All Write-ups 

2023: 

Radio System, Dispatch, 911 Call Center: Feb 12. 

Widening Highway 183: Jan 27.  

Annexation Law Is The Problem: Jan 10. 

 

2023: 

RVs To Become Permanent Homes? Dec 18.  

EMS: November 28. Improvements in the works.  

Iceberg: October 20. The debt situation is now out of control.  

Pickens County Performing Arts Foundation: September 24. 

The Political Decline: September 1. 

County's 2023-24 Budget: August 23. 

President Trump Visit: August 8: Who pays? 

Library Millage: June 1: To be on millage or not? 

School Board Lawsuit: May 15. The board has a strong case.  

School Bond Millage Stuck At 54: April 25. 

Administrator Pay/ Residential Developer Deals: February 20. 

Recycle Center Improvements: Jan 23.  

County Audit 2022: Jan 5. Swimming in cash.  

 

2022: 

Highway 11 - Part II: Dec 12: My speech before the vote.  

Highway 11 Protections: Dec 1: Protect Highway 11. 

School Board Authority (Stamped): Nov 14: Board selects books.  

Student Loan Forgiveness: August 26: Who pays? 

New Fire System: July 22. The costs of the new fire system.  

MRR Settlement: June 1. Why I voted "No".  

Jobs Inside Pickens County: May 4.  

States Must Rise Up: April 15. The federal government is lost.  

2021 Council Redistricting: March 22.  

Precious Metals: March 15: How to buy and when.  

5 Financial Principles: February 10. Live by these financial rules.  

Roads - Attorney General Opinion: January 23. 

 

2021: 

More Signs: December 31. More signs of board US decline.  

Why Inflation: December 7. Explains the what's and how's of inflation.  

High Speed Internet Update: November 20.  

Protect Our Traditions: November 7: Stand up and protect Pickens' traditions.  

Republic At State: October 20: States need to stand up against Federal agression.  

Roads II: October 1: Other options not supported.  

Roads - Massive Tax Hike: September 21: Road taxes up and up. 

Educational? September 15: Library board has lost its way.  

Falling Enrollment: September 1: SDPC enrollment is falling and this is bad.  

Talking with County Employees: August 10.  

True Inflation: July 17. Inflation is running much higher.  

Pick Up Pickens: July 10. Picking up litter on our roads.  

Hit The Iceberg?: June 30. Problems, problems, problems.  

Library Adjustment: June 15. Slowing the growth rate of ballooning revenue, cash and savings.  

Budget Priorities 2021-22: May 17.  

Borrow, Print... Inflation: April 21.  

Trash, Recycling and Litter: March 22: We need to stay ahead of this problem.  

High Speed Internet III: February 17: An update on this effort in Pickens County 

We Need State Leadership: January 25: States are now on the line of scrimmage.  

Why The Right Is Angry Too: January 11: Why the right is anger too.  

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2020: 

Mistakes, Iregularities, Illegal Votes... December 28: 

Legal Challenges: December 16: The courts are not upholding the law.  

Integrity Crumbling: November 18: Integrity of institutions crumbling.  

Fraud Or Not? November 9: Trump needs to investigate.  

High Speed Internet II: October 15: An update. 

Tradition: September 26: Standing and local traditions.  

High Speed Internet I: Sept 16: Reopening the Recycle Centers and Internet Service.  

Decline Becoming Clearer: July 27: Path of decline is now clearer.  

Debt Crisis Update 2020: June 18. The slide is accelerating. 

Council Votes: March 15. One in the same 

Debt Still Growing: Feb 24. Growing debt is still a problem.  

Reassessment 2019: Feb 10. Why most got property tax increases in Jan 2020.  

White Not Grey: Jan 15: We need to protect our traditions.  

Midway Subdivision: Jan 5: How over-regulation is hurting our area.  

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2019 

Sprawl - A Deeper Look: Dec 30.  

Overhauling Fire Protection: Dec 15. Rest of the story on this.  

They're Coming: Dec 1. Will our leaders be able to stand up? PES complaint.  

Source Information Needed: Nov 15. Election lies and smears getting worse.  

Polluting Our Culture And Its Effect On Children: Oct 30. More harmful ingrediants from the media. 

