Bamberg

-Williamsburg

-Beaufort

-Saluda

-Darlington

-Barnwell

[GvilleSC]

I saw one of the new SC highway signs this weekend. It was a first in person. They look great! The bright blue really catches your eye.

For anyone who has yet to see one, if you're in Greenville, check it out on the newly widened portion of Woodruff Rd. The one I saw is heading away from Laurens Rd just before the tracks that will be the new BRT line and Breakaway Honda...

Edited March 16, 2008 by GvilleSC

[Spartan]

^Which highway signs are those?

[GvilleSC]

^Which highway signs are those?

These:

[Spartan]

Oh yeah! Thanks. I had forgotten about those.

[MikesLogic]

Good looking signs, saw a few of them when I was up in Rock Hill the other day.

[sonofaque86]

Lol at one of the opinions in the The State about solving South Carolina's problems...

http://www.thestate.com/letters/story/347014.html

[Spartan]

Doing that would be highly impractical, as both states would have to give up their current governments to create a new one. Not to mention that the Civil War taught us that you have to get all 50 states to ratify such a change in the union. Thats assuming the measure passed in both of the states wanting to merge.

The success of USC sports isn't exactly tied to the decisions of the state government...well, not in as direct a fashion as academics. Ironically, if South Carolina had not been so brutalized in all respects during the Civil War and Reconstruction, we would very likely see USC as one of the premier academic institutions in the nation as it was before the Civil War. After 1865, the state was not able to fund any colleges due to the lack of money, and then when they were able to fund it you had to deal with the likes of Benjamin Tillman. Having said that, the Gamecocks may still have a less than perfect football record (though were are officially above .500 now) regardless of the funding we did or did not get. You can never say for sure about that kind of thing.

Interesting thought though

[whitehourseview]

Doing that would be highly impractical, as both states would have to give up their current governments to create a new one. Not to mention that the Civil War taught us that you have to get all 50 states to ratify such a change in the union. Thats assuming the measure passed in both of the states wanting to merge.

Nah, you wouldn't need all 50 states, just the two in question and Congress. You wouldn't even need the President or the courts to go along:

US Constitution

Article 4 - The States

Section 3 - New States

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

After what happened with West Virginia/ Virginia, you barely need that.

But seriously, lots of the struggles with USC through the years can, in some way, be tied to having the state legislature down the block from campus.

[Spartan]

I came across this link that is part of our Legislature's efforts to make spending more transparent. I think this is one of the better things that our government has done in recent times:

https://ssl.sc.gov/SpendingTransparency/Bud...arencyMain.aspx

[Spartan]

A link to locate South Carolina grown products: http://www.certifiedscgrown.com/

[Spartan]

Ugh. Its stuff like this that makes SC look bad. Why must people continue to live up to these negative stereotypes?

[GvilleSC]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

[krazeeboi]

Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah

[monsoon]

For lack of a better place to post it, SC is mentioned in opinion article of the NY Times today. Remember what opinions are worth. If you don't like the NY Times, I suggest not reading it.

[CorgiMatt]

Richard Florida writes an article in the current edition of The Atlantic about how the economic crash will forever change the geography of America. He says cities such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, whose biggest industry for over a decade was growth itself, are so overbuilt and so devastated by the bursting of their housing market bubbles that it will be a long, long time before they recover. And other cities may never recover, he says. I wonder how South Carolina's cities will fare.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903/meltdown-geography

[Galley]

I visited Phoenix for the first time in Jan. I was amazed how large it was. It must be 80-10 miles across. My Dad bought a condo in Scottsdale last week for $68,500 that sold for $175,00 two weeks ago, and that was in a great area. I wonder what the prices are on the outskirts.

[CorgiMatt]

I don't know, but if you notice in the article, Florida goes as far as to allude that Phoenix and Las Vegas grew as large as they are because essentially they are both a Ponzi scheme. Now you have a massive number of retirees whose worth has plummetted with no jobs to help them make ends meet and no way to sell their house to go somewhere else. It's like a bunch of poor, old people stuck in the desert.

[Spartan]

What remains to be seen with those cities, and ones closer to home, is whether or not the mile after mile of identical white vinyl, brick-fronted subdivisions will retain any lasting value. If/when it is proven that they don't, then we will probably start to see these cities changed forever. The biggest change is that for an increasing number of people, the "American dream" does not include a big house and a large lawn. More and more people want urban amenities. Obviously the "work force" housing will be the most effected. People with enough income have and will want a large estate. The places where the middle class used to live- the vinyl suyburbs- are where the biggest hits will come. I think that they are doomed to become decrepit slums that we used to associate with he "inner city."

There are estimates that the housing surplus of 22 million homes by 2025. The question that remains is: what do you do with a mostly vacant subdivision.

[goodbye]

...The question that remains is: what do you do with a mostly vacant subdivision.

In some cases the best thing to do might be to demolish them and then wait for future growth. Vacant homes and streets are magnets for criminals. Meanwhile, jobs would be created for the demolition and potentially new jobs could be created for construction of affordable and sustainable urban development instead.

EDIT: Why did this take nearly half an hour to finally post? I can navigate with ease, but posting is ridiculously slow.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Skyliner

[Spartan]

The site went down for a short period of time. That's why you had trouble posting.

I think that's a good idea. Of course, it begs the question- is there any reason not to build it right to start with?

[krazeeboi]

There are estimates that the housing surplus of 22 million homes by 2025. The question that remains is: what do you do with a mostly vacant subdivision.

Convert it to Section 8 housing?