With the increase number of COVID-19 cases lately, it’s hard for me to understand why people wouldn’t get excited about an incentive to promote keeping people safe.
The uphill battle we are fighting to get back normal should be enough to excite people to either want to take the shot or come up with creative ways to encourage people to take the shot.
You know how much I enjoy questions in my email. This past week, a correspondent asked, “Why are you so pro-shot? Why are you OK with giving away our money?”
My quick response was that we must think of the greater good. We all have our beliefs. Some people think that everyone voting should be required to show an ID. Some people think that in order to travel, you should be vaccinated… so, is one wrong?
More from Michael Meyers: COVID-19 Not the Only Threat to Richmond County Schools
The one who is wrong is based on how YOU feel. We should never question a truth. We should never let our strong convictions — be they personal or political — turn us into enemies over something that shall pass.
On to more local news, I’m excited to see what the local group that was supposed to discuss the monuments and renaming streets come up with. Actually, let me take that back. I could really care less. Whatever they decide will be fine with me. They can stay or they can go, and I truly believe that is the consensus of most people in this community. If they do any removing/changing, make it Calhoun Expressway. Even Clemson University removed John Calhoun’s name from a building. Maybe we can follow Clemson’s lead and Commissioner Fennoy’s suggestion about changing the expressway’s name. I believe his suggestion was Veterans Expressway. I am sure no one reading would disagree with that proposal.
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Speaking of schools, we are seeing quite the spike in COVID-19 numbers. I believe I read that the numbers are over 1,000 new cases within our three local area school systems… with Columbia County Schools making up over 50% of those numbers.
Why the sudden spike in Columbia County numbers? The response I heard is that the superintendent won’t be here long, and he’s letting too much get out. Maybe this new level of transparency is unwanted?
Pristine Columbia County School System has been in the news more in the last two weeks than in the last two years. The system has been in the news because of school violence, threat issues, COVID-19 and other problems that parents are being made aware of all of a sudden.
It begs the question, are these new issues or things that have always gone on but would never before have seen the light of day?
Columbia County’s school board is unlike the Richmond County School Board, which has members who can answer a question without having to “get back to you” with an answer. That comment comes from when I asked a few of them, “Why raise the millage if you received $118 million dollars from the Cares Act? What happened to that money?”
The best response I received so far was, “We already said what we did with that money.” Which still didn’t answer my question. It did, however, make me feel better to know that others had asked and they didn’t get an answer either.
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Election update: A.K. Hasan put out a press release that officially let all of us know he was running for Richmond County Commission. In his release, he stated the first thing he was going to do when he was elected was change the name of the city to Augusta.
Now, for all the people who are trying to figure if you read that right — you did. Go do your homework before you frown at that point. For a mention in next week’s column, can anyone guess the real name of our fair city?
Let me bring up a shining spot before I get out of here. I was told that we had quite a few people in line to get vaccinated after the city announced that $100 incentive. I was told there was a line a mile long at the health department to get the vaccination. I was also told that the line included people who wanted to get tested as well. I am hoping to have some numbers by the time the next column runs.
More from Michael Meyers: Great Expectations
Now, a question for this week and we will get out of here: How do the people who feel it’s a violation of one’s right to require vaccinations or vaccination cards feel that it’s OK to require ID to vote? This question was in my email. I could answer it, and I also could explain how the same people feel that Jan 6. was a peaceful demonstration, raiding the Capitol. I would rather see how the readers feel about the two, and then we can discuss the local business ties to people involved in the insurrection… Oops. Getting ahead of myself again.
P.S. Special prayers and blessings being sent up for one of our Augusta commissioners and his family as they battle illness. Praying for healing for them and anyone else out there that is need of a rich blessing from our Lord.
Michael Meyers is a Columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com.
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