An Empty Jail: Oct 15.  

Pickens County Drug & Housing Update: Sept 30. 

Drug Use In SC: Sept 15.  

Losses At The Airport: August 30. Going from the black to the red in only 2 years.  

US Women's Soccer Team: August 15. What a pitiful display.  

Speech To Council/ Opening The Jail: August 12.  

Listen To Employees: July 30. Why councilmen should always listen to employees.  

FOIA Disclsoure: July 15. Does a county government have to disclose these? 

Rising Debt: Its Effects: June 30. Why real income is falling at lower levels. 

Letters To The Editor: June 15: Why I write them.  

Hagood Mill Plan: June 12: Ideas for addressing Hagood Mill.  

Focus on Sprawl: May 30: Sprawl is coming.  

Hagood Mill: May 15: What I was thinking.  

Manufacturing In Pickens County: May 15. Help existing businesses.  

Blocking Users -- A No-No: April 30. Elected leaders can't block users on social media.  

Cut State Income Tax Rate: April 15.  

Unplanned: April 1. I recommend this movie. 

Trip To Finland - Why?: March 20. 

Drag Queen Story Hour: March 12. Unhealthy for children.  

Speech To House Education Committee: February 12. Education problems.  

Rubberstamp School Board: January 21. Examined votes of the board the past 2 years.  

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2018 

School Board Election Redo? December 20.  

Types of Economies: December 10.  

Stockade Chapel: November 26. The chapel should be moved to the new jail.  

2018 Test Scores (Elementary & Middle): November 8.  

Bigger Alternative School: October 22. Why the SDPC needs a bigger alternative school.  

Pay Levels Local Councils & Boards: September 29.  

Quality of Life & More: August 15: Does these projects create businesses and jobs? 

A Pleasant Surprise: August 15: What to do when pulled over by the police.  

Spending Not Managing: July 27: Recycle centers and debt service account.  

Center of the Universe: July 22: Why are we telling our children this? 

Glass Is Half Empty: June 26: We are in a moral decline.  

Tariffs: Trump Right, But..: June 11: Trump is right but needs to focus on his winning argument.  

Liberty Library: June 2: Closing it is another sign of poor financial management.  

Acted Like Clowns: May 21: Graduation at University of Florida.  

Anderson 1 Teacher: May 8. She should not have been terminated.  

Latest Report Card Stats 2017: March 26. 

Business Hit All Around: March 12.  City of Pickens businesses too much taxes/ fees.  

Council Trip To Europe: Feburary 26. I was floored when I read about this.  

Put Meetings On Line: February 12. School board and council should put meetings on-line.  

Seventh Seat Map: January 20. Many reasons why I opposed a 7th seat on the board. 

Immigration Reform: January 9. 

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2017: 

More Tax Hikes: November 27. More school board tax hikes.  

Renewing The Easley TIF? November 16.  

Losing Its Monopoly There Too: November 6. Losing their new monopoly there too. 

New Jail: October 17. I support the jail, but not how they are paying for it. 

What Changed: September 28. What changed on the school board Alex? 

Glassy Mountain II: Septemer 11. More on my opposition to this huge subdivision.  

Democracy Needs Two Sides: August 24.  

Communication Not Politics: August 4. School district's political arm.  

Liberty Fire: July 24. This was a success? 

Losing The Republican Brand: July 5. Republicans have to start voting like Republicans. 

2017 School Board Tax Hike: June 24.  

Glassy Mountain: June 13. Underlying dynamics and the housing shortgage.  

Charter Schools: May 29.  

County Pay Raises: May 12. Uncovered pay raises for elected officials.  

Direct Public Participation Needed: April 29.  

When Do You Compromise: April 18. When to and not to compromise.  

Spilting A Principal: April 1. Why a half principal at DES and DMS? 

Latest Report Card Stats 2016: March 17. Stats from the past school year.  

Reopen AR Lewis: March 1. Reopen AR Lewis as an elementary school.  

Failures of Feminism: February 5. 

The Four Box Matrix; Jan 18. Why government is inefficient. 

Seventh Seat Again: Jan 9. School board still doesn't need a seventh seat. 

