Comments on: Hello South Carolina, I’m listening http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:39:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: COMMUNITY UPDATE: August 2008 : Nathan Ballentine http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7535 COMMUNITY UPDATE: August 2008 : Nathan Ballentine Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:42:17 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-7535 [...] What bills would you introduce? The Legislature doesn’t return until January, but during the next several months is when I do my research and planning for what I feel (or have heard form you) is needed in our state and can move our state forward. I’d like to hear from you! [...] [...] What bills would you introduce? The Legislature doesn’t return until January, but during the next several months is when I do my research and planning for what I feel (or have heard form you) is needed in our state and can move our state forward. I’d like to hear from you! [...]

]]> By: Joy Bouknight http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5851 Joy Bouknight Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:24:59 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5851 We hear so much about our education system and how bad it is and more programs needed, etc etc and on and on we go. We have wonderful programs already that are in place and making huge differences to many children. But! How many of the children who are put into these special programs do not have the encouragement, discipline shown them at home to reinforce the teaching they get from excellent teachers. What if the parents were made to attend counseling/help/tutoring where they can make a difference in their own home and the children saw their parents growing, caring, understanding. Perhaps marriages would be saved because of less stress in the home. Children would feel secure and loved and could focus on learning instead of other dysfunctional/destructive activities in the home. Parents would understand the education system better and more in tune with their child's teacher. The list could go on and on! Thanks for listening/reading. My heart often hurts to hear the stories my teacher friends tell. We hear so much about our education system and how bad it is and more programs needed, etc etc and on and on we go. We have wonderful programs already that are in place and making huge differences to many children.

But! How many of the children who are put into these special programs do not have the encouragement, discipline shown them at home to reinforce the teaching they get from excellent teachers. What if the parents were made to attend counseling/help/tutoring where they can make a difference in their own home and the children saw their parents growing, caring, understanding. Perhaps marriages would be saved because of less stress in the home. Children would feel secure and loved and could focus on learning instead of other dysfunctional/destructive activities in the home. Parents would understand the education system better and more in tune with their child’s teacher. The list could go on and on!
Thanks for listening/reading. My heart often hurts to hear the stories my teacher friends tell.

]]> By: Trina Dickerson , Constituent http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5846 Trina Dickerson , Constituent Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:34:49 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5846 Hey, Nathan! We need to direct more of our funds to early childhood education with a focus on reading comprehension, especially for K-4 students. We need to fully fund kindergarten for every child. We need career centers in every school district or in clusters, which would emphasize applied science and math skills, and would address many of the different learning styles shared by many of our most at-risk students. Funding should also be included for transportation for all students; possibly from hubs with the districts. Tax incentives could be given to corporations, small businesses, and organizations who provide donations, volunteers, and partnerships with these career centers. Funding for technology to share practices, information and resources between the career centers and school districts would make sure these resources would be available to all of the students in the state. Please contact me when you have time to meet for lunch or some other time to discuss these ideas and others I have. Thanks for listening and ACTING on behalf of our children!--TMD Hey, Nathan!
We need to direct more of our funds to early childhood education with a focus on reading comprehension, especially for K-4 students. We need to fully fund kindergarten for every child. We need career centers in every school district or in clusters, which would emphasize applied science and math skills, and would address many of the different learning styles shared by many of our most at-risk students. Funding should also be included for transportation for all students; possibly from hubs with the districts. Tax incentives could be given to corporations, small businesses, and organizations who provide donations, volunteers, and partnerships with these career centers. Funding for technology to share practices, information and resources between the career centers and school districts would make sure these resources would be available to all of the students in the state.

Please contact me when you have time to meet for lunch or some other time to discuss these ideas and others I have. Thanks for listening and ACTING on behalf of our children!–TMD

]]> By: Mark Nayman http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5507 Mark Nayman Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:44:58 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5507 I stumbled upon your website and thought it was very interesting. I wish the public officials in our area would do the same.. Keep up the good work. Mark Nayman I stumbled upon your website and thought it was very interesting. I wish the public officials in our area would do the same.. Keep up the good work.

