TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THE LOCAL IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BATTLE ISN’T EASY. DEMOCRATS ARE OPPOSING THE RE-OPENING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNTIL OBAMACARE TAX CREDITS ARE PUT BACK IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET. THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE DOES MATTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA ACCORDING TO THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER OF THE HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE, PATTY MURRAY OF WASHINGTON STATE, WHO SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA WILL HAVE THE SEVENTH HIGHEST INCREASE IN PREMIUMS IF THE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS ARE CUT- THE WAY THE BUDGET BILL CURRENTLY READS. MURRAY SAYS SOUTH CAROLINIANS AVERAGE OBAMACARE PREMIUMS WILL RISE 285% IF THE BUDGET CUTS ARE APPROVED. THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA IS ONE OF FEWER THAN 10 STATES WHERE MORE THAN 10% OF RESIDENTS GET THEIR HEALTH CARE FROM THE A-C-A MARKETPLACE. FOLKS FROM WEST VIRGINIA, WYOMING AND ALASKA FACE INCREASES OF OVER 350% AND ALMOST ALL OF THE STATES FACING THE LARGEST INCREASES ARE REPUBLICAN-LED.
TWO MAJOR STORMWATER PROJECTS ARE ABOUT TO GET UNDERWAY IN BEAUFORT THAT’LL MAKE NAVIGATING CHARLES STREET AND KING STREET A LITTLE DIFFICULT THIS WINTER BUT COULD SOLVE SOME MAJOR POTENTIAL FLOODING ISSUES. NEW, LARGER STORMWATER DRAINPIPES WILL BE INSTALLED TO REPLACE 40-YEAR-OLD INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA. BOTH PROJECTS ARE SCHEDULED TO FINISH BY MAY OF NEXT YEAR.
SO HOW DOES THE RED-HOT SAVANNAH BANANAS FRANCHISE KEEP ITS NOW-NATIONAL AUDIENCE SATISFIED? HOW ABOUT ADDING TWO MORE TEAMS WHO CAN THEN EXPOSE BANANA-BALL TO MORE PLACES, MORE OFTEN. THE BANANAS WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE WAS RELEASED LAST NIGHT AND INCLUDES TWO BRAND NEW TEAMS, THE LOCO BEACH COCONUTS AND THE INDIANAPOLIS CLOWNS, AND WILL PLAY IN NINE MAJOR FOOTBALL STADIUMS NEXT SPRING AND SUMMER, INCLUDING THE COLLEGE STADIUMS OF FLORIDA STATE, NORTH CAROLINA, NEBRASKA AND OREGON AND NFL STADIUMS IN NEW ORLEANS AND NEW ENGLAND. WITH THE ABILITY TO PLAY MORE PLACES WITH MORE TEAMS, BANANA-BALL WILL ALSO COME TO CHARLESTON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN APRIL. LAST YEAR’S TOUR FEATURED STOPS IN 40 CITIES INCLUDING SELLOUTS AT MULTIPLE MAJOR LEAGUE STADIUMS.
HERE’S A STRANGE STORY OUT OF BEAUFORT. THE WELL-KNOWN FORMER LEADER OF THE COUNTY’S A-TAX BOARD IS HAVING TO WORK HIS WAY BACK INTO THE LOWCOUNTRY’S GOOD GRACES. VIRNAL DESAI OWNS THE SPRINGHILL SUITES IN BEAUFORT, BUT SKIPPED TOWN FOR L-A THIS FALL, ON A WHIM HE TELLS THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER AND LEFT BEHIND AN UNPAID 290-THOUSAND DOLLAR PROPERTY TAX BILL, LEADING TO THE PROPERTY BEING AUCTIONED OFF FOR JUST UNDER 7-MILLION DOLLARS EARLIER THIS WEEK. COUNTY RULES SAY THE OWNER CAN RECLAIM THE PROPERTY BY PAYING THE BACK-TAXES PLUS PENALTIES WITHIN A YEAR AND DESAI SAYS HE’LL HAVE THAT DONE BEFORE THE END OF OCTOBER, THOUGH THE METER IS RUNNING AND THE BILL IS NOW NEARLY A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS. HE’S ALSO MISSED MEETINGS OF THE NUMEROUS BOARDS HE SERVES ON AND COULD BE REPLACED ON THE A-TAX BOARD FOR MISSING MEETINGS.