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2016 

Flag Burning: Dec 17. How the Supreme Court made a mistake.  

Transgender Bathrooms: Dec 3. School board must stand up.  

Election After Thoughts: Nov 18.  

Board Meeting Times: Oct 24. Schedule them for the public benefit. 

Opening Prayer: October 5. Finally fixed.  

Developing Housing Shortage: September 19.  

Camp IRock: September 6. Alex's thoughts on this promising program.  

Two Middle Schools, What Happened: August 18. 

Troubling Drug Problem: August 2. Discusses problems beyond an old jail.  

Superntendent's Contract Extension: July 24. Why I voted against. 

Post Election Q&A: July 16. 

The Principles Of Leadership Transition: June 20. Dynamics of picking a new chairman.  

5-year Capital Maintenance Plan: May 24. Why Alex Saitta voted against it.  

Petition/ Referendum: May 7. Giving direct power to the people.   

School Closings -- Dacusville Community Center Speech: April 24.  

Shifiting Priorities & Closing Schools: April 10. 

Total Cost Per Student: March 27. Total cost per student was $11,721 for 2014-15.  

Moral Authority: March 16. Speech I gave opposing the closing of Holly Springs/ AR Lewis.  

Closing Schools? How About Better Management: March 5. 

Burning The Candle At Three Ends: February 21.  

All Extra Capacity: February 7. Why all the extra capacity is in the system. 

Functioning Democracy: January 24. How a democracy is supposed to work.  

Closing Ben Hagood: January 9. Why I oppose closing the school and the renovation plans.  

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2015 

Proactive: December 26. Why you have to be proactive.  

Second Assistant Principal Pay Raise: December 12. Discusses mid-year extra AP pay raise.  

A Bad Habit: November 29. Board is again spending more than coming in -- a bad habit. 

Closing Schools? November 16. Discussion of closing schools and other issues of 2015.  

New Federalism: October 17. Federal authority and influence expanding.  

2015 Audit: October 3. Good news in short run, but threatening in long-run.  

Teacher Pay Gap: September 18: Teacher pay and the 2015-16 budget.  

Charleston Three Levels: August 19. Discussion of shooting and aftermath. 

Final Prayer Vote: August 5. Discussion of Greece, NY prayer vote.  

Beth Looper: July 26. Alex Saitta response to Beth Looper's post.  

An Attack? July 11. My letter wasn't an attack.  

Ratcheting Down Again: June 25. More confusion for children with transgenders.  

Gay Marriage Case: June 13. 

Evidence Is In: May 30. What financial crisis for schools? 

Easley TIF: May 11. Easley TIF settled.  

Religious Freedom Restoration Act: April 25. 

Refinancing: April 11. I liked the idea, but not the method/ timing.  

Capital Needs Plan: March 28.  

Pot: Don't Create More Problems: March 3. Saitta rebutts pot bill in legislature.  

Local School District Revenue: February 17. Disputes that local revenue has fallen. 

SDPC Enrollment: February 5. Enrollment is slightly down.  

CCPC: More Responses: January 24. Alex responses to CCPC's latest.  

Economy Now 2015: January 10. Assessment of the economy today. 

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2014 

Reversing on Retiree Hiring: December 28. Board reverses retiring hiring.  

Greenville Plan Coming Back: December 13. Bamberg is trying to go around the law.  

TIF Money: Where Should It Go? November 26. 

School Taxes Have Risen Significantly: November 15. 

PHS Sidewalk: October 26. Many to thank for the sidewalk.  

ISIS: October 14. Obama's response to ISIS.  

Activity Bus Vote: September 13. Alex Saitta discusses his vote. 

System Reform Overdue: August 26. School system design must be reformed. 

Excerpts From Greece, NY Opinion: August 10. Summary of the majority opinion.  

AdvancED's Accreditation Renewed: July 21. For another 5 year term.  

Iraq: July 2. Obama lost Iraq.  

What Not To Say: May 24. What not to say when it come to the legislature.   

TIF Ruling: May 10. Explanation of Judge Miller's TIF Ruling.  

Superintendent Search: April 28. The process for selecting the new Superintendent. 