Mark Nayman

]]> By: Michael Sharpton http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5453 Michael Sharpton Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:46:23 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5453 One thing I would love to see is a ban on smoking. It is terrible to have to navigate through a smoking section in a restaurant. Having a family, this is an important issue to me. Many restuarants in our area have started. Even Waffle House and Cracker Barrel have banned it. How great it is to travel to Tennessee and Florida because of that!!! It is great to not to have to worry about smoking and non-smoking in a restuarant...which, when you think about it, is like going to a pool and seeing a rope separating a "peeing and non-peeing section". Doesn't really do much good, does it. One thing I would love to see is a ban on smoking. It is terrible to have to navigate through a smoking section in a restaurant. Having a family, this is an important issue to me. Many restuarants in our area have started. Even Waffle House and Cracker Barrel have banned it.

How great it is to travel to Tennessee and Florida because of that!!!

It is great to not to have to worry about smoking and non-smoking in a restuarant…which, when you think about it, is like going to a pool and seeing a rope separating a “peeing and non-peeing section”. Doesn’t really do much good, does it.

]]> By: Jack Jackson http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5385 Jack Jackson Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:13:20 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5385 Dear Rep. Ballentine, There is one act that could be passed in the coming session that would do wonders to boost the state economy thereby boosting employment and wages with the resultant long term benefits of increasing the citizen's educational achievement and ultimately their health. By replacing the existing SC Income Taxes on corporations and individual incomes, and the convoluted hodge-podge of sales tax laws with a Fair, Simple and Transparent state version of the FairTax, South Carolina would lead the nation in creating a haven for manufacturing, and entrepreneurial individuals striving to do the best for themselves and their families. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the FairTax concept at length. Thanks for your consideration of this proposed legislation. Dear Rep. Ballentine,

There is one act that could be passed in the coming session that would do wonders to boost the state economy thereby boosting employment and wages with the resultant long term benefits of increasing the citizen’s educational achievement and ultimately their health. By replacing the existing SC Income Taxes on corporations and individual incomes, and the convoluted hodge-podge of sales tax laws with a Fair, Simple and Transparent state version of the FairTax, South Carolina would lead the nation in creating a haven for manufacturing, and entrepreneurial individuals striving to do the best for themselves and their families. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the FairTax concept at length.
Thanks for your consideration of this proposed legislation.

]]> By: Whoville Resident http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5271 Whoville Resident Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:26:45 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5271 School's Out Mr. Ballentine! 7/17/08/WISTV.COM: SLED, Ed. Dept. to blow up bus at Fort Jackson http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8691178 But did ANYBODY learn ANYTHING?!? School’s Out Mr. Ballentine!

7/17/08/WISTV.COM: SLED, Ed. Dept. to blow up bus at Fort Jackson

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8691178

But did ANYBODY learn ANYTHING?!?

]]> By: Jeffrey Sewell http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5238 Jeffrey Sewell Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:33:04 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5238 Nate, Thanks for all you do, for your constituents and for the greater family of South Carolinian's. We are fortunate that we have many fine folks like yourself willing to serve and sacrifice in a somewhat very unthankful business at times... Nate,

Thanks for all you do, for your constituents and for the greater family of South Carolinian’s. We are fortunate that we have many fine folks like yourself willing to serve and sacrifice in a somewhat very unthankful business at times…

]]> By: Palmetto Links - 07.16.08 : Wesley Donehue http://nathansnews.com/south-carolina-im-listening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5236 Palmetto Links - 07.16.08 : Wesley Donehue Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:52:15 +0000 http://nathansnews.com/?p=250#comment-5236 [...] Nathan’s News | Hello South Carolina, I’m listening [...] [...] Nathan’s News | Hello South Carolina, I’m listening [...]

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