Two Middle Schools Update: April 14. More info on the second middle school in Easley 

Baby Boom & School Funding Update: March 31. 

January 27, 2014 Vote: March 3. Board/ districts spends savings and remaining extra interest. 

Money Creation, Output and Inflation: March 17. Discusses the link between the three. 

January 27, 2014 Vote: March 3. Board/ districts spends savings and remaining extra interest.  

Gettys Sale Discussed Enough? February 17. Despite the claims it was discussed for months. 

Graduation Rates & The Legislature: February 3. How the legislature can help.   

2014-15 Calendar: January 19. Alex Saitta discusses why he voted against the calendar.  

Why I Voted To Sell The Old Gettys: January 10.  

Greece, NY vs. Galloway: January 6. Examination of prayer case before the US Supreme Court. 

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2013 

A Seventh Seat?: December 20. Why the board doesn't need a seventh page.  

Graduation Rate Rises: December 8. The SDPC marches toward 80% goal.  

Bond Tax Increase Seems Likely: November 22. Board actions of 2006 still haunting us.  

Debt Service: November 11. School district total debt and annual debt payments.  

Advice To Republicans: October 28. What to do after the government shutdown? 

Overspending Results In: October 19. The resulting harm we are now living due to overspending. 

Presentation to Retired Teachers: September 22. Highlight some school board accomplishments.  

Taken To Task: September 9. Govenment and its leaders are open to criticism.  

Promoting From Within: August 27. Why/ how the school district is promoting from within.  

Test Scores Up: August 13. Test scores are rising.  

Same-Sex Marriage Ruling: July 30. Why I oppose same-sex marriage.  

Two Middle Schools?: July 12. Op-Ed in the Greenville News on the Easley Middle School issue.  

Rising School Lunch Prices: May 22. Rising lunch prices explained. 

The Prayer Vote: May 8. Alex Saitta discusses his reasoning on the school board prayer vote. 

Electricity Problem and Solution? April 10. Electric bills for school district sky-rocket. 

Prayer Vote Legal: March 20. The vote to change the public invocation was legal.  

Coaches Pay: February 26. Discusses flaw in coaches pay system.  

2013-14 Budget Notes: February 12. Early thoughts on 2013-14 budget.  

Buildings Annual Cost: January 28. What it is costing to run all these new schools.  

Nikki Haley's Visit: January 9. Alex Saitta's thoughts on Haley's challenge.  

Stopped here.  

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2012 

Paying Down $13 Million In Debt -- Part II: December 9. 

Good Report Card: November 26. District report card is good and academically it is improving. 

2012 Election Thoughts: November 9. Alex Saitta's thoughts on the 2012 general election.  

Paying Down $13 Million In Debt -- Part I: October 24. Attempts to use surplus funds to pay down debt. 

Taxes Don't Have To Be Raised: October 8. Unlike surrounding counties SDPC didn't raise taxes. 

School Board Education Initiatives: August 28. Two key educaiton decisions by the school board.  

School Board Update: August 13. 

Root Cause Is Deeper: August 1. The entertainment industry is plays a role in the rise in violence.  

The Oct 2010 Vote: July 24. Discusses the vote that expanded the building program to $374 million.  

Splitting Legal Hairs: July 9. Discusses BR Skelton's lawsuit against the Republican party.  

TIF Lawsuit: June 18. Discusses the reasoning behind the school board and county's lawsuit.  

TAP: June 4. Discusses the financial reasoning of why I voted to end the TAP program.   

The Curriculum: May 21. Some of the concerns with the state curriculum.  

The Village Is Broke: April 24. The US government has taken the role of the community and is now broke.   

Post-TERI Hiring: March 27. Discusses the history/ reasoning to limit the hiring of retirees.    

Graduation Rate: February 29. Discusses causes and potential solutions to rising the graduation rate.   

EHS Conversion: February 13. Discussions the debate surrounding the EHS conversion.  

School Fund Raising: January 30. Discusses various ways to improve school fund raising efforts.  

Borrowing To Meet Payroll: No More: January 1. How the district improved its ailing financial position.  

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2011 

Adding More Teachers: November 14. School Board/ District add more classroom teachers. 

Role Models: November 14. Where are our role models? 

Central TIF Request: October 13. Explained why I don't support renewing the Central TIF.  

Sure-Up General Fund Account: September 28. Ways the school board is improving district finances.  

SDPC Long-Term Budget Problems: December 9, 2010/ September 14, 2011. 

2011-12 School District Budget: August 10.  

Selling Schools Makes Sense: July 24. Why I voted to sell (not give away) unneeded school facilities.  

Part II LMS Budget Meeting: July 14. Video and commentary on April 4th budget meeting. 

Ellenburg Decision Incorrect: June 15. The city of Pickens' decision to force Ellenburg to resign was incorrect. 

Part I LMS Budget Meeting: June 14. Video and commentary on April 4th budget meeting.  

Even Number Of School Board Seats: May 31. Discusses how 6 seats are working out.  

General Fund Account: March 21. Explains meaning of, what it is and what it is not.  

School Board Committees: March 7. Board committees get board members more involved.  

There Is A Silver Lining In Recessions: February 14. Top to bottom reviews -- the silver lining.  

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2010 

Disconnect With The Public: November 23. Discusses disconnect between government and the public. 

How Do We Pay To Run New Buildings: November 11. 

Splitting The Board - That Needs To End: October 25. 

Second Middle School In Easley: October 11. Discussion the plan's expansion to $374 million.  

Wall Street Reform Misses Mark: July 27. Discusses three big reasons why reform law missed the mark.  

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2009 

All China Options Doom The US Economy: March 31.  

China Holds The Cards: March 13. Discusses why excessive borrowing is hurting all of us. 

Four Phases Of The Economic Decline: Jan 20. Discusses the phases of this economic decline. 

Recession or Coming Economic Collapse?: Jan 2. Is a recession or is an economic collaspe on the way?  

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2007 

Character And Values Are Both Important: Dec 13. We must teach students character and values.  

Pickens High School Location: Nov 27. Discusses the selection for the location of the new Pickens High School. 

Act 261 of 1981 Uncovered: Aug 1. Discusses the spending cap that was put on the school board in 1981. 

Entertainment Industry's Harmful "Ingredients" Jul 2. When are we going to question Hollywood's ingredients? 

School Board Design: May 14. Discusses the current school board design.  

Library Book Removed: March 10. Alex Saitta explains why he voted to remove "Fat Kids" from the library shelf. 

Greenville Plan: What Happened, What Next. February 6. 

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2006 

Greenville Plan -- Colleton Ruling: Dec 15. Explains the Supreme Court ruling on the Greenville Plan.  

Greenville Plan: A Better Way: Dec 12. Explains the Greenville Plan, and a better way. 

Final Thoughts Reassessment Overcharge: Sept 23. Discusses school board actions and reassessment law. 

Reassessment Overcharge Spent: Aug 29. Discusses how the school board spent the reassessment overcharge. 

Tax-Swap Law Explained: Jul 16. Detailed explaination of the new sales tax/ property tax law.  

Baby Boom And School Funding: Mar 1. Boom's preference changing from schools to medical care. 

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2005 

Wicked Ways Of The North: Jul 25. Greenville Plan not invented in Greenville, but in New York. 

Greenville Plan Coming To Pickens: Jul 12. The borrowing scheme the Pickens School Board is considering. 

Path To Economic Crisis: Jun 27. Discusses all the high level of public and private debt in this country. 

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2004 

Morals & Values: Dec 26. The decline of morals and values and how it is hurting our ability to teach our children.  

Merry Christmas, Not Happy Holidays: Dec 13. Secularists are taking Christ out of Christmas. How you can stop it. 

Productivity -- Economic Magic: Sep 1. Why increasing productivity raises wages and profits, and lowers prices.s. 

Libel: July 28: The definition of libel, something everyone should keep in mind when posting to message boards. 

Think About Your Vote: May 30: Don't allow your leaders to make the same mistakes that they made up north.  

Capitalism Vs Socialism: Mar 13. Now you'll know a capitalist and socialist enterprise when you see one. 

Income Taxes: What Sanford Is Thinking: Jan 27. Why the income tax is the most destructive tax of the big  three. 

 

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